#gamescom 2020

[felassan]

The Art of Dragon Age: The Veilguard Deluxe edition (DA:TV artbook bonus stuff). [source, via]

"The deluxe edition features: - An elegant foil-stamped slipcase and cover - Gilded pages - A ribbon book marker - Two lithographic art prints housed in a sleek portfolio" [source]

It looks like the two lithographic prints are this mural (which is from the 2020 TGA teaser iirc) and this art of Solas with a wolf by Matt Rhodes (which is from the Gamescom 2020 video iirc). The packaging's color theme-ing is black and gold, reminding of this version (that pic is from 2021) of the game's branding/color theme-ing, and also of course bringing to mind the Golden/Black City. the Golden/Black City was featured on the vinyl cover arts.

The knife here on this cover looks like the 'blue lyrium' [?] dagger, but also simultaneously not like it.

This artbook cover one is more gnarled in appearance and the 'ring' of the handle isn't complete (the way the 'broken' handle could almost be an Evanuris headpiece-shape... if it was a bit more symmetrical, it would look like Elgar'nan's headpiece).

It has extra spiky bits protruding off it too and it looks like something is growing on it. Maybe this is what happens if/when the blue [lyrium?] dagger becomes red (Blighted)? because this gnarled kinda vibe reminds me a bit of Meredith's sword Certainty in DA2, and of that body horror way in which red lyrium growth looks on people. It also reminds me of the tendrils of Blight corruption on walls and the ground and stuff in DA:TV screenshots, and the gnarled red lyrium darkspawn we've seen (look at this darkspawn's back for example).

Or maybe there's simply more than one dagger? There's two rising Evil Gods.

in the background of that image is the now-familiar geometric patterning with the concentric rings around the outside that tend to represent the Veil, and also the multiple almooost-overlapping circles/spheres inside that is suggestive of an eclipse* (something which we can see in the DA:TV screenshot with the dragon, which keeps coming up, which speaks to a lot of the pertinent imagery/symbolism e.g. Elgar'nan overthrowing his father the Sun and darkening the sky, and something which to me makes sense in a Witcher-style Conjunction of the Spheres kinda vibe, multiple realms colliding, like, if you tear down the Veil, you're bringing two 'bodies' or realms together to 'overlap' once again - the Fade and the waking world). [*in the 'eclipse' link there it's just searching the word on my blog btw, since I've banged on and on about that lots before and I don't wanna repeat myself loads in this post hhh]. the placement of the dagger over that design and what it represents makes sense; as we saw in the gameplay reveal video, the dagger was part of Solas' ritual to tear down the Veil/move the Evanuris prison.

On this cover, we can see two eyeballs in two of the corners (the eyes remind me of the Inquisition hairy eyeball, the eye motifs cropping up around Lucanis, Pride, and the Fade peacock feather/eye motif [image from this post]). in the other two corners is a sword that reminds again of Certainty. Meredith brandishing the sword is part of this DA:TV mural in the bottom left, underneath Ghil. surely not a coincidence. :D maybe a Certainty-like sword is the final corrupted form of the dagger, or one of them? in TN, the red lyrium idol changed shape enough that a ritual-blade sprang from its base.

the background of this middle cover also contains triangles, reminding of ancient elven artifacts and ancient elven magic-tech (like with Bellara, the Veil Jumpers etc) and the recurring triangle symbols in DA art around Fade/Veil/magic-y stuff (example from the Tevinter Nights map below).

The cover on the right has more geometric patterns, circles, rings etc. (all these patterns remind of the art in the vinyl booklet btw). and, in the center, the eye again. 👁️

[jules-has-notes]

Genshin Concert 2021 — VoicePlay performance

WARNING: Some segments later in the show include flashing lights.

As video games have evolved over the decades, one of the most impactful elements has been their soundtracks. From bleeps and bloops, through simple midi tracks, to full orchestral compositions, the sounds that accompany players on their pixel-based adventures can help set the mood and create lasting memories. When the team behind Genshin Impact wanted to celebrate its first anniversary, they turned to artists from around the world to bring the game's spectacular music to life in new ways. Being both talented singers and lifelong video game players themselves, VoicePlay (and their buddy Deejay) jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

Details:

event: Genshin Concert 2021 – Melodies of an Endless Journey

title: Genshin Impact main theme (feat. Deejay Young & KoheeanBand)

original song / performers: "Genshin Impact Main Theme" by the London Symphony Orchestra for Genshin Impact (2020)

written by: Yu-Peng Chen (陈致逸)

arranged by: VoicePlay

release date: 3 October 2021

My favorite bits:

the gentle hummed opening harmonies

Cesar bringing in a smooth, airy melody over delicate bell chords

the clarity of Deejay's soaring vocals

Geoff taking over the full arpeggio as the others swell into gorgeous legato harmonies

Eli's powerful timbre as they briefly dip into a minor key

the smooth transition to the projection screen and the shot widening to introduce the instrumentalists

the interplay between Layne's percussion and the drum kit

the breadth of sound at the climax of the song

easing back down to that final lingering chord

Trivia:

The first volume of the game's soundtrack was released in June 2020 under the title "The Wind and the Star Traveler".

The concert was announced during the opening night of the Gamescom convention in August.

The three-piece KoheeanBand who accompanied VoicePlay for the second half of the main theme were brought together for this concert, and also performed as part of larger ensembles on other songs during the show.

Players who logged into the game during the YouTube premiere were able to claim exclusive rewards.

As it is on the game's soundtrack and in the show, VoicePlay's rendition of the main theme is the opening track to the concert album, "Melodies of an Endless Journey", released the following January.

