The highly anticipated global fundraiser, Game2Give, which just launched its annual fundraising campaign on December 2, 2021, has already raised over ONE MILLION DOLLARS!
The event is on track to meet its goal of raising vital funds that will benefit Bungie Foundation’s newly expanded core initiatives, including Disaster Relief and Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, with plans to create a larger global footprint.
Game2Give hopes to reach or exceed this incredible fundraising milestone by December 15, 2021, the campaign’s final fundraising day.
The event has attracted the support of a large number of gamers and influencers, who have joined the action to help raise awareness and funds.
On December 8, 2021, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Gernader Jake, who has already raised over $11,000, will stream while raising additional funds for Game2Give on Twitch. On December 9, 2021, from 12:00 am – 2:00 am, Ninjy, who will host a stream for the third consecutive year, will raise funds to support Game2Give on Twitch.
Finally, on December 10 from 8:00 am – 10:00 am, Benny, who has already raised over $11,800, will hope to surpass his fundraising goal of $12,000 as he hosts a Game2Give fundraising stream also on Twitch.
d3t the award-winning, co-development studio within the game technology sector is delighted to announce its partnership with the UK’s only Unity Centre of Excellence at HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology.
Based at MediaCity and operated by IN4 Group, the centre promises a mixture of guidance and supported learning for games programming students, with industry professionals on hand to ensure that they are provided with the tools and knowledge to enable them to flourish within the industry or their existing roles.
d3t, with its combined 450 years of industry insight and experience, will be supporting the centre through a combination of workshops, roundtables and guiding new start-up projects.
Cheshire-based d3t is also part of Keywords Studios, the international technical and creative services provider to the global video games industry and beyond.
Commenting on the partnership, Phil Owen, Head of Engineering at d3t said: “We have a close relationship with the team at HOST and we were keen to be a part of this project right from the get-go. Entering at such an early stage ensures that both students and members alike can start to get the advice and support they need without delay.
“At d3t, supporting and mentoring the next generation of games programmers, on a wide variety of game development environments, including Unity and Unreal, is a key focus of ours. We also work with universities and initiatives both locally and nationally to ensure that students get the support they need to enter and thrive within the games industry, and we are excited to continue this with HOST.”
Simon Benson, Director of Immersive Technology at HOST, said: “d3t has a wealth of industry experience and we’re excited to bring their knowledge and expertise of gaming technology to the HOST community. The support on offer will be vital towards developing digital pioneers with the technical skills they need to innovate and grow in their careers.”
The Unity Centre of Excellence at HOST offers cutting-edge, industry-relevant skills development and fast-tracks students into leading professional roles in the technology sector.
To find out more information on the Unity Centre of Excellence and HOST, please click here.
The Game Awards has launched its first official metaverse experience on Core, a platform for user-created games, interactive experiences and live events.
Fans will be able to watch and interact with the awards show live on Thursday, December 9 beginning at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT from inside of Axial Tilt, an interactive world that serves as a metaverse hub for programming and events hosted by Geoff Keighley.
Axial Tilt on Core introduces an entirely new way for viewers to experience The Game Awards, allowing them to watch the show live and simultaneously participate in several unique interactive experiences that are only available during the broadcast. This includes a red carpet experience beginning at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT the day of show, and an afterparty immediately following the ceremony featuring a special guest DJ. Fans will be able to predict the winners of select categories live during the broadcast to win exclusive Core-related prizes. Participants can also keep entertained before, during and after the show by playing multiple mini-games available inside Axial Tilt.
“I’m always on the lookout for exciting new ways to bring The Game Awards to new audiences,” said Geoff Keighley, creator, executive producer and host of The Game Awards. “The emergence of new metaverse platforms like Core, and the social experiences they enable around live events, presented an amazing opportunity to give fans a new interactive way to enjoy the show. And considering it’s a show about interactive entertainment, it felt like a perfect fit.”
While The Game Awards’ programming is available exclusively on Core, Axial Tilt is a world that exists as multiple instances across the metaverse, having launched earlier this year on Fortnite Creative. The two versions of Axial Tilt have a similar look and feel, however, the gameplay and worlds are slightly different. Crossover events between the two will happen in the future.
