Thanks to @KrazyKernal for the awesome artwork!Man, we have a jam-packed show this week. We are ALL over the place! Talk about the Game Awards, the latest Star Wars game, the top Nintendo franchises on Pornhub, NPD numbers, the Mandalorian, and so much more!
Shortly after the Game Awards 2019 aired, word got out about something the team behind What the Golf? did. Long story short, the developers brought a box of golf balls to the event, and started rolling them down the venue's floor for a little entertainment. This went hand-in-hand with comments from What the Golf? dev Tim Garbos, who stated that he found the Game Awards to be a boring affair.
The news got a few people riled up, and Garbos has been receiving some backlash about the stunt since. Garbos also caught wind of our story on the topic, and wanted a chance to clear the air and set things straight.
I had a short convo with Garbos via email, and you can see his full statement on the matter below. The comments are being shared with his permission, and what you read was pieced together from various tidbits of our convo.
While we might not be fans of the show, we meant no disrespect to the show or the people working there. We also did it in a very subtle low key way far from the stage and any area you could step on a golf ball, and they got picked up again. It all happened during a commercial break. We would never do anything to take attention away from other developers/games.
I honestly don’t think that many noticed at the show, so the story is based on a few people who got a golf ball. It was far from any place people could walk and not at all close to the stage. The whole thing took 1 minute during a commercial break. Made a few people laugh and look around, then it was over and all the balls were safely picked up or rolled safely down to the stop thing at the end. I don’t know where the 100 number came from, that’s a huge overstatement. If you look at the picture of the box, I think you can count 13 balls and I had tilted it so it looked like more.
Classic story growing out of proportions on the internet, but we are of course sorry if it inconvenienced anyone. And we won’t do it again. That said the game awards part of the show is still really boring. It’s more of a reveal show, which is all fine, just not our cup of tea.
We’re sorry if it inconvenienced anyone, but it was done fairly controlled and far from the stage and places people could step on them. It was a little fun thing in the small area we were seated at and no one got hurt.
Thanks to Tim for reaching out to share his side of the story. We appreciation the conversation, and the opportunity to share his follow-up.
Just a few weeks back, we had noted that Pokemon Co. was out to get the people who leaked Pokemon Sword and Shield information. That includes those who leaked the actual game, as well as people who leaked info from somehow gaining access to the Player's Guide prior to launch.
In the case of the Player's Guide situation, Pokemon Co. knew that discussions took place through Discord and 4chan that facilitated the leak. Pokemon Co. was looking to get subpoenas in order to find out the personal contact information of those behind the leaks, and a judge has just granted approval. Pokemon Co. can now send out subpoenas to those services/sites to get user information and find out more about just who set the ball rolling.
We've all see the mall kiosks that are selling knock-off Nintendo platforms that are supposedly filled with hundreds upon hundreds of games. Those consoles almost always have the same few games duplicated over and over, and are filled with nothing but ROMs and ROM rip-offs.
The Triangle shopping center in Raleigh, North Carolina played host to one of those booths, and word quickly spread to the North Carolina Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force. The task force has been working for two weeks straight to pull off the seizure, and sellers ended up voluntarily surrendering them. 340 units were seized, with a street value of around $800k.
What the Golf was nominated for Mobile Game of the Year at the 2019 Game Awards. This nomination secured TribandProductions, the developer of What the Golf?, a section of seats at the show that was for nominees. The gang sat a few rows behind big names in gaming like Hideo Kojima and others. What did they do while at the show, waiting to see if they'd take home a win? They decided to pull a prank with golf balls.
As the show went on during the night, the What the Golf? team opened up a big box of golf balls and started rolling them on the floor down to the front of the stage. One by one, they kept sending the balls on their journey past the feet of countless other nominees. You might think the move was some kind of viral marketing for What the Golf?, but according to a Kotaku interview with What the Golf? creative director Tim Garbos, that wasn't the case.