The VoicePlay guys really do handle almost every aspect of their productions themselves, including running the fog machine to create a moody ambiance… and cleaning up afterward.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Geoff Castellucci (@geophr3y)

The guys collaborated with the MiHoYo game studio again two and a half years later when they released a short of "White Night" from Honkai: Star Rail.

PattyCake also wrote an original song for Genshin Impact called "You're the One with the Problem" and released a music video for it in July 2024.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dota 2 (2013)

Date: July 9, 2013 Platform: Mac / PC / Linux Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation / Nexon Corporation / Perfect World Entertainment Genre: MOBA Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Dota Also known as: Defense of the Ancients 2 Type: Crossover

Summary:

Dota 2 is a free-to-play high fantasy action real-time strategy game developed and released digitally by Valve for the PC, Mac and Linux on July 9, 2013.

Built on the studio's Source engine, Dota 2 is the official sequel to Defense of the Ancients, a series of custom scenarios for the 2002 game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos that originally popularized the "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" sub-genre. Development of the game is led by the original mod's final lead designer, IceFrog.

Similar to the original mod, the main gameplay pits two five-player teams (the Radiant and the Dire) against each-other as they work to escort their three endless waves of AI-controlled monsters (or "creeps") to the fortified enemy base in order to destroy the enemy "Ancient". Each player controls an individual Hero character and, throughout the match, earn experience (to level up their stats and abilities) and gold (for purchasing items and equipment) by eliminating enemies.

Rather than using a weekly free-to-play character rotation system (similar to other MOBA games at the time, namely League of Legends), the game makes all characters playable from the start and features cosmetic microtransactions (such as alternate appearances for each Hero's armor and weapons, alternate announcers, and custom UI enhancements) using the Steam Inventory and Steam Market systems.

The game received numerous updates since its original release, adding new Heroes, game modes (including support for custom modes), and features while revising certain gameplay mechanics. New features include better support for both new players (with integrated community-made guide support, coaching, and improved training modes) and competitive players (with improved replay and spectator support), as well as VR headset support (for spectating and viewing cosmetics). It also received a reworked client update in June 2015 (named "Dota 2 Reborn" for a short time), porting the game to Valve's Source 2 engine (the first game released with it), and received a complete map revamp on April 2023.

Dota 2 originally received an invite-only beta in November 2011, during Gamescom 2011. It was formally launched July 9, 2013, but access was gated via a queue system until December 16, 2013. It was also distributed as a standalone game in some regions, with Perfect World publishing the game in China, and Nexon publishing the game in both Japan and South Korea. The game also received spin-offs, including the 2018 digital card game Artifact, the 2020 "auto-battler" game Dota Underlords, and the 2021 animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/dota-2/3030-32887/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtkfCLjJz4&ab_channel=DotaCinema

[herrkaschke]

Get the exclusive Tape here at Insert Tapes Shop from Sweden. Later on it will also be available at Bandcamp

There is a static pause of 2 seconds between the end of each song and the start of a new song

The “Indie Arena Booth 2020-2024 Tape” is a tape on cassette that contains all the music I wrote and released for the Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom in the years 2020 to 2024. This includes the respective music for the trailer and music that was released for the video game “Indie Arena Booth Online”.As a bonus, I’ve included 3 tracks from the MAG Online OST, which was composed in 2021 for the MAG Online game & fair, which was realised by the same group called SuperCrowd, who I really enjoy working with.

Except for “Campfire Song” which was sung by Zerstörer and “Gaming Hell” which was written together with Jana Rangers of the metal band Tristis, everything is written, mixed, texted and produced by Herr Kaschke.

The artwork is based on the design of the Indie Arena Booth which was developed by Sebastian Stamm exclusive for the Indie Arena Booth. The pixel version was conceived and created exclusive for Herr Kaschke by Tassilo Rau

Get the exclusive Tape here at Insert Tapes or Bandcamp

SIDE A (Playtime 25:35)

Lav! (Indie Arena Booth Theme 2020) 2:48

YellowToyboxMachine 3:33

Stranger ThunderSnake in L.A. 2069 2:45

Golden Girl 2:55

That Ass up (Summercamp of Doom) 2:36

The Dream of the Three-Eyed Fish 2:36

Playground Flashback 3:28Wasteland Jazz 2:18

Campfire Song (Summercamp of Doom) [feat. Zerstoerer] 2:18

SIDE B (Playtime 26:13)

Wrestling for Lovers (Indie Arena Booth 2022 Theme) 2:26

Deixa pra lá 2:29

El Santo Lucha Libre 2:39

Whoop Whoop (Bruises and Kisses) 2:19

Magic Circus (Indie Arena Booth 2023 Theme) 3:10

Gaming Hell (feat. Jana Rengers) [Indie Arena Booth Theme 2024] 2:54

Min’Yō 3:10

Inokashira 3:29

Asobu 3:22

Lav! HerrKaschke 🦍🖖🏻💋

[gothicremakehowto]

Gothic Remake Installer Games

The Old remake goes into whole generation adhering to up suggestions

The idea glimpses rather developed, way too, though the builder might not open with no matter if the sport was near release. In accordance with author THQ Nordic, this said to be released Gothic Remake download pc simply by Development 2025, although strategy may always alter. Fraser is the GREAT BRITAIN on-line editor and possesses actually matched The web throughout part. THQ Nordic affirmed nowadays of which change goes in advance because playable teaser acquired plenty of interest with good response. That moving to help COMPUTER along with next-gen gaming system although absolutely won't stay ready during 2020. For the modern THQ Nordic Digital camera Present, we make one more extended fresh consider the upcoming remake associated with cult traditional open world RPG Gothic, having a brand new gameplay trailer home exposing clean point within the upcoming ready. To start with, the designer strained Gothic's value coming from a online game cultural perspective, mainly now Belgium in addition to Japanese The european countries, where the dream role-playing game instantly got a big abiding by. They furthermore promptly clarified that the Medieval Reprise Gamescom 2024 trial wasn't the main actual activity.