Axial Tilt is available for free on Core today at www.coregames.com/games/a9ea61/axial-tilt or players can take a portal directly from Core World, the starting hub world for all Core players. Core can be downloaded at CoreGames.com or the Epic Game Store. You can download Fortnite from the Epic Games Store and access Axial Tilt by typing in map code 0960-3147-4924 into the Island Code tab.
Produced by Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards is one of the widest distributed digital events on the planet, with a record setting 83 million livestreams in 2020. The Game Awards brings together game industry creators, esports champions, digital influencers and Hollywood names for a night of awards, exclusive game world premieres, announcements and musical performances, including the return of The Game Awards Orchestra, conducted by acclaimed composer Lorne Balfe.
Bungie is excited to announce the highly anticipated third edition of its successful global fundraiser, Game2Give.
Beginning today and lasting through December 15, the campaign will raise funds for the Bungie Foundation, culminating in a Bungie livestream planned for December 15 at 10 AM PT.
This epic online fundraising event aims to mobilize the gaming community and raise funds for the Bungie Foundation’s newly expanded core initiatives to create a larger global footprint. Their work will continue to be headlined by the highly successful iPads for Kids program delivered to children’s hospitals globally. Also, the Bungie Foundation’s two additional core initiatives include funding global humanitarian aid and supporting community programs that impact Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity.
Game2Give proudly unites gamers around the common goal of making positive change happen.
How does it work?
Gamers make donations of any amount to support the cause. Those who donate will be rewarded with a fantastic line-up of brand-new Destiny 2 in-game rewards based on the size of their contribution.
These exceptional rewards include the Light Keepers emblem, the Arc Propellant emblem, the Hi-5 Heart Exotic multiplayer emote and the first-ever charity ship, the Altrux Pura Mk1.
Gamers can also collect donations while hosting their own livestream fundraisers, receiving unique rewards that every Destiny 2 player will be eager to get their hands on!
Game2Give and the Bungie Foundation are proud to once again partner with DonorDrive to enhance gamers’ experience by creating a seamless donation and prize-fulfillment process.
After donating, gamers can redeem their donor prizes, automatically added to their Destiny 2 accounts. These in-game items are awarded based on total donations contributed by each individual donor over the course of the campaign.
“The Bungie Foundation is poised to create our biggest and most successful Game2Give fundraiser to date,” said Christine Edwards, Senior Foundation Manager of the Bungie Foundation.
“We have listened to our incredible community of supporters and have taken this past year to think deeply and align on our company’s core values. Out of that work, we have refocused our foundation’s mission. We are proud to announce the Bungie Foundation’s updated mission: We are a people-focused organization that builds and empowers our community to improve the health and well-being of children, uplift the rights of all individuals and communities, and provide aid in times of crisis.
We will continue to grow strong partnerships with organizations around the world that are best-in-class at creating meaningful impact across these three core areas of support. Funds raised during Game2Give will continue to change lives across the globe throughout the year.”
United with the worldwide Destiny 2 community, Game2Give hopes to create a lasting legacy of positive change in the lives of those in need.
Funds raised will allow the Bungie Foundation to make a global impact and put the funds raised into direct action. Organizers hope to surpass last year’s achievement of raising $1.5 million.
The momentous support has already begun with the return of some incredible supporters, celebrities and influencers, including TheMavShow, LeopardStealth, TravelDanielle, and Ekuegan to name a few.
Game2Give continues to provide everyone involved with the opportunity to raise funds, ignite hope and help make the world a better place!
The campaign will run from December 2 through December 15, 2021.
Rebellion, one of the world’s most successful independent studios, has today released Evil Genius 2: World Domination on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows Store, and PlayStation 4 and 5.
Available to buy now, Evil Genius 2 lets you unleash your own unique brand of super-villainy as you build your lair and create a cover operation as you plot to take over the world.
Watch the new launch trailer for Evil Genius 2 on console here
Released on Steam earlier this year, Rebellion is delighted to be bringing the incredible strategy game to consoles for the first time complete with fully enabled gamepad controls, while also supporting mouse and keyboard.
The Deluxe Edition of Evil Genius 2 also includes all of the currently released Season Pass content, which is also available to purchase individually at launch on console, giving players access to additional henchmen, missions, lair items and more.
In Evil Genius 2 players are tasked with taking over the world. You will need to recruit and train a workforce of loyal minions and powerful henchmen to defend your base from the meddling Forces of Justice and help you in your quest to rule the planet one dastardly scheme at a time.
