When searching for games to add to your collection, it’s always good to check-in with the five major industry award shows. The following games received “Game of the Year” honors in 2019:
A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading
Reporters Without Borders has launched “The Uncensored Library,” an Open Server for Minecraft that houses articles from journalists that have been banned by governments around the world.
The non-profit organization discussed the purpose behind their latest project in a blog post on their official website:
In many countries, free information is hard to access. Blogs, newspapers and websites are censored. Journalists get arrested and have to fear for their lives.
Such censorship lets many young people grow up in systems with almost no access to independent press. Their opinions become heavily manipulated by governmental disinformation campaigns.
But although the youth in those countries differ from ours, they do what young people all around the globe do: play video games. Minecraft is a favourite – one of the world’s most successful computer games, with more than 145 million active players every month. Here communities can build entire worlds out of blocks, experience the freedom of an open world. Its creative mode is often described as “digital Lego”. In these countries, where websites, blogs and free press in general are strictly limited, Minecraft is still accessible by everyone.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) used this backdoor to build “The Uncensored Library”: A library that is now accessible on an open server for Minecraft players around the globe. The library is filled with books, containing articles that were censored in their country of origin. These articles are now available again within Minecraft hidden from government surveillance technology inside a computer game. The books can be read by everyone on the server, but their content cannot be changed. The library is growing, with more and more books being added to overcome censorship.
Reporters Without Borders recruited 24 builders to create the library in Minecraft. They designed the building in neoclassical architectural style and spent more than 250 hours placing the more than 12.5 million blocks used in its construction.
The American Library Association’s Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) has announced a new grant program for librarians looking to build up their game collection. The Game On! Grant will offer funds to a librarian at any institution (public, school, academic, or special) interested in developing “gaming programs or collections” for their patrons:
The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to unveil a new annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public. Through the new Game On! grants $500.00 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $500 or two of $250 each to assist a library or libraries in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities.
GameRT will be accepting proposals for the Game On! Grant annually from January 1st through March 1st that meet the following criteria:
Candidates must submit an electronic application, explaining why they are interested in the grant and how a new or expanded gaming program/collection will benefit their community. Selection is based upon the quality and appropriateness of the submitted proposals. Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate fiscal need for funds based on their institution’s budget.
The winner (or winners) will be announced at GameRT’s ALA Play event at the ALA Annual Conference.
Every year, Germany’s Digital Gaming Culture Foundation (Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur) supervises the Gamescom Committee, a small group of journalists who choose the best games that were present at the Gamescom expo. The Gamescom expo is held in the Summer, and serves as the European equivalent to the Los Angeles-based E3 Expo.
While most of these titles are still in development, you should keep them in mind when you add games to your collection this Fall and into 2020.
Dreams was named “Best of Gamescom,” and the full list of winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading
Every year, the Game Critics Awards, a collection of editors from more than 60 major publications that cover the video game industry, get together to choose the best games at the E3 Expo.
While all of these titles are still in development, you should keep them in mind when you add games to your collection this Fall and into 2020.
Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake was named “Best of Show,” and the full list of winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading
Do you have patrons interested in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite but you’re not sure how to guide them? Don’t worry, CNET has posted a great primer for anyone looking to enroll in the Wizarding World:
Ready to join with other witches and wizards to battle dark forces, subdue magical beasts, save Harry Potter and his friends, brew potions and get to the bottom of the Calamity, an unexplained event scattering magical items across the Muggle? Good. Here’s how to get started playing Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the mobile game now available for download in nearly 150 countries for Android and iPhone from the creator of the wildly popular Pokemon Go.
[…]
And while it’s similar to the wildly popular Pokemon Go, it’s OK if you’ve never played that game because Harry Potter: Wizards Unite really feels like a new game and not a reskinned Pokemon Go. In fact, we think Harry Potter: Wizards Unit beats Pokemon Go every way but one.
CNET’s guide covers how to get started, as well as Map, Spells, Potions, Portkeys, Professions, and Currency. Just be sure not to drop your phone when swinging it around like a wand.
Niantic’s next augmented reality game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, will cast a spell on iOS and Android devices in the US and the UK later this week. The game, which asks players to help contain a “Calamity” that’s dropping magical items on the Muggle world, will be available to download beginning June 21.
Like the developer’s Pokemon Go, players will interact with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in the real world. The game’s official website explained exactly how it works in a recent post:
Play Your Part in the Wizarding World
A calamity has befallen the wizarding world, causing artefacts, creatures, people, and even memories to mysteriously appear in the Muggle world. Witches and wizards from across the globe must come together to solve the mystery of The Calamity, overcome the confounding chaotic magic that surrounds these “Foundables,” and return them to their rightful place, keeping them safe from Muggle eyes.Your journey begins as a new recruit of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, established by the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards for the purpose of investigating and containing The Calamity.
The Magic is All Around You
As you step outside and explore the world, the Map will reveal Traces of magic, highlighting the location of magical Foundables. While these Traces can be found all around you, certain Foundables may be more likely to appear at various types of real-world locations including parks, banks, municipal buildings, college campuses, libraries, monuments, zoos, art galleries, and more. Cast a variety of spells to overcome the Confoundable magic, keep the magical Foundables safe, and send them back to the wizarding world. By returning Foundables, you’ll earn unique rewards that can be tracked in the game Registry.As you cast spells, you’ll consume Spell Energy. Be sure to regularly stop by Inns, found at Muggle locations around the world, to collect food and drinks that replenish your Spell Energy. While exploring, you’ll also come across ingredients that can be used to brew Potions, which will aid you in different aspects of your Wizarding World journey. These ingredients can be found on the Map, varying by the environment, weather, and time of day, as well as in specially designated Greenhouses.
Make sure to also keep an eye out for Portmanteaus, which can be unlocked to reveal Portkeys that whisk you away to iconic wizarding world locations. For the first time you’ll be able to step into a full 360-degree Advanced AR immersive experience in places like Ollivander’s Wand Shop.
Stronger United
Test your combat skills by visiting one of the multiple Fortresses indicated on the Map. Fortresses are host to Wizarding Challenges, real-time multiplayer battles against dangerous foes, including Death Eaters and ferocious Werewolves. You won’t want to face these threats alone–gather your friends to take on threats of even higher levels and recover rarer magical Foundables from within the Fortress walls.To further develop your wizarding skills, you can also choose to specialize in different magical Professions. Aurors, Magizoologists, and Professors each have their own unique skills and abilities that will come in handy at different times, particularly during Wizarding Challenges. Team up and strategize with witches and wizards from other Professions to tip the scales in your favor.
A Launch Trailer for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has been embedded above.
When searching for games to add to your collection, it’s always good to check-in with the five major industry award shows. The following games received “Game of the Year” honors in 2018:
A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading