Overwatch: The Official Cookbook Will be Released in October 2019

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Have you ever wondered what a gorilla with a genius-level intellect eats? We might finally get an answer in Overwatch: The Official Cookbook.

Written by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel (the same author behind World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook and Hearthstone: Innkeeper’s Tavern Cookbook), and published by Simon and Schuster’s Insight Editions imprint, the cookbook will explore the game’s international background with “authentic recipes inspired by the game’s diverse heroes”:

Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon Overwatch, this official cookbook is packed with scores of authentic recipes inspired by the game’s diverse heroes hailing from all corners of the universe.

Building from the game’s compelling narrative and variety of characters, this cookbook features international food and drink recipes from each hero’s homeland. Each recipe includes straightforward step-by-step instructions, mouthwatering full-color photos, pairing suggestions, and more.

Overwatch: The Official Cookbook will include more than 100 recipes and it’ll be available to purchase this October.

Preview of GameRT’s Events at 2019 ALA Annual @ Games In Libraries

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Are you planning to attend the ALA Annual Conference later this month in Washington DC? If so, it looks like there’s going to be lots of gaming-related activities available as the Games and Gaming Roundtable (GameRT) has posted a schedule of all the events they’re hosting at the big event:

ALA Play
The Games and Gaming Roundtable invites you to the 11th annual ALAPlay on Friday, June 21st from 7:30 pm until 10:00 pm at the Renaissance in the Grand Ballroom North. This event offers a free evening of gaming, exploration, and learning.

Gaming Lounge
ALA and the Games and Gaming Roundtable invite you to join us in the Gaming Lounge (Booth 3639) on the exhibit floor, a hands-on interactive oasis of gaming amidst the sea of exhibits.

Gaming Grove
The Gaming Grove (Booths 3633 A-J) gives you the opportunity to meet many of the leading game publishers in a small, informal setting. You will have the time to talk with them about their games and how gaming can be an excellent resource and programming tool for your library.

Presidents Program
Join GameRT on Saturday, June 22 at 2:30 p.m. for the Games and Gaming Round Table President’s Program. In two presentations, speakers will discuss the practical needs of managing game collections in libraries and using free gaming software to develop programming and teach coding skills.

More information about these programs can be found at the Games In Libraries blog.

Makers of Makey Makey Will Release GameBender, a Console That Teaches Coding, in Fall 2019

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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.

[…]

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.

[…]

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.

2019 Games For Change Festival Scheduled for June 17-19

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The annual Games For Change Festival brings together developers, researchers, and educators to share ideas on how to “leverage the power of games and immersive media for social good.” That’s a big goal, and the organizers of the event are ready to try again as the 2019 edition of the conference will take place on June 17-19 in New York City.

If you’re interested in attending, this year’s Program Schedule has just been announced, and it features dozens of panel possibilities themed around “Civics & Social Issues,” “Games for Learning,” “Health & Wellness,” and much more:

At the 2019 Games for Change Festival, you will hear from some of the leading voices in the games and social impact community. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from a jam-packed schedule of sessions, including talks, panels, workshops, and more. In addition, G4C will facilitate various networking sessions, on-site mentorship opportunities, and intimate conversations with project funders. Learn from cutting-edge research, make your next professional connection, and get inspired by all of the amazing work our community is doing; the G4C Festival has something for everyone!

Tickets for the 2019 Games For Change Festival ($149 – $479) are now available for purchase through Eventbrite.

The Best Video Game Books Money Can Buy @ Nintendo Life

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It feels like there’s never been a better time to be a student of video game history. And that’s because practically every week there’s a new book that reexamines a beloved game or shines a light on some forgotten corner of the industry.

Thankfully, Nintendo Life‘s Damien McFerran recently sorted through a lot of these options and produced his (fairly comprehensive) guide to “The Best Video Game Books Money Can Buy.” McFerran’s nearly 50 selections run the gamut from the very recently published to the classics that belong in every library:

The only thing more fun than playing video games is reading about them, and in the past few years, we’ve seen the number of game-specific books explode as players seek to learn more about the industry and writers strive to catalogue and analyse what has become one of the world’s most popular forms of entertainment.

It has gotten to the stage where we’ve amassed so many tomes at Nintendo Life Towers that we’ve decided to put together a handy guide to all of the very best books about games money can buy.

Even more than 20 years after its publication, it’s great to see David Sheff’s Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children earn a spot on the list, as it remains one of the most informative looks inside the secretive company.

2018’s Game of the Year Winners

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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:

    The Game Awards: God of War
    GDC Awards: God of War
    DICE Awards: God of War
    SXSW Gaming Awards: God of War
    BAFTA Games Awards: God of War

A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below. Continue reading →

Google’s Game Streaming Service Will be Known as Google Stadia

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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.

Registration is Now Open for This May’s Games in Libraries Conference at UW-Eau Claire

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Registration has now opened for this year’s Games in Libraries Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The conference will be held on May 31 in the university’s McIntyre Library and the Registration Form can be found online now.

The Games in Libraries Conference is geared towards staff from all types of libraries (public, academic, and special) and will includes more than a dozen presentations and social events, including a keynote presentation by University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Library Director Paul Waelchli, “From Fluxx to Fortnite: Lifelong Learning through Good Gaming.”

Admission is free, but the conference will be limited to 75 attendees:

As many things in our society become “gamifed” (e.g., Snapchat streaks), we need to learn and understand the various ways in which games of all types can be used as educational tools. This conference is one in which we hope to show, share, and learn from peers about how they use games in libraries, why adding games to a collection might be useful, and how they can promote their use with their users.

You can learn more about Games in Libraries Conference at their official website, and while you’re there you can also view the Conference Schedule, browse the FAQ, or contact the organizers.