Over 180,000 folks joined in the tease, and soon after "unanimous suggestions", complete output will probably instantly begin at the new facility for being established inside Barcelona, The world. THQ Nordic claimed it's going to need response on the playable teaser fully briefed, such as call used for a "grittier along with less vivid globe". Inside 12 2019, the founder relieved a playable puzzle for you to individuals who already undergone a Old entertainment as well as every other identify by first designer Piranha Bytes of their Heavy steam documents. The inspiration, THQ Nordic input, became that in case the mystery confirmed well-liked adequate, the idea would allow the advance in the Gothic reprise fully.

Medieval Rebuilding is usually an action-adventure RPG produced by Alkimia Interactive, because the identify suggests is often a rebuilding on the classic Medieval 1 manufactured in 2001 a pointer basic of the RPG style. The almond harvest is the core of the camp's financial system, as it not just gives sustenance but permits the assembly associated with hemp schnapps, which is in large stress through the entire nest. On the other hand, unhappiness becomes brewing on the list of employ_es, most of them disillusioned on this lifestyle along with swift regarding a transformation. Inside opinions area below, help to make contracts connected with convenience while using added prisoners. Author THQ Nordic simply offers in the movie of which it is going to "before long" end up being promising to be able to involve yourself in the planet involving "Medieval". The newest copy on the cult role-playing game should be to remain generated with regard to PC, Xbox Strings how to download gothic remake X/S as well as Playstation 5.

Gothic Remake: Exploring Into the Improved Mechanics and Modern Playstyle

Facility go Reinhard Pollice influences the team's aspirations would be to turn into a "top-notch RPG business" along with to become among the finest COMPUTER SYSTEM along with system primary game creators inside southern European union. We touch not permitted near THQ Nordic, which confirmed in which Alkimia Interactive is, in fact, a rebranding involving THQ Nordic Barcelona. THQ Nordic's head involving PUBLIC RELATIONS Florian Emmerich explained to us that whenever the players commenced with the Gothic remake prototype, it absolutely was "certainly not emerge jewel" no matter if the rebuilding would progress any additional. On the other hand, one time the throw was proved, exactly where i will download medieval reprise THQ wished to "fixed way up a good facilities" to operate within the game. The sport ended up being greatly rewarded once it had been initial circulated during 2001 by simply devs Piranha Bytes, although right now there exist a couple of management conditions hampered that. While the full ended up being beautiful best for enough time, inside freshly relieved playable teaser, they stay best of all.

They take place as a substitute merely interested in asserting his or her governance inside jail nest in addition to they make it possible for a person leave after they've gain. One more habit is that in the quest log, right now there won't become any separation involving primary searches as well as inferior pursuits. THQ Nordic goes on sharing further point concerning the remake connected with Old 1. That is where value alerts about GG.deals appear in incredibly versatile and you can produce just one by simply finding the way for the "Produce Alert" option. To ensure nobody avoids, the sovereign leads their many talent mages in order to tossed a safety buffer. The moving backfires, controlling spinning out of control, as well as the answering chaos transforms the abundance straight into lawless territory, dominated with the many callous hostages. We became a look at the action during the https://gglauncher.com/gothic-remake-download-for-pc/ Nordic Highlight throughout Grand 2022, which in turn revealed off a number of the surroundingses.

The builder tell the prototype Gothic Remake Download PC was played simply by 180,000 Vapor users, generating the item over 9,000 evaluations. THQ Nordic likewise posted ready a consideration that's met in in excess of 43,000 gamblers, 94% regarding to whom remain at home favor from the bearing the developer seized inside re-imagining traditional Gothic in a modern wrapper. THQ Nordic said these days that the Gothic remake prototype the programmer made playable for you during November, hath got acquired good response. THQ Nordic declare they are going to try to settle all-around the original facts as accurately as possible with novel pictorial and gameplay mechanics. The action ends up being one among THQ Nordic’s biggest upcoming activities and can very likely demand a lot of hardware capacity to display the enhanced artworks in addition to gameplay adjusts.

That’s while using limited gameplay in which we’ve visited and also the little lists in order to emerge from your programmer, which in turn guides us when you consider we is certain to get a relief night out headline next yr. The basic role-playing video game "Gothic" was broadcast in Piranha Bytes within 2001. Although Piranha Bytes also went for you to THQ Nordic thereby the Embracer Crowd regarding a long time, the A language like german studio had not been commissioned to formulate the remake.

Grave to be able to copy strong tools, Full Rhobar II demands great sizes connected with wonderful ore, driving every readily available hostage in order to work in the acquire of Khorinis. Regretfully, at the moment, we do not possess a statement see with regard to the Gothic remake. THQ Nordic along with Alkimia declare the work they've been leaving within for the plan will probably be revealed "in your next handful of months", therefore a free time frame could be a way away. In the event the remake does property, we all know it'll be around regarding NOTEBOOK as well as next-gen gaming console, so this means you almost certainly need to suppose the idea in order to soil in PS4 or Xbox One. The Medieval Remake is scheduled to release about PS5, Xbox Series X | S, as well as MACHINE.

[zephyrrhiesfyrian]

Ask game? Let's fraggin' go, I'll just do the whole thing

No matter how low I fall, I feel like you'll be there

Uhhhh at Gamescom last year I complained about the lack of Transformers content and immediately froze in place as I spotted a handcrafted Optimus Prime made from recycled machine parts (It was 2k tho, so I didn't buy it)

Bc I like you a lot :]

What, wasn't that cute enough? Don't get greedy

Too many things and none of them belong on tumblr

Origin of your name ?

