Tribute Games & Dotemu Reveals New Project, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Looking at the beat ‘em up genre as of late, the most recent games entering that realm prove to be a treat for many fans looking to tap into nostalgia for sure. In 2020 alone there were two namely releases that did just that: Streets of Rage 4 & Battletoads. The two both tap into the genre which roots in experiences of beloved games from decades prior and bridges that to a new modern standard. Now, that is going up another level as Dotemu is returning, but this time with Tribute Games. Rather than the titular 1990s beat em’ up series, the pair are working on a new project with another prominent brand of that era: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Combining the minds of Streets of Rage 4 with Flinthook & Mercenary Kings to bring a new ambitious release to long-time fans. You can watch the announcement trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in the video below: “Bash your way through gorgeous pixel art environments and slay tons of hellacious enemies with your favorite Turtle, each with his own skills and moves – making each run unique,” the synopsis reads from the game’s Steam page. “Choose a fighter, use radical combos to defeat your opponents and experience intense combats loaded with breathtaking action and outrageous ninja abilities. “Stay sharp as you face off against Shredder and his faithful Foot Clan alone, or grab your best buds and play with up to four players simultaneously!” As of reporting, there is no indication for a console release for the title outside of PC currently. On the topic of Tribute Games, Rectify Gaming spoke with the Canadian developer on its latest release, Panzer Paladin back at PAX East 2020. You can read the full interview dissecting the foundation for Panzer Paladin by heading here. What has you most excited for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is listed for PC.

While Claims Regarding Microsoft Showcasing Elden Ring Faces Debunking, The Firm Plans To Feature New Announcements Later This Week

To those that might recall previously in regards to the claims suggesting Microsoft is preparing to feature new footage of Elden Ring, it was not long before Microsoft approached the topic to issue that there was no intention to do so. The denounced rumor also went on to indicate that a showcase of sorts would be held as the firm presented the FromSoftware game alongside other, non-disclosed titles as well. And it appears Microsoft is planning to do just that despite Elden Ring being out of the picture. Claims continue to surface telling that the initial leaks are to blame for the “cancelled” feature for Elden Ring, but FromSoftware insider Lance McDonald elaborates by disclosing there was never any intent to showcase the game in the first place. So, what is Microsoft featuring if not Elden Ring? Well, Microsoft openly shared that new announcements in regards to Xbox Game Pass will be made later this week following the finalized acquisition for Zenimax Media. We will have more to share about what’s next for our teams later this year. In the meantime, to properly celebrate this special moment, we are bringing additional Bethesda games into Xbox Game Pass later this week. Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox But, there is more context as to what Microsoft is implying in revealing later in the week. For one, PC versions for prominent Bethesda games are due to be announced. The suggestion is hinted by uncovered listings by @ALumia_Italia that uncovered both The Evil Within and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition + Fallout 4 G.O.T.Y Bundle from the Microsoft Store. Outside of the gathered appearances online concerning Bethesda, Microsoft looks to also be preparing announcements from other Xbox Game Studios teams as well. For starters, Obsidian Entertainment tweeted a cryptic video for The Outer Worlds on Wednesday. “The Board is pleased to announce that your new job duties are almost ready, spacer. Stand by for more information arriving tomorrow regarding your upcoming assignments,” the post shares. Additionally, Xbox Series X|S users could also expect more next-generation enhancements for supported titles through a slip in an image from a recent blog post. As part of the finding in an update for supported languages on Xbox, Microsoft reveals that Batman: Arkham Knight is expecting new upgrades for the latest systems. You can view the piece by heading here. What are you hoping will be revealed by Microsoft this week?

Why Have Online Games Become So Popular Over The Pandemic?

