Monthly Archives: February 2020

LUCERNE, Switzerland, Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, the pioneers of the gaming industry are named at the Global Gaming Awards. The prestigious nomination is highly coveted. Those who make it onto the shortlist can count themselves among the industry's best for excellence in quality, innovation and trust. Grand Casino Luzern was the first Swiss casino to make it onto the shortlist for the 'Casino' category. But Switzerland's success didn't stop there: Paf, the platform partner of the Swiss online casino mycasino.ch, won first place in the 'Responsible Gaming' category.

3 February was the day of the gaming industry's most important awards ceremony. A jury of more than 50 industry experts selected the casino world's most outstanding companies at the Global Gaming Awards in London. Particularly noteworthy: Grand Casino Luzern was the first Swiss casino to secure itself a place on the coveted shortlist for the 'Casino' category. In addition to this, the long-established Finnish company Paf the platform partner of the online casino mycasino.ch, operated by Grand Casino Luzern was awarded first place in the 'Responsible Gaming' category for excellence in responsible gambling.

Although Grand Casino Luzern itself walked away from the awards ceremony empty-handed, CEO Wolfgang Bliem is still extremely pleased: "The Global Gaming Award is the highest distinction in the gaming industry. The fact that we were the first Swiss casino to make it onto the shortlist is a personal incentive for us to keep on increasing the quality of our services. We're especially proud of the fact that our platform partner Paf achieved first place. Its award-winning standards for responsible gambling are also in effect in our online casino mycasino.ch, guaranteeing an exceptional level of player protection," he said.

Only 10 casinos made it onto the shortlist for the 'Casino' category. These included Grand Casino Luzern and the Casin di Venezia, officially known as the oldest casino in the world. The award was won by the renowned Casino de Monte-Carlo, which is well-known for its appearance in numerous James Bond films.

Grand Casino Luzern offers a mix between the glitzy casino scene in Monaco and the vibrant Las Vegas casino strip.Grand Casino Luzern's mycasino.choffers Switzerland's largest and most innovative range of online casino games. All games are certified according to strict standards and approved by the Swiss Federal Gaming Board. Customers benefit from numerous secure payment methods such as Twint and Postfinance, in addition to an expert customer service team directly from Grand Casino Luzern.

Mr Philipp Albrecht, CMO at Grand Casino Luzern, is happy to answer any questions you may have. He can be reached via email (philipp.albrecht@grandcasinoluzern.ch) or by phone at (+41)-041-418- 56-56.

- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

SOURCE Grand Casino Luzern AG

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Global Gaming Awards: Grand Casino Luzern Secures its Place on the Shortlist - PRNewswire

The best Chromebooks tend to be low-cost machines that can handle simple computing tasks, although there are some premium machines. One thing they all have in common is basic, integrated graphics, but that might change with the arrival of a gaming Chromebook with dedicated graphics, according to a new leak.

A Chromebook spotted by Chrome Unboxed, which is codenamed 'Mushu' and which may be part of Intel's Project Athena program that aims to shape the next generation of thin, light and powerful laptops, appears to include a dedicated graphics processor. It's not clear which chipmaker is behind the GPU, but AMD and Nvidia are likely candidates.

This would be a first for Chromebooks, and would enable such machines to deliver new levels of performance in some applications, one of which would be gaming.

The idea of a Chromebook getting a discrete graphics processor may seem a bit out there or at least it would have seemed that way a year ago.

Editing spreadsheets, streaming Netflix, writing up documents, and browsing the web are typical tasks for a Chromebook. What they all have in common is a lack of any need for a powerful, dedicated graphics processor; they don't even need a very beefy CPU.

There's still a market for powerful Chromebooks such as the original Pixelbook and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, though. And that's the side of the market where we could see a dedicated graphics processor show up.

Photo and video editing could benefit from an upgrade over integrated graphics, as could gaming. Considering that Valve and Google are working to bring Steam to Chromebooks, a dedicated graphics processor starts to make a lot more sense.

Existing Chromebooks, even on the premium end of the spectrum, will only be able to run a small number of games from the already reduced library of Steam games readily supported on Linux, and that would change with the arrival of a dedicated graphics processor.