--- You fucking know who I am and if you don't, I'm breaking up (jk)

MY BELOVED

:3 always <3

BRO FR? DO YOU HAVE PICTURES I WANNA SEE

no u :]

ASDFGH

( •̀ ω •́ )✧

I think I chose Zephyr as my online/public persona name in 2016~2017 before officially adopting it as my chosen name in 2020 when I actually came out to myself as non-binary. Fyrian is a surname that my amica invented for an original story and I literally just copied it XD As for Rhies, I don't actually remember when or why I chose it as a middle name; probably just because it sounds neat :P

I KNEW WHO YOU WERE ON THE FIRST LINE, I RECOGNIZED THAT WRITING STYLE

[disasterdrvid]

6, 15, 17

Long time follower first time caller! I've been wary to get excited cause bioware has been playing with my emotions for over a decade at this point. I avoid most news and stuff about DA at this point but I appreciate your takes

Awww thank you so much! I've gone through cycles of wariness and excitement over the years, but tbh what's been coming out lately has me generally hopeful

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I have a canon worldstate and I've had my "canon" Rook locked in since December 2020 when the Game Awards trailer dropped! Iori (last name currently redacted) is a city elf born in southern Orlais who left following the civil war. She wound up in Rivain where she became a Lord of Fortune! (I've had her planned as one since I started writing her concept, well before any factions were confirmed. I just really loved Hollix in "Luck in the Gardens.") I've taken a lot of inspiration for her character from Long John Silver in Black Sails and, more recently, Izutsumi from Dungeon Meshi!

She has an older brother who disappeared after they left their village. Iori thought he went to join the Inquisition but he actually joined the Agents of Fen'Harel. I'm hoping some of Rook's story is open-ended enough that Bioware lets me get away with keeping that aspect because I find their rivalry really interesting--especially with how that plays into her and Solas' relationship.

If you want to see more of her I currently have her tagged on my blog under "#iori dragon age"!

15. Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

Not many given that we don't really know much about the story. But I've been pretty vocal that I think the 10 year timeskip is a huge mistake. Trespasser ended with a massive thread of tension hanging over the story, and I genuinely feel that jump cutting to Solas already starting the ritual within the game's prologue feels anticlimactic. Like, Bioware had 10 years to build up this plot point and to me the writing indicated they were going to stretch this a little further into Veilguard. I'd even speculated the better way to handle it would be to treat Solas like Origins treated Loghain, and make his confrontation a late act 2 plot point and then make him a late game companion. Hell, I even wanted them to bring back DA2's structure where the game takes place over multiple years. The technology has caught up where something that ambitious should be at least achievable now.

I also think as time goes on the Game Informer articles are going to get reevaluated. Some of them are a little silly and I think the reporter is highlighting things that are just part and parcel for the series. I get that this is marketing to build hype (probably leading up to GamesCom in August) but just... idk. I think specifically the one about companions and romances rubbed me the wrong way. Companions from previous games also had rich inner lives and romanced each other when not romancing the PC. So yeah I think some of them are a little silly to write whole pieces about like they're brand new ideas.

17. Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

Sometimes? I don't go out of my way to read meta and speculation since I think speculation just builds hopes for things that were never going to exist in the first place. (Like my bitterness about no multi-year story in Veilguard.) I've done speculation in the past and I even did a bit of speculative fic for Iori. I was wildly off base for a lot but I found it to be a fun exercise to finding her character. I've also posted my own speculation here but that was more for fun than anything serious.

As for lore I have way too much brain space dedicated to this series than a person should 😅 I've been meaning to re-read my copy of World of Thedas vol 2 in preparation for the game. I think lore is a fun thing to learn so I can play around with it for my characters. I'll also say that I've read a majority of the ancillary works (thus far the only ones I haven't read are The Calling and The Missing) because I like seeing the world of DA outside of what the games have established!

Send me DAV hype questions!

[meugamer]

Tiago Leifert é o Host da Abertura da Gamescom Latam Countdown

Estamos às vésperas da Gamescom Latam, que será o primeiro evento sediado no Brasil em parceria com a versão oficial europeia. O evento contará com Tiago Leifert como host. O jornalista, apresentador e entusiasta do mundo dos jogos virtuais é conhecido por ter sido narrador oficial do EA Sports FIFA entre 2012 e 2020, ao lado de Caio Ribeiro como comentarista. Leifert comandará o Gamescom Latam…

[stands-pro]

Top 7 Upcoming Exhibitions In Cologne, Germany

The seven exhibitions are scheduled in Cologne (Germany) between 2024 and 2025. The fair is an excellent opportunity for participants to network with similar suppliers and a large audience. You can achieve your goals by attending exhibitions in Cologne between 2024 and 2025. Seven exhibitions in Cologne between 2024 and 2020 will help you achieve your goals.

Gamescom Cologne 2024

Date: 21–25 August 2024 Gamescom Expo 2024 will be Cologne’s most extensive exhibition dedicated to computers and video. Through a major digital project, the exhibition was designed both online and offline. Gamescom Cologne will feature business, cosplay, and entertainment areas, as well as retro and pop. You can meet international creatives, media partners, and large cooperatives at Gamescom Cologne. Kind + Jugend 2024 Date: 3–5 September 2024 Soon, Kind + Jugend, a fashion exhibition for children, will hold its next face-to-face meeting. Messe Cologne will host over 15,000 international exhibitors to showcase various products and services. Kind + Jugend will showcase well-known retailers and children’s clothing brands. The fair will feature a wide range of products for babies and toddlers, including clothing, toys, and hygiene products. Kind+ Jugend offers consumers and decision-makers worldwide an excellent opportunity to discover new projects, learn about trends, and participate in advocacy activities. The fair features guided tours, product displays, live demonstrations, workshops, informative lectures, and award ceremonies. Intermot Cologne 2024