Over the past year, the gaming industry saw its revenue grow by 20%, in a year when most industries suffered. In fact, the gaming industry was more profitable in North America than both the film and sports industries combined. What led to this success? And how can the industry keep it up as the pandemic ends? Photo by Superanton on Pixabay Facing a global pandemic that kept most people indoors, many turned to games. In one survey, research found that four out of five survey participants had played some form of game since the pandemic began. Why were online games so successful? Many found themselves bored to death, stuck inside with little to do. Games provided an outlet for that boredom. Of course, those already familiar with gaming continued to do so, but those who gamed in their youth seemed to take it up again. Even more so, people who had never gamed before in their lives began over this pandemic. Games offered an escape. For a period of time, people could log in, discover a new world, or concentrate fully on one task, and games would take their attention away from their real lives. When the news only seemed to offer bad news, escapism via games was on the rise. But the real success came from online games. The younger generations have been clued into this for a long time. Through online gaming, people have created a community out of friends they’ve never met in real life. Then, facing the inability to see friends in the flesh, online gaming gave people the chance to connect still. With online games, people could still talk to their friends and have shared experiences with them through the act of gaming. A study by Mark Griffiths, a professor at Nottingham Trent University, published way back in 2003, found that out of 11,000 players of Everquest, a quarter said the best part of the game was connecting with friends. If those were the stats back then, imagine what they would be now. Which Online Games Saw The Most Success? One of the pandemic’s defining moments was when Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released on Nintendo Switch. It came only a short time after the pandemic first started for many countries – March 2020. Yet it took the globe by storm. The release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons tripled Nintendo’s profits. People became mad for it, whether or not they were frequent gamers. But why was it so successful? Photo by InspiredImages on Pixabay Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn’t appear a naturally addictive game. It centers around decorating an island, catching butterflies, and growing trees. Yet it boomed. Perhaps it was this very simplicity that drew people to it. With its calming background music, players could focus on things like furniture choices rather than the devastation the pandemic has brought to their lives. One feature of the game is visiting other people’s islands if they share their village code with you or online with anyone. Again, the online community nature of games seems to strike a chord with its players. Family and friends who had been kept apart were able to connect through this game, all adding to its success. People held birthday parties through the game, held canceled weddings in the game, and even went on dates at these immaterial islands. It’s clear, then, that games have become the primary form of connecting in this time for the younger generation and that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was right at the top. Yet Animal Crossing wasn’t the only game to find success. Web-based and internet platform games also became popular over the course of 2020. With many holding zoom nights with friends, web-based games became a popular party game when the usual party games weren’t possible. Sites like playingcards.io offered several online games that people took up with friends. From Cards Against Humanity to classics like chess and checkers, all possible zooms calls – from university friends to grandparents and grandkids could be made that bit more interesting. The industry saw the greatest success with the online game Among Us. In September 2020, this sabotaging game had around 60 million players a day. With success like that, game creators have to ask themselves: can this be kept up after the pandemic? What is the future for the gaming industry? The success the gaming industry has felt over the past year has been astronomical. But is it sustainable? One google survey suggests 40% of new gamers plan to keep gaming after the pandemic. But when life returns to normal, will people stick to this plan? On their side is the fact that people have learned a whole new way to connect. Though the need for online connection may decrease, people tend to seek out connection all the time. It’s likely this success will continue for the years to come, but maybe not as intensely.

The Elder Scrolls Rumored For Netflix Television Show To Meet Expectations Of The Witcher, Claims Tell

Throughout the course of the released titles from Bethesda, many viewed the worlds and franchises that were conjured from teams under the label could make its way to inspire film or television. Well, the complete opposite is happening already as MachineGames, responsible for the rebooted Wolfenstein series, is making an Indiana Jones video game. But, Bethesda is beginning to push the envelope of its properties to explore entertainment outside of video games. For one, Fallout is being adapted into a television series. Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Johnathan Nolan are said to be responsible for the production that will be launching later on Amazon Prime. But the momentum does not look to be stopping there. In a new claim handled by Daniel Ritchtman on Patreon, he indicates that The Elder Scrolls is expecting to receive a television series as well through Netflix. Ritchtman explains that the production is to be handled in anticipation for equal or even more than The Witcher which climbed viewer’s top recommended last December. In the past, Ritchtman has also issued rumors in regards to a follow-up to LucasArts’ Star Wars: Force Unleashed. Similarly, he broke the news via his Patreon telling that the project is in development. But the chances of new Star Wars release appear to be more in favor following the establishment of Lucasfilms Games. While the firm is working with publishers and studios outside of Electronic Arts, Lucasfilms Games still plans to collaborate with Electronic Arts on new Star Wars project leading forward. You can read the full report by heading here. Do you hope a Elder Scrolls show is in the works? Source: We Got This Covered

Latest Casting Additions For Eli Roth’s Borderlands Film Welcomes Ariana Greenblatt As Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis As Dr. Tannis, And Florian Munteanu To Play Kreig

