Gamescom brings the industry’s finest to Europe, here’s what to expect.
Next week in Cologne, Germany is Gamescom – the biggest gaming trade show and convention in Europe. The show isn’t quite as massive as E3, but will still promise some major updates and reveals from some of the biggest names in gaming.
Microsoft is set to lead the charge this year, with a showcase of their 2016 lineup. If you felt hollow after failing to see Quantum Break, Crackdown or Scalebound at their big E3 show back in June, this is where you’ll want to tune in for the live stream. Microsoft’s big show is scheduled for 7 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from 2K’s Mafia franchise, which brought the world of organized crime to life in stunning open-world fashion. Mafia 3 was long rumored as a next-generation launch title, but hit a delay snag and is now just set for reveal. The trailer will hit online at 5 a.m. on Thursday.
Citizens of Azeroth will want to keep their calendars marked for 9 a.m. Thursday when Blizzard will be revealing the latest expansion for World of Warcraft.
The creator of Mega Man‘s latest KickStarter is burning down to Red Ash
About a month ago, Kenji Inafune — creator of the Mega Man franchise, who left Capcom in 2010 — introduced a KickStarter for a new project called Red Ash. The game was pitched as a spiritual successor to Mega Man Legends, the fan-beloved platformer series. However, with less than a week to go, Inafune announced that the game would now be made using outsider funding (courtesy of Chinese-based unknown developer Fuze Entertainment). The KickStarter would now “go purely towards extra content” for the game.
The campaign was Inafune’s second, coming off the wildly successful Mighty No. 9 (which raised nearly $4-million back in 2013). However, mismanagement appears to have derailed the project. To start, the $800K asking price only covered the initial six-hour prologue of the full game, with no indication given for how that full game was going to be produced. The campaign only displayed concept art for the game, with the only in-game footage courtesy of a pre-alpha build that failed to impress. Fans also felt disgruntled that the project was launched before Mighty No. 9 even hit stores.
This ordeal has shown off some of the dangers of crowd-funding as a source of game development. Fans who pitched in money to make Red Ash happen (some paying as much as $7,000), are now no longer funding the game. Rather, they’re funding a series of stretch goals, which haven’t been revealed yet. Fortunately, it seems unlikely that any of that money will be paid out (having raised only 60 percent of its $800,000 goal with only three days remaining). This cautionary tale should remind us all of the risks taken when contributing to a crowd-funding campaign.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter, @Mushroomer25
Gaming Week In Review: Big debuts ahead at Gamescom
Chris Berg
July 30, 2015
0
More to Discover