And, depending on how well Valve and Google get Steam and its library working on ChromeOS, we could be looking at our first gaming Chromebook this year we don't expect it will be anything close to the best gaming laptops, though.

Via Liliputing

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Gaming Chromebooks might finally be on their way - TechRadar India

We're only just cracking 2020 open, but that doesn't mean that it's too early to start looking at the best games of 2020. After all, this is a hugely important year for gaming. Not only are we going to see games take full advantage of everything PS4 and Xbox One have to offer in their twilight years, but we're also getting the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

At the end of every month, we comb through all our recent reviews to find the two games that qualify as must-plays, slowly amassing a list of the best games of 2019. Consider these to be the highlights of the year thus far - and if you're looking for something to play while you wait for the othernew games of 2020(and beyond), these standout titles are a sure bet.

Platform(s): Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch

Seven years in the making, Kentucky Route Zero is one of those rare games that people don't mind waiting for. Such long stints between episode releases could have been its downfall, but now with the TV Edition, everyone can experience why it was worth waiting for. This magical, surreal point-and-click narrative adventure will take you on quite the journey, seeing you collect a gaggle a group of lost souls together, including a rickety old dog. But unlike most point-and-click games, there are no puzzles. There are choices to make, but they are presented as thematic dialogue options, allowing you to co-author your own story. Because of that, it never quite plays out how you'd expect, keeping you clicking for more story until the whole thing unravels beautifully. Sam Loveridge

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, and PCGamesRadar+ review score:4/5 Stars

As its name suggests, Journey to the Savage Planet is about a planet, its savage, you journey there. But while that all sounds very serious, there's a much more lighthearted adventure here. A gentle cartoony, semi-open world that plays like a linear, comedic take on No Mans Skys ideas. You explore a strange part of the universe, unravelling the mysteries of ancient alien structures and cataloguing the local wildlife. That alone is fun, with a great progression system that unlocks things like jetpacks and grapple devices to help you explore. What really makes it a success, though, is the humour that undercuts it all - from ridiculous creature designs, to in game adverts for sentient blob sexlines, and a GlaDOS style computer that hasnt quite got the hang of tact. Its an always enjoyable space romp thats laugh-out-loud funny in places and doesnt overstay its welcome, but gives you plenty to do if youre enjoying your visit. Leon Hurley

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The best games of 2020 (so far) - GamesRadar+

Last week Asmodee Digital confirmed three of its digital board games would hit the Epic Games Store on February 20: Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and Pandemic. In the lead up to that datebetween February 6 and 13all three of those would be available to download for free, in keeping with Epic's habit of giving stuff away.

But that's no longer the case with Pandemic. In a statement, Epic Games has confirmed that Pandemic will no longer be free during that period. "We've shifted the release of Pandemic as a free game in our store schedule to a later date," the statement reads. "Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne will still be available as the free games of the week from February 6 - February 13."

Meanwhile, the Pandemic game page on the Epic Games Store has either been removed or is down, while the pages for Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne remain intact. Pandemic remains available on Steam.

No reason is provided for the Pandemic no-show, though it's easy to speculate that it's due to sensitivities arising from the coronavirus emergency. According to Al Jazeera the current death toll is 425. A swathe of gaming related cancellations have been attributed to it, including the Taipei Game Show and China-based Overwatch League matches.

And in case it wasn't clear from the title, Pandemic is a game about "four deadly diseases spreading across the world", and it's the players job to contain them.

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Pandemic will no longer be free on the Epic Games Store next week - PC Gamer

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (KBTX) - Loonies offer fun for all in a newly expanded location in Post Oak Mall.

Before its recent expansion and move within Post Oak Mall, Loonies only offered items like vintage and novelty gifts and canvas art, according to Loonies owner, Evona Clayton.

Loonies is now located by JC Penny and Melrose and still features their original gifts and candy, but now has new activities.

[Balloon dart and squirt gun] painting and all the activities are what we added on, said Clayton. The main thing would be the virtual reality headsets. Its a whole lot of fun. Its something new and out there.