The game features:
Four unique campaigns – play as narcissist despot Max, heavy-muscle madman Ivan, manipulative ex-spymaster Emma or scientist zealot Zalika. Guide your chosen evil genius through their own distinct story-based campaign as they impose their twisted vision upon an unsuspecting globe.
Three island locations – choose where to build your supervillain HQ from three island paradises, each with their own gameplay challenges. From the outside your base looks like a beautiful casino resort, but behind closed doors lies all manner of unimaginable evil.
Intuitive lair-building – design, build and customise your lair as you see fit. With modern base-building mechanics and loads of gameplay features totally new to the series, including multiple-floored lairs, strategy fans will feel right at home with Evil Genius 2.
New rooms, henchmen, agents, contraptions, traps and more – Evil Genius 2 features tons of menacing characters and devilish devices to use to your advantage. From the deliciously fatal Sushi Chef to the always famished Venus Spy-Trap, you have a huge number of ways to stop the Forces of Justice from foiling your dastardly plans.
World Domination 2.0 – Take to the world stage and execute your campaign of total supremacy. Send your minions and henchmen on missions across the globe as you exert your influence and control over world regions. Complete lucrative schemes, expand your criminal network, recruit new henchmen and steal all manner of useful loot – from the Doors to Fort Knox to a living, breathing dodo.
Super Rare Games has raided the storeroom again to dig out some ridiculously rare copies of our most sought after titles!
Missed out on any Super Rare physical games? We’ve sifted through no-longer-needed customer service copies to put together just 1,000 limited edition randomised Mystery Boxes + a restock of certain other items!
Available soon – On sale Thursday, December 2nd at 6pm GMT (1pm ET/10am PT), available worldwide exclusively at superraregames.com
Collectible Mystery Box – 2021’s Mystery Box is a popping blue colour, with each year’s addition in a different colour to make them collectible in their own right
No duds – we know you want a chance at getting a game you missed, not something you can still buy on our site, which is why every Mystery Box contains a completely sold out title
What’s included? – each Mystery Box includes 1 random game from the list below + everything that comes with the contained game (full-colour manual, sticker, trading card booster pack) + 1 completely random additional trading card pack + all shipped with premium packaging by default
Gotta go fast! – Strictly 1per person; last year’s Mystery Box sold out in less than an hour, so if you’re missing out on any Super Rare titles you may want to act fast
Some previously sold out SteelBook and Collector’s Editions have also been restocked on the general store page, while stocks last
CHANCE RATE (individual game numbers vary):
2021 RARE (45% chance): ITTA, Project Warlock, Lonely Mountains Downhill, Creaks, Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, ABZU, INMOST, Super Crush KO, Littlewood, Roki, Deponia Collection, Metal Unit, Dogworld
2020 RARE (48% chance): Octahedron, World of Goo, Assault Android Cactus+, Mechstermination Force, The Sexy Brutale, Little Inferno, Tricky Towers, Graceful Explosion Machine, SteamWorld Dig, SteamWorld Heist, Old School Musical, Chroma Squad, Dandara, Freedom Finger, Darkwood, Ghost of a Tale
2019/2018 RARE (7% chance): N++, Steredenn, Lone Wolf, Toki Tori Collection, RIVE, Darkside Detective, SteamWorld Quest, The Gardens Between
Please note that these are stockroom leftovers and copies originally aside for customer service as part of the original numbered runs – we never reprint games
Everything is in stock and aiming to ship mid-December, but please note Chirstmas delivery is not guaranteed
The details of the 2022 edition of the Game Music Festival have been unveiled. This time, the fully fledged festival dedicated to video game soundtracks will take place at the famous Royal Festival Hall in London.
On the 5th and 6th of March 2022, the venue will play host to original arrangements of fan-favourite video game soundtracks, as well as various accompanying events. An educational programme will take place on the first day, while the second day will be dedicated to live concerts. The three previous editions of the Game Music Festival have been praised by fans worldwide, attracting an audience of over 12,000 on-site guests in total.
The whole initiative is organised by the Game Music Foundation, and tickets are now available for purchase at gmfest.com.