While the Borderlands IP remains to be a prominent franchise within the video game industry, the handling of the property itself is in new hands. In that, THQ Nordic parent company Embracer Group announced to be establishing a merger with Gearbox Entertainment making the firm its seventh fully-operating subsidiary under the label. Outside of the primary video game series, progress is to be made in regards to casting for the coming motion picture as well. Most recently, The Hollywood Reporter pressed on the addition of Jack Black to voice the comic relief robot, Claptrap. However, the production is still developing as plenty of other castings for prominent characters has yet to be revealed for the upcoming video game adaptation. Again from The Hollywood Reporter as of late, the publication reports that Tiny Tina has found her own actress as well, Ariana Greenblatt. Greenblatt is most recognized for her roles in Avengers: Infinity War, Love and Monsters, and to voice in the upcoming sequel, Boss Baby: Family Business. Director Eli Roth said this on the welcoming of the young actress: Ariana is a spectacular new talent in cinema. She has already worked with many of my close collaborators and everyone raves about her. She blew us all away in her audition, and I cannot wait to see her bring the wild, insane and unpredictable Tiny Tina to the big screen. She’s going to blow up on screen like one of Tina’s grenades. The announcement is also in conjunction for casting of another notable character in the Borderlands universe, Dr. Tannis. The character is said to be casted by Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, Knives Out). In addition to the discovery, a separate report also surfaced disclosing psycho lead Kreig receiving a new casting as well. IGN Reports that Florian Munteanu to play the antagonist role. “Florian brings real humanity and multiple layers to a character who on the surface seems totally insane and brutally savage,” Roth elaborates in a statement. “Krieg was by far the most difficult role to cast, and Florian brought him to life and grounded him in a way that I didn’t know was possible. He’s going to be a brilliant Krieg and will fit in perfectly with our incredible cast” As for filming on the upcoming motion picture, The Hollywood Reporter once again previously issued new details on the production. As per a pressing from Midatlantic Films, the video game movie is said to be begin rolling sometine soon in 2021. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for the coming Borderlands movie? Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IGN

Konami & NBCUniversal To Develop A Frogger Reality Show For Peacock

To fans that eye over to Japanese publisher Konami, many criticize the company for its dormant use of the Metal Gear property and Silent Hill property respectively. Notably, the firm has not truly pressed on new endeavors since the departure of Hideo Kojima – aside from Metal Gear Survive. However, the firm is reported to be issuing a reveal for a new Silent Hill experience sometime later in 2021, as per a report from Video Game Chronicles. While Konami is said to be outsourcing the new release through a third-party developer, the publisher is also in the works with another company in regards to another beloved franchise, Frogger. In that, Konami is teaming up with NBCUniversal to bring a new reality show based on the decades-old video game series. According to a report from Deadline, the platform has orchestrated a 13 episode debut for the new series to stream on Peacock. To add context to the show, the new production is said to feature 12 different obstacles for contestants to overcome per episode. The challenges include “courses, or crossings, seeing contestants dodging traffic, leaping over snapping gators, and hopping over hungry hippos”. To be produced by Eureka Productions, Chris Culvenor (Australian Idol, So You Think You Can Dance Australia) and Paul Franklin (Restaurant Startup, Face-Off) will be Executive Producers for the coming show. For potential participants interested, sign-ups for the show is available online now. Similarly, The Sims also faced the reality show treatment with TBS last year. The premise is for prominent The Sims players to compete creating stories and Sims, of course, for the chance of winning a money prize. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested to watch a Frogger reality show? Source: Deadline

Netflix Reveals First Trailer For Anime Dota: Dragon Blood, Arrives Later This Month

To Valve, Dota might single-handedly be the most impressive property to date for the developer in the last decade. While many of its users and the industry practically praise Half-Life and other Source-developed titles from the company, Dota – more so Dota 2 – remained the most played title for the last four years. That was until Counter-Strike: Global Offensive overtook the concurrent player count back in April 2020 that is. But despite the game officially being overthrown by its sibling franchise that reside under the same banner, Dota still thrives elsewhere in competitive esports – alike Counter-Strike: Global Offensive does as well. And more recently in a collaboration with Netflix, Dota is being adapted into an anime series. Already, we witnessed the same Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma last fall. Now, the same is to occur later in March with Dota: Dragon’s Blood. You can watch the official trailer in the video below: The preview for the coming animated series reads as such from the official Netflix page: “A conflicted yet courageous Dragon Knight must use the power of the dragon within to stop a deadly demon in this epic fantasy based on the online game.” In other relevant banter regarding Netflix as of late, the entertainment conglomerate is scheduling to work on a Tomb Raider anime as well. While a release date is left undetermined, it is indicated that The Witcher: Blood Origin Executive Producer is to write the script, Tasha Huo. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you piqued on watching the anime when it begins streaming later in March? Dota: Dragon’s Blood arrives to Netflix on March 25, 2021.