Date: 5–8 December 2024 Intermot, the international motorcycle, scooter, and e-bike fair, is held every two years in Cologne. It had become the world’s most significant international motorcycle show since 1998, when it was spun off from IFMA. Intermot Rho is now the world’s second-largest cycling event after the EICMA in Milan. Intermot Cologne, one of the largest motorcycle shows in the world, will feature electric bicycles. All motorcycle-related products, including helmets, shoes, raincoats, protective clothing, and gloves, are displayed. DMEXCO Cologne 2024

Date: September 18 and 19, 2024 DMEXCO Cologne is a critical event for Europe’s digital advertising, marketing, and technology industry. Over 4,000 professionals from the industry, including innovators, key decision-makers, and entrepreneurs, will be present to help shape the future of the diseconomy. DMEXCO Cologne is an unparalleled show in terms of its revolutionary power, creativity, and power. DMEXCO Cologne will have unique areas that cover all the subject verticals in the virtual enterprise, including media, e-commerce, and agencies. Use the networking and convention areas to meet and exceed your brand objectives by assembling the right project partners. The product review could be expertly curated to offer a wonderful tourist experience and valuable information on content programming, metaverses, blockchains, and essential industry themes. IDS Cologne 2025

Date: 25-29 March 2025 IDS Cologne is the leading international exhibition for dental professionals. IDS Cologne 2025, with its unrivaled product range and immersive ancillary programs, will stimulate its target market. IDS Cologne will present the latest technology and ideas that have a strong foothold today in dental practices and labs. The IDS will be able to offer a wide range of products that are unique and specific to the IDS. The 830 exhibitors from nearly 60 countries will bring the latest dental products and lab equipment. This may disrupt the current dental delivery chain. IDS Cologne is designed to provide high-level information on the latest trends, best practices, and research findings. The parallel lectures and seminars are a great way to get this information. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of being in the heart of the global dental family and to use a few opportunities for meetings to build lasting industry contacts. IMM Cologne 2025 Date: 12-16 January 2025 IMM Cologne was founded in 1949 and is an annual fixture exhibition in Cologne. Koelnmesse GmbH organized the exhibition, which has become a leader in the fixture industry. In the history of Cologne and of the fixtures industry, 1949 was a monumental year. The exhibition was a massive success despite the complicated situations of the immediate post-conflict period. It quickly became one of the world’s most essential fixtures and layout activities. IMM Cologne will also play a significant role in establishing Cologne as an essential area for creativity and design. The IMM Cologne 2025 has made Cologne a center exhibition area in Germany and a center for innovative fixtures and interior design. For the upcoming season, IMM Cologne will examine global trends and innovations in furniture, interior architecture, sleeping, space layout, and design. Asia-Pacific SOURCING 2025 Date: 11–13 March 2025 Visitors to Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2025 have many opportunities to build their network and gain valuable insights into the home, produce, and garden markets. Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2025 will feature over 750 exhibitors and 8,000 buyers from the commercial, wholesale, and import markets. The show offers plenty of space for lighting and features the latest technologies and products. You’ll find all the latest technologies and products at Asia-Pacific Sourcing, including home and garden products and other exciting products. The exhibition features guided tours, interactive workshops, hands-on demonstrations, competitions, and interactive activities. The beauty of China is one of the highlights of the fair, which takes place in a venue with nearly 40 high-end labels. This exhibition in Cologne between 2024 and 2025 is an excellent opportunity to showcase and discover new products and services. This fair can help you build business relationships with buyers worldwide. Hire exhibition stand builders to create a stand representing your brand and mission.

[magpiejay1234]

Anyway, the new AMD chips announced in the pre-Computex showcase basically mean base model of next Xbox will likely retain AMD, since its Copilot performance is better than Snapdragon X, apparently.

ARM based SoCs will obviously become the dominant form eventually, but at least the next generation consoles will retain x86-64 architecture for backwards compatibility.

****

Kingdom Hearts 4 is not coming to the Summer Game Fest, as confirmed by Geoff Keighley, so the earliest will be Gamescom.

Most likely earliest will be in TGS in late September, though, since the game's release is obviously going to be delayed. I'm personally expecting an April 2025 release earliest like the first FF7R, which was in April 2020.

(There is also D23 as TheGamersJoint mentioned in his video, but that is unlikely to have a trailer, though SE might have a trailer on their official channels around the time.)

Most of the news will likely be around Jump Festa, though probably with direct news from SE, rather than a Jump Festa panel.

[ish0uldbeworking]

A Break for BlizzCon (and the possible future of in person events)

Blizzard has announced that BlizzCon is taking a break for 2024. 

BlizzCon is Blizzard’s annual gaming event. The one to two day event is full of events, game announcements, cosplay, and big concerts headlined by popular musicians. The event draws big crowds, averaging 25,000 over the past decade, and has been a cultural staple for the past decade for gamers. 

Blizzard’s reasoning for not holding an event is that they want to focus on smaller, more intimate events focusing on specific games. Despite not holding BlizzCon, Blizzard will be attending trade shows such as Gamescom. 

This year has been a wild one for Blizzard, from its record Microsoft acquisition to its subsequent layoff’s of almost 2,000 people across Microsoft’s gaming division. 

This also is not the first time Blizzard has canceled BlizzCon. Notably, 2022’s BlizzCon was canceled after state federal workplace harassment lawsuits were brought into the media. BlizzCon was also canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. 

The cancellation of BlizzCon 2024 calls into question the popularity and relevance of big gaming events. Notably, E3 has retired and is “100% dead” as Polygon puts it. Similar to BlizzCon, following the Pandemic, it's been hard to see events focusing on large gatherings thrive again. 