The Jazz of Cuphead is the first concert at GMF 2022. The exuberant jazz score of Cuphead, an unmistakably stylish platformer, will be interpreted on stage by a seasoned big band. Full of early styles of jazz mixed with ragtime music, the original soundtrack of Cuphead swiftly transports the listener to a world inspired by Duke Ellington and Count Basie, but always with a twist. All of this has led to Cuphead winning the well-deserved BAFTA Games Award for Best Music.
Cuphead’s composer, Kristofer Maddigan, will join the audience to see his score brought to life by the Bartosz Pernal Orchestra – an ensemble of experienced musicians led by a charismatic trombone player.
Lauded by critics and millions of fans worldwide upon release , Ori and the Will of the Wisps was soon hailed as a masterpiece, with special merit given to its unforgettable score by Gareth Coker, a multi-BAFTA-nominated composer and winner of the 2021 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Video Game Score.
Together with Ori and the Blind Forest, both of these universally acclaimed soundtracks comprise the musical programme of The Symphony of the Spirits, the second concert of Game Music Festival 2022.
These arrangements have been created by maestro Robert Kurdybacha, who is no stranger to the music of video games – he has arranged several fan-favourite symphonies for previous editions of the festival. Gareth Coker will also attend this very special occasion at the Royal Festival Hall. The performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Hertfordshire Chorus will take the audience on a journey through Ori’s world as never before.
Game Music Festival will not only present these concerts, but also multiple educational events.
On Saturday the 5th of March, the GMF 2022 educational programme will host masterclass workshops and other sessions, where participants will be able to see behind the scenes of how audio is created for games, improve their skills and learn many tips and tricks in the field. Details of the educational programme will be unveiled later on. These sessions will be a unique opportunity to have a closer look into the world of music and sound in contemporary video games.
This will be a great event for anyone who plans to build a career composing or designing sound in games.
As the organisers say: “This time the festival will be held in London, but apart from changing the venue, our approach remains consistent: we aspire to maintain high artistic quality which has become the hallmark of GMF. As in previous editions, we extract the musical essence of selected games to present them in a way that will satisfy not only the fan community but also music lovers in general. Besides the two big concerts, we also invite you to the educational programme which will once again be a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience for audio professionals. We hope that both our regular audience as well as newcomers will be pleased with the end result at London’s Southbank Centre.”
Ticket prices start from 25 GBP per concert and rise according to seat location. Strictly limited VIP vouchers are also available – they include the best seats, as well as meetings with all composers that will appear at the festival (in person or online). All tickets are being sold via gmfest.com.
Scarlet Moon Records is pleased to present the latest installment of their Christmas series featuring some of the biggest names in videogame music remixing Christmas standards and game music classics in Christmas style.
This year’s volume features Scarlet Moon composers Peter Jones (as XenoKeyz), Goomin “Nauts” Nam (DJMAX, Ragnarok Online), Osamu Kubota (arranger on Kingdom Hearts, Ragnarok Online), Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid, Bayonetta, as GENTLE LOVE), and Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Indivisible) alongside several guests ranging from renowned composer Mitsuto Suzuki (as mojera), indie rocker Rogov, and progressive rock legend Vince DiCola (The Transformers: The Movie (1980), ROCKY IV).
Scarlet Moon Christmas Vol. VI is available today on all digital storefronts:
Scarlet Moon’s entire Bandcamp catalog, including the entire Christmas series, can be purchased at 20% off today through Cyber Monday using the BFCM2021 coupon code.
Goomin Nam – Prontera Carol. Ver (“Theme of Prontera” from Ragnarok Online)
Le Cantïque (O Holy Night) – Osamu Kubota
GENTLE LOVE – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
bLiNd – Frappe Latte Christmas LoFi ReMix (“Frappe Snowland” from Mario Kart 64)
mojera – Blackbird
Rogov – Timeboy
Hiroki Kikuta – O Come Ye All Faithful (SNES Version)
Mustin – Hearth Afire (“Heart of Fire” from Castlevania)
Vince DiCola – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
“It feels weird wrapping up our Christmas albums in October, but it really gets us into the mood very early,” comments Scarlet Moon’s Jayson Napolitano.
“We were thrilled to get so many of our artists onboard this year alongside a couple members from our Discord server, the return of our dear friends Mitsuto Suzuki and his duo, mojera, and former Scarlet Moon artist Vince DiCola, and grizzled indie rocker Rogov who makes his debut in the game music space. We hope everyone checks out this year’s offerings along with past volumes.”