The other activities Loonies offers are Xbox, ping pong table, foosball, air hockey, Golfpool, Legos, photography, and a projector that you can play video games on, according to Clayton.

According to Clayton, she saw a need for a store like Loonies in the Bryan/College Station community.

I realized there wasnt a whole lot of things to do for all ages that was going to be indoors, said Clayton.

Admission starts at $5 per hour per child if you want to do one activity or just the floor and table games, said Clayton. If you want to do everything, it would basically top out at $25 an hour thats without the virtual reality, so its very affordable!

Loonies is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on Loonies, see the related links section.

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The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today revealed a new campaign touting the positive impact of video games on peoples' lives.

Game Generation aims to showcase the "power of play in building community, forging inclusivity, and inspiring creativity."

The campaign comes in response to consumer data from the ESA which shows that 73% of Americans play video games to relieve stress, while 63% agree that gaming improves problem solving skills, and 52% agree it develops teamwork and collaboration.

Launching as part of Game Generation is an online platform designed to help players and parents learn more about the benefits of video games, connect with others, and access resources for "positive play."

Sharing stories is a core part of Game Generation, and the ESA will run a number of live events and promotional campaigns to highlight the benefits of gaming.

"Game Generation is about celebrating the more than 164 million Americans who love video games and the positive impact that play can have, not only in players' lives but across communities, families, industries, and in tackling societal challenges," said ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis.

"Video games are made to challenge us and to be fun -- but they also bring people together from different backgrounds, help build empathy, and inspire game-changing innovations in everything from education to healthcare, and even conflict resolution.

"This initiative will amplify the collective experiences of the millions who, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or political views, enjoy video games and share that joy with their children, families, and friends."

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ESA launches Game Generation campaign to highlight positive impact of gaming - GamesIndustry.biz

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars are moving a second home game in 2020 overseas to London's Wembley Stadium in an attempt to increase their local revenue and escape the bottom quartile of the league in that category.

With the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders moving into new stadiums for the 2020 season, the Jaguars felt an additional home game in London -- which generates twice the money of a home game at TIAA Bank Field -- was the best way to offset the boost those teams will be receiving from those relocations and stabilize the long-term future of the franchise.

The Jaguars are spearheading a proposed $700 million entertainment district development around the stadium that would result in additional revenue, but until that happens Jaguars president Mark Lamping said adding another home game in London is the right action for the team to take.

"For clubs like the Jaguars, we are entering an uncertain time," Lamping said. "That uncertain time is related to three teams that in the past were teams that were with us in the bottom of the league in terms of revenue. They have taken steps, steps that we would not consider, but they've taken steps to fix their revenue by leaving Oakland, by leaving St. Louis, and by leaving San Diego. That has had an impact in terms of all the other teams that are where we are in terms of the league.

"We know that Lot J [the name for the proposed entertainment district], in conjunction with all the things that [owner] Shad [Khan] has already invested in, those will continue to pay dividends for us but we can't snap our fingers and get Lot J open tomorrow. So we're waiting to go from where we are now, which is Lot J just a vision, to it actually being open. We need to be looking for those opportunities to supplement our revenue situation and we believe that London fits that bill."

The games will be held on back-to-back Sundays; dates and opponents will be announced in April when the league reveals the schedule. However, the Jaguars did protect home games against Pittsburgh and Chicago, so the opponents will come from this list: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Cleveland, Detroit and Miami.

It's likely to be between mid-October and mid-November because the annual Florida-Georgia game is being played at TIAA Bank Field on Oct. 31 and the Jaguars have either played their London game that week or had a bye week at that time.

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The Jaguars' contract with the NFL to play one home game annually at Wembley Stadium began in 2013 and expires after the 2020 season. Khan said previously he wanted to extend the deal beyond 2020 but the league declined to do so because the collective bargaining agreement with players expires after this season. Khan said on a conference call that he would not rule out possibly playing more than one home game in London beyond 2020, though.

Khan said he doesn't expect fans to react negatively to a second London home game.

"I think if you go back when the first game was announced and really historically what that's done for the city and done for the Jaguars, so my expectation is that it should be very positive," he said. "Everything we're doing helps the city, helps us, and that's what you need a small-market team to do to get on a competitive footing with all the resources you need to compete with the other big-market teams."

The Jaguars have repeatedly stressed how critical playing in London is for their long-term stability in Jacksonville. The deal Khan struck with the NFL for those annual games granted the team extended territorial rights in the United Kingdom as well as receiving the ticket revenue from the game at the 90,000-seat stadium. Lamping has said the monies the Jaguars receive from that game account for 11% of the franchise's local revenue (down from 12% in 2016 and 15 percent in 2014).

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Jaguars to play two London games in 2020 to boost revenue - ESPN

On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that's a good thing, it can be understandably hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So thats exactly what weve done.If nothing catches your fancy this week, we've gathered thebest PC gamesyou can play right now and a running list of thenew games of 2019.

Steam pageRelease: January 31Developer: Kaigan GamesPrice: $7.99 | 6.99 | AU$11.50

Like its popular predecessor, Simulacra 2 is a horror game about rifling through the contents of a smartphone. Specifically, this smartphone belongs to a deceased "young social media influencer", and as a detective's assistant it's your job to figure out the circumstances that led to her untimely death. Of course, you shouldn't expect those circumstances to be obvious or anything short of disturbing, so be forewarned. If you liked Her Story, Orwell, or indeed the first Simulacra, this looks like (grisly) fun.

Steam pageRelease: January 31Developer: HyperstrangePrice: $14.99 | 11.39 | AU$21.50

Elderborn is a violent first-person melee combat game with a grim fantasy aesthetic and an insistence on how "metal af (as fuck)" it is. The trailer does indeed feature metal, as well as a very evil sounding voice espousing some impenetrable lore. The game looks fun though: if you're after a first-person take on hardcore Souls-like combat (the developer's reference, not mine) this could do the trick. It's not often you get a big first-person action RPG from an indie studio that isn't a rogue-like, and the Steam reviews are "very positive". Also if you're reading this and love metal, I've rediscovered the classic Australian doom death album 'Transcendence into The Peripheral' by Disembowelment lately - highly recommended.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Ministry of Broadcast StudiosPrice: $14.99 | 11.39 | AU$21.50

Here's a 'cinematic platformer' that smashes together your typical Orwellian tropes with modern reality TV spectacle. In other words, a wall separates the protagonist from their family, and the only way to get through is to compete in a deadly reality TV show operated by 'the Regime'. Expect tense platforming, puzzle-solving, a bit of grim humour, and gameplay influenced by Oddworld and Prince of Persia.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Digital Tales USA LLCPrice: $19.99 | 17.49 | AU$28.95

Bookbound Brigade is a Metroidvania platformer with multiple playable characters (all with unique abilities) and a literary theme. It's hard for me to get a read on exactly how that theme applies: You'll apparently encounter various famous literary and historical figures throughout the game, but your relationship to them is vague. "What if all the protagonists of books lost their memory?" the blurb reads. "Venture into their world and beat the hell out of historical and literary characters you studied in school!" Sounds cruel, to be honest.

Steam pageRelease: January 30Developer: Binary JellyfishPrice: $4.99 | 3.99 | AU$7.50

Impossible Soaring is a game about doing mad (yet graceful) tricks through the air at blistering speeds. The gameplay video above is dreamlike and, frankly, beautiful: you can choose to take the safest routes through giant foliage, or crumbling bridges, or apocalyptic landscapes, or you can take the most dangerous routes and amass a ton of points. Whatever the case, this looks like a great little game to have installed for short blasts of cathartic airborne speed.

These games were released between January 27 and February 3 2020. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read ouraffiliate policyfor more info.

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Five new Steam games you probably missed (February 3, 2020) - PC Gamer

We know what the PS5 dev kit looks like, but what about the consumer version? (pic: Twitter)

The Wednesday Inbox hears some insider stories from a mobile game developer, as one reader recommends Lego City Undercover for kids.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Late revealSo a lot of news this week from Sony and yet we dont seem to have learnt anything really. Except for the Xbox 360 Ive always been a PlayStation gamer but I have to say even I felt Sony were a bit off taking advantage of Microsoft always going first at E3 and seeing them basically admitting it was a bit rich. But does that imply that Sony knows when Microsoft is going to announce all their details?

Im beginning to wonder if both of them are going to do their reveals a lot later than we imagine. If the PlayStation 5 reveal is this month surely wed have heard about it by now, if only as a leak? And if Sony wants to wait for Microsoft to go first when do they think thats going to be? Considering the Xbox One was revealed in May, just before E3.

Maybe Microsoft will do their event at E3 and Sony after that? So maybe July or August? I think thats got to be a possibility at the moment, but its hard to really tell. And thats without even adding Nintendo into the equation. Theyre going to E3 arent they, GC?Zebra

GC: Youd assume so, but they havent confirmed anything yet.

Day one requirementsRE: Carl. At first I dont see PlayStation 5/Xbox-whatever-its-called graphics being that much of a step up, although I do expect Gran Turismo (7 is it?) to look amazing, but then Driveclub still does now so it wont be a massive wow.

Give it a year or two into the gen and games will look amazing though, I think. I was mega impressed with the trailer the for new Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2 though, if the real-time graphics look as good as that then I think were all in for a treat. Ive been stung by early trailers before though, so Ill take it all with a pinch of salt.

I wont be upgrading at launch anyway, I always wait at least a year before moving to the new gen, to allow patches to iron out bugs and give time for a decent library to build up. By then I might have finished my backlog, which grew this weekend by finally buying the two latest Far Cry games at 2 for 10.

Saying this, if the PlayStation 5 does actually release fully backwards compatible, Ill jump in early for once and give my two PlayStation 4s to my mum and uncle. The former only has an Xbox One and the latter is still using my old PlayStation 3, still, its pretty cool two people in their 60s are gaming regularly.Lost-Sock-

VIP treatmentUntil last year I worked at one of the worlds largest mobile gaming companies and remember hearing about some of the amounts of money people spent in our games on a weekly basis. It was not uncommon for some players who were from oil sheikh families to be paying upwards of 20,000 a month in one of our games.

One thing that Im not sure the average gamer knows though is that most mobile games companies have what is known as a VIP team, whose job it is to look after our high spenders by being a point of contact to them regarding any game issues and giving them exclusive swag and other things like inviting them to the studio.

To be contacted by the VIP team you have to meet a certain threshold for spending, which was actually not as high as you think. I certainly found it interesting when I joined the company that such a service existed for normal players and not influencers like you might expect.Anon

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Easy nineJust finished Hellblade and wow, what a masterpiece in storytelling. I havent had a game move me as much since Shadow Of The Colossus on PlayStation 2, and Ive played many games in-between. I looked up your review and was surprised you gave it a 6. I did read the review but I guess we definitely have different opinions here. Its an easy 9 for me.

The game is a mesmerising experience I feel everyone should at least try, if they enjoy story-based games. The fighting, the sound design, the graphics, the mental health theme, the evocative storyline, the puzzles (which I personally didnt have much issue with) all add up to grab you like no game has in years.

My question is about the sequel. Hellblade 2 has easily become a must-play game for me. Do you have any interviews with Ninja Theory coming up? Id love to know more about the game and if a 2020 release is likely. (I also wish Steven Hartley (voice actor) has a major part in the sequel as I loved his parts in the game.)Jag

GC: Microsoft hasnt done any press for the Xbox Series X yet (although we are seeing Ori And The Will Of The Wisps next week) but hopefully Ninja Theory will be doing interviews later in the year. Its implied that Hellblade 2 is a launch game.

Blown awayGood recommendation from Dj Kj for Alek. I also have a Denon AVR-X2200 and would highly recommend it. Its hard to find now and has been replaced by the Denon AVR-X2600.

Regarding speakers, I cant recommend the Q Acoustics range highly enough. These little beauties sound fantastic (I have a pair in my bedroom).

I did find on my travels this excellent bundle that is outstanding value for money (and Richer Sounds are usually very happy to price match.

Retailer Richer Sounds is the only place that comes to mind, as I have used them for around 20 years now. Theyd be happy to let you try some options out and also recommend some. Only advice Id add is to trust your own ears. I tried out some Whardale Speakers that had won an award but they sounded dog rough to me.

Everyone has their own preference in the end. Hope this helps. Your entertainment/gaming experience is about to be blow away.Chaosphere616 (gamertag)

Either or4K 60fps on consoles would be quite an achievement considering my friends GTX 1080 and my RTX 2060 Super (both 350 cards) can just about achieve this. Hitman 2 in 4K usually flutters between about 45fps and 60fps. The choice I have at the moment is 4K 60fps with medium or low graphic settings or 1080p ultra at above 60fps. I personally prefer the 1080p ultra with HDR.

If consoles would focus on ultra-level graphics at 1080p 60fps, itd be much more impressive.Anon

GC: Phil Spencer has been suggesting hes more interested in frame rate lately (which is a change from when we discussed the issue with him), so well see.

All ages GTAKeep seeing various recommendations for games suited for children around the age of five and figured it was about time I made my recommendation.

Lego City Undercover gives children in that age the thing they want most: the ability to explore. For those that are still somehow unaware, just imagine a Lego GTA.

Now, they arent likely to be able to complete many missions at first, that bits your job, ideally with them watching. They then get to emulate you and just explore, collecting the millions of little studs, riding rollercoasters, riding pigs, horses, chasing bank robbers, flying helicopters or UFOs; just letting their imaginations lead the way while you continue to unlock new areas by completing some genuinely entertaining sequences.

Its by far the best Lego game, easily suited for all children aged 4 to 104. Sorry 105-year-olds, youll have to just watch.Antony

Perfect startRE: Alek Kazam and Switch games for a four-year-old. My third son is three and we have 15 minutes on the Switch every evening. Smash Bros. is perfect, as you can play against each other (ideally on a stage where you cant fall off the edge) without any pressure in order to get used to controlling a character.

We also play the Yoshi and Kirby games as you can essentially carry them through it whenever things get complex (which isnt often in those games). Id also recommend Pokmon; you can do the running around and then pass the controller over for the battles kids soon learn which move is which and its surprising how much autonomy they have at such a young age.AudioSpanks

GC: Pokmon is good for kids just learning to read too.

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

Silent perfectionA lot of talk about games needing to be remade because the older versions are unplayable. Silent Hill has been mentioned as a candidate for reconditioning. A game in my opinion which is a masterpiece and damn near perfect, saying you wouldnt attempt to play the game because the controls are different than the typical streamlined AAA control scheme you find in every game nowadays or the game looks old, even though early 3D games had their own artistry the same with good pixel art from the generation prior.

To me its like a film buff saying they wish older movies would be remade because they arent in colour. If thats the case maybe youre into this medium for superficial reasons, only wanting to play the next big thing and not caring about games preservation.MT

GC: Silent Hill is many things, but we wouldnt say perfect was one of them. The graphics were terrible even 20 years ago, the controls were never great, and all the sudden logic puzzles at the end are very jarring. Games arent like movies, and movies arent like games.

Inbox also-ransThe brilliant Wreckfest is only 19.99 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at Argos.Dev

A MediEvil 2 remake does not sound like a good idea, no matter what the composer says. Why do those games get so many second chances and still no new Ape Escape!Roddy

This weeks Hot TopicThe question for this weekends Inbox was suggested by reader Coolsbane, who asks whats the worst game in your favourite video game series?

What do you consider to be the worst entry in your favourite (or at least one you really like) video game franchise? Is it actively bad by other standards or does it just look that way compared to the others? Is it a mainline entry or a spin-off and are the reasons you dont like it something that couldve been fixed or was it just a fundamentally bad idea?

Do you usually buy all entries in the franchise in question and did the game affect whether you bought the next one or how you feel about the series in general?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: The Last Of Us Part 2 adults only, PS5 60fps graphics, and Mario Kart Legacy

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Games Inbox: When will the PS5 be revealed? - Metro.co.uk

Inside a room on the campus of Becker College last week, administrators from academic institutions across New England scribbled notes and posed questions to panelists not about traditional education, but Super Smash Bros., Overwatch and League of Legends.

