The American Library Association is gearing up to host another International Games Week this November, and the Games In Libraries blog has announced that registration for this year’s event has begun. A map highlighting this year’s registered libraries can be found on Google Maps.
International Games Week 2019 is scheduled for November 3rd through the 9th, and librarians across the world are encouraged to host gaming-related programs on any (or all) of those dates.
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.
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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.
Many libraries will use “A Universe of Stories” as their Summer Reading theme this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.
But you might want to check out a new post from School Library Journal by Thomas Knowlton if you’re interested in adding a little outer space to your gaming collection this Summer. He suggests three titles (one tabletop game and two video games) that would be perfect to if you want to take one small step…
Outer space is almost a perfect setting for a game: it suggests the potential for friendly (or hostile) contact with alien life, the physics of gravity, and the mechanics of managing limited resources to survive. One can trace these threads back to Spacewar! (1962) and Asteroids (1979) to modern classics such as Cosmic Encounter (2008) and FTL: Faster Than Light (2012).
Below are three titles which complement this year’s Collaborative Summer Reading theme, “A Universe of Stories,” and also emphasize, through their mechanics, the need for players to work together when faced with galactic danger.
Knowlton focuses on Mole Rats in Space, a cooperative tabletop game for all ages, as well as Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One), and No Man’s Sky (PC, PS4, Xbox One).
Subscribers to Information Today should definitely be on the lookout for the newest issue, as the June 2019 cover story promises an extensive look at “Video Games at the Library.”
The trio of articles looks at how best to spend your gaming budget, what you need to know to develop gaming events and activities, and the positive effects that video games can have on learning:
Everything Librarians Always Wanted to Know About Video Games
(But Were Afraid Wasn’t Job-Related)
by Anthony AycockThe Library as the Modern Arcade
Video Game Events and Programs at the Library
by Justin HoenkeEmbracing the Power of Gaming in Education
Substance, Engagement, and Flow
by Chi Nwogu
All of these articles provide a great foundation for any librarian looking to bring video games into their library. And there’s also a few words of wisdom from your trusty Video Game Librarian in a sidebar on Page 17. So be sure to check it out!
Lots of librarians will tell you that Makey Makey kits are hugely popular with both kids and adults, and now the team behind the popular “Invention Kit” is moving into games with the GameBender, the first console that also teaches coding.
The GameBender console will launch this Fall (for $399), and you can view the full announcement in a new profile on School Library Journal:
Kids can now instantaneously reinvent the digital world. GameBender , the education startup from the creators of Makey Makey, today introduced a radical new gaming system that helps kids learn to code while playing and “bending” code. GameBender unleashes wild creativity during gameplay, and creates a path into coding that looks more like a party or an art class, less like homework.
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GameBender has grant funding from the National Science Foundation and a partnership with Scratch, a community of 40 million users providing access to more than one million coded projects like games, apps and DIY TV.
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Designed in bright red with a playful bananas theme, GameBender’s new system includes a state-of-the art game controller, matching console, advanced augmented reality camera, 3D glasses and easy-to-use code flash cards that help kids write their first code stacks, also known as “glitches.”
I’m sure that librarians who schedule a lot of STEM-based programs will be very interested in the GameBender console, and you can learn more about it at GameBender.com.
While Google tried to play it off as a big secret, the search giant finally unveiled their long-awaited game streaming service today at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Officially known as Google Stadia, the service won’t require a console of any kind, and will instead offer game streaming through a large number of devices, including laptops, desktops, Chromecast dongles, and select phones and tablets.
According to Stadia’s official website, Google is promising the service will offer 4K resolution gaming with no lag, provided your Internet connection is powerful enough. Stadia will also hook up with the YouTube Gaming livestreaming platform, and players will theoretically be able to jump from watching a stream right into playing that same game “in seconds”:
- Game where you want, when you want – Play across multiple devices, including laptops, desktops, and select phones and tablets. (High speed internet connection required)
- New ways to play through YouTube and beyond – Go from watching a video to playing a game in seconds, with even more innovative experiences to come for select games.
- Up to 4K HDR at 60 FPS – Enjoy gaming the way you love, with beautiful HDR graphics and smooth frame rates. (4K HDR at 60 FPS are dependent on your bandwidth. Gameplay experience may vary based on quality of internet connection.)
- Play instantly – No updates, no downloads. Jump right into the game.
- Always getting better – Stadia’s cloud based infrastructure evolves to meet the demands of players, developers, and YouTube creators.
On the surface, Google Stadia will offer a lot of the same features as Sony’s PlayStation Now streaming service, but it’ll have its own unique set of bells and whistles to make it stand out.
Google Stadia will be controllable with compatible third-party controllers on a PC, but players will also have the option of using the official Stadia Controller. Closely resembling a standard Xbox One controller, Google’s gadget will include an Instant Capture button for streaming to YouTube, a Google Assistant button powered by a built-in microphone, and a direct wi-fi connection to whatever device you’re using.
But what games will you be able to play on Google Stadia? That’s a bit of a question mark. So far, only Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and id Software’s Doom Eternal are confirmed to be coming to the platform. Additional games, which will be exclusive to the platform, will be produced by the company’s new Stadia Games & Entertainment division, which will be lead by Jade Raymond.
It’s currently unknown if Google will sell individual games through Stadia or offer a monthly subscription to access the service’s entire library or some combination of both. But we do know that it’s currently scheduled to launch sometime in 2019.
Nintendo absolutely blew up the “Battle Royale” genre with today’s announcement of Tetris 99.
The consolemaker teamed up with The Tetris Company to create a massive 99-player version of the classic puzzle game, and it’s available to download now as a free-to-play title for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
Tetris 99 is rather bare-bones at the moment, but Nintendo has plans to support the game down the road with a series of upcoming online events and other updates.
Respawn Entertainment is breaking into the “Battle Royale” scrum with Apex Legends, a free-to-play game for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One that takes place within the Titanfall universe (but which doesn’t actually include any Titans).
Available to download right now, Apex Legends will feature a variety of unique characters who will compete against each other to be the last one standing (and to collect loot, of course):
Overview
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Battle Royale shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier. Master an ever-growing roster of diverse Legends, deep tactical squad play and bold new innovations that level up the Battle Royale experience… all within a rugged world where anything goes.Features
- A Roster of Legendary Characters: Master a growing roster of powerful Legends, each with their own unique personality, strengths and abilities that are easy to pick up but challenging to truly master.
- Build Your Crew: Choose your Legend and combine their unique skills together with other players to form the ultimate crew.
- Strategic Battle Royale: Use your abilities (and your wits) to make strategic calls on the fly, adapting your crew’s strengths to meet new challenges as the match evolves.
- Genre-Evolving Innovation: Experience a brand-new array of innovative features that level up the Battle Royale genre, including Respawn Beacons, Smart Comms, Intelligent Inventory and an all-new way to drop into the action with Jumpmaster deployment.
- Sweet, Sweet Loot: Drop in and loot up with a host of powerful weapons, diverse attachments and useful armor to protect you in battle. After the fight, collect a wealth of cosmetic options for personalizing your character and weapons, and unlock new ways to show off during the match.
Respawn uploaded a trio of new trailers to help prospective players learn more about how Apex Legends works. A Cinematic Trailer, a Gameplay Trailer, and a Gameplay Deep Dive Trailer have all been embedded after the “Continue Reading” link. Continue reading