The Scarlet Moon Christmas series has featured Scarlet Moon Artists talent and guests ranging from SuperSweep (Tetris 99, Pokémon Quest), and Robyn Miller (Myst) to Mega Ran, Dale North (Dreamscaper, Nintendo Minute), and more over past volumes.
The winners were revealed last night in the 39th Golden Joystick Awards presented by GamesRadar.
Millions of votes were cast in 20 public voted categories with the games, hardware and personalities winning unveiled at an all digital ceremony this evening on Twitch and YouTube.
This year’s awards show was hosted by Hollywood stars, Emily Rose and Nolan North, best known for working together as the lead actors on the Uncharted games series, Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher.
The show also featured game reveals from open-world survival horror Wronged Us, WWII strategy sim Men of War II, and an exclusive look at sci-fi adventure The Invincible. The Golden Joystick Awards celebrated 50 Years of Games with a special musical performance, an exclusive pre-show documentary and two new awards marking 50 years since Computer Space, the world’s first commercially available coin-op, launched in November 1971.
The 2021 Golden Joystick Awards winners are:
Best Storytelling: Life is Strange: True Colors
Best Multiplayer Game: It Takes Two
Best Audio: Resident Evil: Village
Best Visual Design: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Best Game Expansion: Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island
Mobile Game of the Year: League of Legends: Wild Rift
Best Gaming Hardware: PlayStation 5
Best Indie Game: Death’s Door
Studio of the Year: Capcom
Best Performer: Maggie Robertson (Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil: Village)
Best Gaming Hardware of All Time: Personal Computer (PC)
Ultimate Game of All Time: Dark Souls
Daniel Dawkins, Content Director, Games at GamesRadar+ said: “We’re thrilled to crown Dark Souls as the Ultimate Game of All Time after a public vote that was even more unpredictable and contentious than we expected. Ultimately, creator Hidetaka Miyazaki’s action RPG Dark Souls edged out the seminal first-person-shooter Doom by less than 50 votes.
Video games, more than any other entertainment medium, are a complex blend of attributes, with judges and voters weighing up interactivity, technical innovation, feedback loops, level design, characters, storytelling, longevity – and the elusive x-factor that all great movies, music and TV possesses – to crown their favourite. That Dark Souls – a game famed for its fiendish difficulty, immaculate design and rich lore – should claim Ultimate Game of All Time ahead of more accessible and iconic titles such as Pac Man, Space Invaders and Super Mario Kart, is testament to the deep passion that gaming inspires.
The PC claiming the title of Best Gaming Hardware of All Time – in a shortlist entirely composed of consoles – is a headline that writes itself. The Personal Computer’s ability to evolve and rewrite the boundaries of technical possibility, makes it an utterly fitting winner as the Golden Joystick Awards celebrates 50 Years of Games. A hearty congratulations to all of our winners for representing the very best that gaming has to offer, in a year when the industry has adapted to new working patterns and component shortages with admirable agility.”
You can watch the full awards show on catch up via:
The prestigious awards show is now in its 39th year and is the world’s largest public-voted gaming awards event attracting millions of votes every year.
Gameware Europe and Critter Consortium are proud to announce the upcoming release of the iconic “Creatures” series on Steam.
Seeking to model life itself via digital DNA, Creatures is a game all about raising and teaching virtual “Norns” – a friendly species, that with the player’s help can learn, communicate, breed, and (hopefully!) survive in a world full of danger.
The series has been recognized in a number of awards, such as two EMMA wins for Creatures and Creatures Adventures, as well as a BAFTA nomination for Creatures Playground.
With 6 major releases on PC between 1996 and 2001, the series has delighted fans with its unrivalled technology in the field of artificial life by modelling real, scientific principles – “Call it a game if you like, but this is the most impressive example of artificial life I have seen” Richard Dawkins ( Oxford University Zoologist and author)
“I first saw this program in the same week that evidence was discovered of life on Mars. This is more exciting” Douglas Adams ( Author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
Creatures Docking Station and Creatures 3 are set to release on December 6th, while the other games will be released later that month as Creatures: The Albian Years (a compilation of Creatures & Creatures 2 with their respective expansions) and Creatures Village (including both Creatures Adventures and Creatures Playground).
The Train2Game Blog 