Behind the panelists, a massive flat-screen television depicted video game characters battling in a Pokemon arena. Computer systems and internet bandwidth dominated the conversation, not for studies, but related to computer gaming. Pamphlets at the entrance defined esports including its phonetic pronunciation and definition.

For those new to the gaming world, Becker defined it as a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers.

As the first school in the nation to offer an esports management degree, and the first in the state to offer varsity esports scholarships, few institutions boast a better resume to define the sport. With that few schools offered a better location last week for the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) to showcase esports, which remain unknown in the mainstream and carry stigmas for those pursuing it.

Parents, maybe around my age, they may think youre frying your brain just playing video games all day, Becker College President Nancy Crimmin said. I had a friend call me in a panic the other day and say, My 7-year-old just said he wanted to be a professional gamer. I said, 'Thats fabulous. Do you know how much money he can make?

The NECC will begin hosting sanctioned esports competitions beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. Experts expect esports to experience double-digit growth over the next 20 years. The industry is expected to generate $1.5 billion in 2020.

Becker College is included in that growth. One of Worcesters oldest colleges renovated a school building at 80 William St. in Worcester to an esports center outfitted gaming equipment.

Two old-school arcade systems welcome visitors into the space. Around the corner on the first floor, students competed in a Smash Bros. tournament during the NECC showcase. The gaming goes beyond casual after-school competition. Upstairs, 22 state-of-the-art computers are housed in three rooms for varsity gamers to compete against other schools across the country.

During the showcase, Becker College squared off against New England College in an Overwatch competition. Each team wore matching uniforms as they sat in separate rooms, the glow from the monitors lighting up the players faces. A coach accompanied each team in their respective rooms.

The movement in this sport came from the players rapid-firing away on the keyboards, the team communication airing through a headset.

Esports is just as team-oriented as basketball or baseball. Those things translate very well, Becker College junior Vinnie Carrabino said. Playing with my team, we go through the highs and the lows. Were there playing until midnight, 1 oclock in the morning, trying to figure out how do we win? I also played athletics in high school, I was doing the same exact thing. How do I beat this team? What can I do to do more?

The varsity competition consists of players that were selected after a round of tryouts. Like other team sports in college athletics, programs recruit and offer scholarships. Teams practice and host workouts. Some gamers at the showcase compared the workload to a 40-hour workweek.

Competitions also exist for less demanding leagues like club sports. Both complement the academic programs on campus, which offer first-in-the-nation esports management degrees.

The esports degree can focus on an array of topics like video game design, marketing and financing, business development and event management.

Reese Dikmak, a sophomore from Marlborough, enrolled at Becker College with a background in business. As a lifetime gamer, esports intrigued him but he was still hesitant to dive in.

At the end of the day, as I did have a background in business, I had no idea if this was going to flop in the next four years or only grow, Dikmak said. When I got involved in the esports program here, it fell right in line with all of the plans I wanted to go down. It has become more and more clear to me that it really is only a growing industry that Im proud Im going to be a part of.

After about a decade since the creation of an interactive media program, which includes game design, the esports umbrella at Becker College, consists of more than 500 students.

Its hard to imagine what the next 20 years will look like, General Manager of New Initiatives at Becker College and Executive Director at Massachusetts Digital Games Institute Tim Loew said. But its clear that people expect this isnt going anywhere. Its sort of like rock n roll in the 50s.

Within Becker and the NECC, esports is looked at as The Beatles rather than a nameless one-hit-wonder. They envision a multibillion-dollar industry with countless opportunities for students on campus and after they graduate.

For those who compete in esports, they view themselves as the foundation of the department. As the programs continue to expand, each class leaves its fingerprints on the growth.

One of my goals is, Im going to graduate and Im not going to be a part of this team anymore and I want to make sure I leave it in a stronger part than I found it, Carraboino said. And make sure they understand this is something very special. Hold on to it and grow it.

Originally posted here:

Recruiting, scholarships to top gamers: Welcome to the world of esports at Worcesters Becker College - MassLive.com