“There was a tiny chance for us to make a few more people hate golf, but also, we just wanted to make a thing happen. To be honest, it’s a boring show. We wanted to just have a little bit of fun ourselves.”
Many people find the Game Awards boring, as they do with most awards shows. I am not one of those people, but I do believe last night's show felt a bit off for reasons I can't put my finger on. That said, I think doing something like this just shows a lack of respect and maturity on the part of the TribandProductions gang. Even if you find the show to be boring, show a little respect for your fellow nominees, and the countless people who worked their asses off to put the show together.
I get that rolling golf balls is a rather minor way to show disapproval, but that doesn't make it any less disrespectful. There's nothing wrong with thinking the awards are boring. If that's how you feel, just don't go. There's no reason to try and disrupt the show or show attendees in some way.
As far as we know, the team who put together The Game Awards is yet to respond to the matter. If they do release a statement, we'll be sure to share.
UPDATE - Tim Garbos has reached out to us to share his side of the story, as he believes some of the information shared in the above story is factually inaccurate. The comments below come from an email conversation with Garbos, and have been pieced together into a statement.
While we might not be fans of the show, we meant no disrespect to the show or the people working there. We also did it in a very subtle low key way far from the stage and any area you could step on a golf ball, and they got picked up again. It all happened during a commercial break. We would never do anything to take attention away from other developers/games.
I honestly don’t think that many noticed at the show, so the story is based on a few people who got a golf ball. It was far from any place people could walk and not at all close to the stage. The whole thing took 1 minute during a commercial break. Made a few people laugh and look around, then it was over and all the balls were safely picked up or rolled safely down to the stop thing at the end. I don’t know where the 100 number came from, that’s a huge overstatement. If you look at the picture of the box, I think you can count 13 balls and I had tilted it so it looked like more.
Classic story growing out of proportions on the internet, but we are of course sorry if it inconvenienced anyone. And we won’t do it again. That said the game awards part of the show is still really boring. It’s more of a reveal show, which is all fine, just not our cup of tea.
We’re sorry if it inconvenienced anyone, but it was done fairly controlled and far from the stage and places people could step on them. It was a little fun thing in the small area we were seated at and no one got hurt.
An original RPG experience is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020 from the team that brought you the Bravely series and Octopath Traveler, and featuring music from Revo, acclaimed composer of the original Bravely Default soundtrack. A new world, a new story and all-new Heroes of Light await!
No More Heroes 3 – the latest numbered installment in the No More Heroes series – is set for release exclusively to the Nintendo Switch in 2020!!Featuring a score by lead composer Nobuaki Kaneko, as well as Robin Atkin Downes reprising his role from the previous titles in the series as Travis Touchdown. Original series lead character designer Yusuke Kozaki is back as well!!
Also featuring boss characters designed by Masanori Ushiki, with Kenichiro Mizuno taking on design duties for the character of Damon.
Not surprisingly, Nintendo has had an absolutely stellar November in terms of sales. The full NPD data for Nov. 2019 is in, complete with comment from NDP's Mat Piscatella. Check out the full report below.
Overall industry figures
- consumers in the U.S. spent $2.251 billion on gaming-related products online and at U.S. retailers in November 2019
- this is 19% down from the same period in 2018
- year-to-date spending has fallen 12%when compared to 2018, to $11.6 billion
- dollar sales of tracked video game software declined 14% in November compared to a year ago, to $926 million
- year-to-date sales have fallen 8% to $5.4 billion
- gains in software spending on Switch have not offset declines across other platforms
Software sales
Pokémon Sword and Shield
“Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield rank as the No. 3 and No. 5 best-selling titles of November, respectively, while the Pokémon Sword and Pokéemon Shield Double Pack places as the No. 4 best-selling game of the month. These titles combine to achieve the highest launch month dollar sales of any Pokémon release in U.S. history, topping the previous launch month high set by Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. Were all versions of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield combined, the aggregate total would place as the #2 best-selling in November.”
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
“Super Smash Bros Ultimate is now the best-selling Fighting game in U.S. history, with a lifetime dollar sales total surpassing that of the previous best-selling Fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.”