With this cancellation, it's noted that Blizzard is going to have to fight harder to show off their new projects. Despite everything being announced in one big event, people would need to seek out the individual events - which can be difficult as it can lead to people only focusing on the projects they care about and not focusing on anything else. 

With Blizzards previous track record of canceling BlizzCon events, the impacts of the pandemic, and the general way that the gaming industry is going, its a wonder if Blizzard will host another event. Even major events such as The Game Awards have faced empty seats recently at their most recent event. The way of the future does not look like it’ll be one with big gaming conventions. What it will be, that's for us to find out. 

Word Count - 344

[emotionalmultimediaride]

Epic Games Store free game: "Ghostrunner" (2nd time)

Epic Games Store‘s latest freebie is One More Level, 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks and 505 Games, All in! Games‘ first-person cyberpunk slasher Ghostrunner. It seems that Ghostrunner has received quite a lot of attention, not only in this blog, but in the gaming media in general, e.g. during gamescom 2020, and when I wrote this game release news. The title was also featured in the Amazon Prime…

[harangwook]

Week 9 - Gaming Communities, Social Gaming and Live Streaming

The Evolution of Gaming

The gaming industry has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past five decades, transitioning from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon (Bankov, 2019). With advancements in hardware and internet connectivity, gaming has become increasingly accessible, leading to the rise of online distribution platforms like Steam and innovative revenue streams such as loot boxes and microtransactions. This evolution has reshaped consumer experiences and revenue models, marking a departure from physical copies to digital distribution networks (Bankov, 2019).

Understanding the Culture of Gaming

Since its inception, gaming has not only evolved technologically but has also fostered a unique culture surrounding players and their communities (Fu, n.d.). While stereotypes about gamers abound, the culture of gaming encompasses diverse demographics and behaviours. Gaming communities, both online and offline, have played a significant role in transforming games from mere entertainment to true cultural phenomena (Games, 2023). Events like Gamescom and DreamHack provide platforms for gamers to connect and showcase technologies, while community movements such as MixiGaming demonstrate the positive impact of gaming communities through charitable initiatives (Games, 2023).

The Rise of Live-Streaming in Gaming

Live-streaming has emerged as a prominent feature of gaming culture, offering a platform for gamers to engage with audiences in real-time (Li, Wang & Liu, 2020). Platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming have experienced exponential growth, with millions of regular visitors tuning in to watch streamers play and interact. Live-streaming not only fosters community building but also serves as a lucrative market for streamers, contributing to the development of the gaming industry (Li, Wang & Liu, 2020).

The Integration of Social Media and Gaming

The merging of gaming and social media has revolutionized both industries, enhancing connectivity and reshaping consumer experiences (Kerr, 2019). From early multiplayer platforms to modern communication hubs like Discord, social interaction has become central to gaming. Integrating platforms like Twitter and Twitch has transformed marketing and content sharing, while live-streaming sessions have contributed to the formation of gaming communities (Kerr, 2019). As technology continues to advance, this synergy is expected to deepen, offering new opportunities for community engagement and interactive experiences.

In conclusion, the convergence of gaming and social media has ushered in a new era of connectivity and innovation, transforming how games are played, shared, and experienced. As gaming culture continues to evolve, it is essential to recognize the diverse demographics and behaviours within the gaming community, while leveraging platforms like live-streaming to foster positive interactions and community building. By embracing the intersection of gaming and social media, we can unlock new avenues for creativity, collaboration, and enjoyment in the digital landscape.

References

Bankov, B. 2019, The impact of social media on video game communities and the gaming industry, University of Economics in Varna, Varna.

Ellington, H, Addinall, E & Percival, F 1986, A handbook of game design, Kogan Page, London.

Editors, H com 2017, 'Video Game History', HISTORY, viewed 21 March 2024, https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/history-of-video-games#modern-age-of-gaming.

Fu, D n.d., 'A Look at Gaming Culture and Gaming Related Problems: From a Gamer’s Perspective', viewed 21 March 2024, https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/gaming.pdf.

Games, BG 2023, 'Gaming Communities: The Rise and Impact of Gaming Communities on the World of Video Games', Medium, viewed 21 March 2024, https://bggames.medium.com/gaming-communities-the-rise-and-impact-of-gaming-communities-on-the-world-of-video-games-1fec152f649f.

Kerr, C 2019, 'Discord surpasses 250 million registered users in four years', www.gamedeveloper.com.

Li, Y, Wang, C & Liu, J 2020, 'A Systematic Review of Literature on User Behavior in Video Game Live Streaming', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 9, p. 3328.

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing 2016, '10.2 The Evolution of Electronic Games', open.lib.umn.edu, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition.

#mda20009

[blancvu]

Week 9: GAMING COMMUNITIES, SOCIAL GAMING AND LIVE STREAMING

The gaming industry has changed dramatically in the last few years, going well beyond the lone player's experience hooked to a console. These days, a thriving web of gaming communities, social gaming environments, and live streaming services has created a special online environment where entertainment, competitiveness, and connection all come together.

A gaming community is a collection of people who meet together because they have an interest in video games. Because it's now simpler than ever to connect with people across scenes and spread dependent music, Kruse cautions that "looking at scenes in isolation makes even less sense" in the networked age (Kruse, 2010). In fact, it may be argued that videogame production is trans-local as well as local, with social media and online communities linking and occasionally even producing scenes outside of physical constraints (Kerr, 2017; Parker, & Jenson, 2017). Gamers have been searching for other players who share their interests since the beginning of video gaming. Gaming communities have had a significant impact on the evolution of games from simple amusement to genuine cultural phenomenon, from the first pixel adventures to today's multiplayer online worlds (Games 2023). These communities are mostly found on social media platforms like Reddit, Steam Community, and Discord, or in online gaming settings. Several of them can build bonds with each other by engaging in real-world activities. Events like DreamHack, Taipei Game Show, and Gamescom have been held to connect players and demonstrate advancements in the gaming industry.

In addition to social game community, with the face that more and more players want to compete each other in a more professional way, many competitve game have create tournament also known as e-sport. The term "e-sports," sometimes known as "electronic sports," was first used to describe professional competitive video gaming in the late 1990s (Bornemark, 2013). Over the years, e-sports have expanded rapidly, going from small-scale player meetups to large-scale competitions that pack stadiums and draw millions of viewers online. The esports gaming community is made up of players, teams, coaches, analysts, commentators, organizers, sponsors, and fans. It is a varied and fervent community. According to the competitive of not only player but also game developer and brands, the esports industry is also a multi-billion dollar enterprise fueled by sponsorships, advertising, and media rights. Major advertisers are keen to reach the youthful and enthusiastic esports audience, from software firms to apparel behemoths. Moreover, esports material has been centrally located on streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming, a type of real-time video social media combines online gaming with conventional broadcasting (Li, Wang & Liu 2020), where viewers can watch live broadcasts, highlights, and commentary from experts and professional players.

This "Official Energy Drink of Esports" case study is possibly THE BEST in the gaming industry for non-endemic brand development. They have enormous wiggle room for tactical errors because they have been so committed to this domain for so long. Financial data is not easily accessible because the firm is private, however in 2020, its total revenues could surpass $100 million. Considering that this energy drink is made of powder and is only now starting to be sold in stores, it's not too awful.

Reference list

Bornemark, O. (2013, June). Success factors for e-sport games. In Umeå’s 16th Student Conference in Computing Science (pp. 1-12).

Kruse, Holly. 2010. “Local Identity and Independent Music Scenes, Online and Off”. Popular Music and Society 33(5): 625–639.

‘Energy Drinks in Esports and Gaming’ n.d., www.linkedin.com, viewed <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/energy-drinks-esports-gaming-mark-flood/>.

Games, BG 2023, Gaming Communities: The Rise and Impact of Gaming Communities on the World of Video Games, Medium, viewed 21 March 2024, https://bggames.medium.com/gaming-communities-the-rise-and-impact-of-gaming-communities-on-the-world-of-video-games-1fec152f649f.

Li, Y, Wang, C & Liu, J 2020, ‘A Systematic Review of Literature on User Behavior in Video Game Live Streaming’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 9, p. 3328.

[jcmarchi]

Unknown 9: Awakening Preview - Unknown No Longer - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unknown-9-awakening-preview-unknown-no-longer-game-informer/

Unknown 9: Awakening Preview - Unknown No Longer - Game Informer

Announced at Gamescom 2020, Unknown 9: Awakening hasn’t had much in the way of news since its reveal. That promising trailer gave us a basic idea of what the game, which is a small part of a multimedia franchise, is going for, but beyond the basic premise laid out by the series, we haven’t learned anything new about the game in quite some time. However, I recently had the chance to meet with publisher Bandai Namco and developer Reflector Entertainment to learn more about the game and see the first gameplay footage.

What is Unknown 9?

As a multimedia franchise, the story of Unknown 9 follows the story of the Quaestors – powerful people who are keyed into the way the universe works – which folds out across various platforms. This preview specifically talks about the game, but the story unfolds across media like comics, a novel trilogy, a podcast, a web series, blog posts, and the game. However, Reflector designed the story of Unknown 9: Awakening to be a self-contained story that anyone can enjoy. Still, if they feel compelled to dig deeper, they can do so through other media.

The Unknown 9 universe centers around empires’ cyclical rise and fall across human history. As the next empire’s end approached, nine individuals with a strong connection to a mysterious hidden dimension known as The Fold were shielded from death. Those joined the quest of trying to break the cycle of destruction. Out of this premise, two separate groups formed with a shared goal: trying to learn the power of the 9. However, they want different things with the knowledge and power they seek. The Leap Year Society hopes to gain the knowledge of the 9 to tell it to humanity for their betterment. On the other side, the Ascendants want the knowledge and power of the 9 to break the cycle, then use the power for selfish means. As you might imagine, in Unknown 9: Awakening, the Leap Year Society is often painted as the good guys, while the Ascendants are the more antagonistic group.

Awakening Gameplay

Unknown 9: Awakening follows Haroona, a woman raised in the streets of Calcutta, India. Played by Anya Chalotra (Yennefer in Netflix’s The Witcher), Haroona’s powers awakened during her childhood. Now, as an adult, she’s learning how to train her powers while on a mission for revenge against Vincent, a member of the Ascendants who killed her father. 

The gameplay of Unknown 9 operates on three main pillars: Stepping, Combat, and Active Stealth. Stepping uses Haroona’s unique powers, allowing her to jump into the body of an NPC and control them. You start with one Step Token but can upgrade to four by the end of the game. When you take control, time pauses, and you map out their moves. For example, you can Step into one enemy and force them to drive their melee weapon into an explosive object in the environment to take out the three guards, then Step into another enemy and have them open fire on a couple of other nearby guards. Moves like these level the playing field for Haroona as she faces insurmountable odds on her quest.

Outside of Stepping, Haroona also has various other powers, including the ability to pull, push, and crush objects in the world. Using this, she can detonate objects or alarms to distract guards. She can also heal, an Umbric Rock to distract enemies, don a cloak to turn invisible, and use her senses to see the locations of enemies and objectives. All of those allow Haroona to take out enemies craftily, but when things hit the fan, more straightforward methods come in handy; Haroona can also perform light and heavy melee attacks and use an Umbric Attack to stun enemies, and can block and dodge on the defensive side.

Demo Recap

My demo takes place in Suknasari Forest, a location players will encounter in the first three hours of Unknown 9: Awakening. The minimal U.I. elements assist with immersion, showing just one single element in the lower left corner to tell you your health, Tokens, and powers. As you explore the environments, you find skill points within anomalies. Unknown 9: Awakening doesn’t use a traditional XP system, instead relying on these anomalies – some of which are on the main path, some of which require some exploration – to allow Haroona to unlock upgrades.

Across several sequences, I watch the developer giving the demo Step into the bodies of guards between Haroona and her objective. In some instances, Haroona forces the guard to kill other guards. Other times, the guard is compelled to run head-first into an explosive. Stepping definitely feels like a fun additional fold into traditional stealth gameplay. 

Playing through the sequences stealthily, Haroona sneaks through the tall grass in typical stealth-game fashion, but her stealth takedowns are devastating in a way Assassin’s Creed could never pull off; Haroona looks to be removing their souls from their bodies. Or maybe she’s simply removing their consciousness and then putting it back using her added senses. Either way, it doesn’t look like something I want done to me. 

After a couple of sequences of smaller minion-type enemies, I watch the demoer take on a tougher enemy. This brute blocks a lot, so standard melee attacks won’t work as well. Instead, you must use Haroona’s powers to Step into other enemies to attack environmental objects like incendiary lamps and explosive barrels. After dealing a good deal of damage to the heavy, Haroona finishes him off by pushing him into an explosive barrel, putting him down for good.

The demo ends with a segment where Haroona must steal an airship from Vincent. However, before infiltrating the hangar, she must remove the anchors that are keeping it grounded. After watching the demoer battle through the first wave of enemies, he loosens the first anchor, which unleashes another wave of baddies. Some of these guards are the standard melee guards, while others have high-powered rifles, and others still are the heavy-style enemies from the previous encounter.

Each loosened anchor unleashes a new wave of enemies, and I delight in watching the developer playing the game show off how creative you can get with these encounters. After dropping a lamp on the last enemy’s head and setting him ablaze, Haroona removes the final anchor. With that, the path to the airship is opened up, and my hands-off demo comes to a close.

While there’s still so much we don’t know about Unknown 9: Awakening, I liked a lot of what I saw. The universe is ripe for exciting storytelling, and the gameplay reminds me of a strong mix of Control, Uncharted, and Assassin’s Creed. I’m sure we’ll learn more in the lead-up to the launch, but for now, my interest is piqued. Unknown 9: Awakening arrives this summer on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

[andronicmusicblog]

Everything Announced At Today's Xbox Partner Preview

Today’s Xbox Partner Preview showcased 14 games across 30 minutes, some brand new, some long lost, and others newly christened with release dates. Here’s a quick rundown of everything announced.

Unknown 9: Awakening - Summer 2024 First announced at Gamescom 2020, this supernatural third-person action game showed its first signs of life in over three years with its first gameplay trailer. It stars Haroona, a woman gifted with supernatural powers used to battle enemies across an Indian city. You can learn more here.  Sleight of Hand - 2025 This third-person, stealth-focused noir deckbuilder is directly inspired by Metal Gear Solid. You can learn more here.  The Alters - 2024 We learned that 11bit Studios’ body-duplicating sci-fi adventure, in which a miner must survive a hostile planet by creating multiple versions of himself, is coming to Game Pass when it arrives this year. It also got its first gameplay trailer. You can learn more here.  Creatures of Ava - 2024 Co-written by famed scribe Rhianna Pratchett, the lead writer behind Tomb Raider/Rise of the Tomb Raider, among other tiles, Creatures of Ava is an empathy-driven action-adventure game about taming and protecting creatures to rescue a planet from a life-threatening infection.  Roblox’s Griefville X Chucky Crossover - Available Now The typically kid-friendly Roblox gets a dedicatedly mature update in the form of the horror-themed Griefville. Kicking off this new location is the murderous arrival of Chucky.  The Sinking City 2 - 2025 Frogwares’ The Sinking City gets an encore next year. The Lovecraftian survival horror game takes place in a twisted version of Arkham in 1920s America.  S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy - Available Now GSC Game World has remastered the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy for consoles. The collection includes Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat. You can learn more here.  Monster Jam: Showdown - 2024 Monster truck fans have a new Monster Jam racing title to look forward to this year. Events include freestyle and off-road racing.  Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass - 2024 Although many of us are likely still getting through Persona 3 Reload, our stay has been extended thanks to an expansion pass. Released in three waves throughout the year, the pass adds the fan-favorite epilogue of Persona 3 FES, dubbed Episode Aigis - The Answer (in September) along with new background music sets and a Velvet costume. You can learn more here.  The First Berserker: Khazan The upcoming single-player action game set in the Dungeons and Fighters universe got another impressive gameplay showing. Unfortunately, it still has no release window. Tales of Kenzera: Zau - April 23 Ahead of its April 23 launch, Tales of Kenzera: Zau got an in-depth gameplay walkthrough showing off the side-scrolling action game’s mechanics.  Frostpunk 2 - July 25 Frostpunk 2’s new trailer revealed the game is coming to PC Game Pass when it launches on July 25. The game is also coming to consoles (and Xbox Game Pass) at a later date.  Final Fantasy XIV For Xbox - March 21 Final Fantasy XIV will fully launch on Xbox on March 21. The popular MMO is currently playable in beta on the platform, and the launch comes ahead of the summer release of the game’s next expansion, Dawntrail. You can learn more here.  Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess - 2024 First announced last summer, this colorful Capcom title blends stylish swordplay with real-time strategy elements. You’ll battle supernatural monsters, rescue villagers, and use resources to fortify a village and defend it from invading beasts at nightfall. You can learn more here.  What was your favorite announcement from the Xbox Partner Preview? Let us know in the comments!