Switch hardware
“Nintendo Switch was again the best-selling hardware platform of November and remains the best-selling platform of 2019.
Hardware spending in November 2019 declined 26 percent when compared to a year ago, to $891 million. Year-to-date hardware spending has fallen 24 percent versus year ago, to $2.9 billion.”
Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced as the best-selling fighting game in the world recently, but now it has garnered another accolade for its sales. Smash Bros. Ultimate, as of today's NPD data, is officially the best-selling fighting game in US history. Ultimate has now surpassed the lifetime dollar sales of the previous best-selling fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Nintendo eShop (Switch)
STEINS;GATE 0 (Spike Chunsoft US) - €29.99/£26.99 (€26.99/£24.29 until December 17)
A new story in the critically-acclaimed STEINS;GATE series. From the depths of despair--explore a whole new world line. Your favorite characters return alongside a brand new cast!
STEINS;GATE 0 continues the time travelling theme - but adds artificial intelligence as its central hook. Help a group of young students bend time to their will and prevent the onset of World War 3. Beautiful artwork and engaging story for an unforgettable experience. Tells the story of an 'Alternate Worldline' - what happens if players failed the original story. Interact with the story using your smart phone - answering (or not!) your phone, and your responses, will determine the outcome to the story.
Fishing: Barents Sea Complete Edition (astragon) - €29.99/£25.99
Take the helm of your very own fishing boat in Fishing: Barents Sea and explore the vastness of the Norwegian sea in search for the best fishing zones. Start with the little boat inherited from your grandfather, catch fish and earn money for upgrades as well as bigger and better boats. Enjoy the beautiful Barents Sea and make your fishing industry dreams come true.
Learn how to catch different kinds of fish with various fishing equipment on 12 different ships. Whether it's line or net fishing: Every method is easy to learn, but hard to master – time to show what you are made of!
Riverbond (Cococucumber) - €21.99/£17.99 (€17.59/£14.39 until December 16)
Embark on a heroic journey to complete missions, battle adorable enemies, and smash everything into tiny cubes! Will you and your friends be the legendary heroes of Riverbond?
The Knight has imprisoned the leaders of the Eight Worlds, causing chaos, droughts and disarray! Adventure together to defeat evil and help the charming citizens of Riverbond in this action-packed journey through beautiful, hand-crafted worlds. Unlock a variety of weapons, equip new skins, and activate power-ups to hack and slash your way to glory!
STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace (Spike Chunsoft US) - €29.99/£26.99 (€26.99/£24.29 until December 17)
Fall in love with the lab members all over again in this sweet and slapstick romantic comedy!
Follow Your Heart
Explore the private life of Rintaro and your favorite lab members in a series of "What if?" scenarios.
Love Isn't a Science
The hard science of STEINS;GATE takes a back seat to let the slapstick story run wild!
Phone Trigger System
Interact via Rintaro’s cellphone to answer or ignore calls, and send and receive emails. Your everyday choices in life steer the story!
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition (Devolver Digital) - €29.99/£26.99
The Talos Principle is a philosophical first-person puzzle game from Croteam, the creators of the Serious Sam series, and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (Infinite Ocean). Assume the role of a sentient artificial intelligence placed within a simulation of humanity’s greatest ruins and linked together through an arcane cathedral. Players are tasked with solving a series of increasingly complex puzzles woven into a metaphysical parable about intelligence and meaning in an inevitably doomed world.
Sea King Hunter (COSEN) - €9.99/£8.99
Protect the world’s oceans from giant sea monsters!
Sea King Hunter is a fixed-screen marine action shooting game.
Players will take on huge sea monsters that are rampant in various places, earn rewards, get special armor with the rewards they have, and take on even stronger UMA.
In the two-player cooperative play mode, players will take on UMA for a high score.
Shovel Knight Showdown (Yacht Club Games) - €8.99/£7.99
Shovel Knight Showdown is the ultimate platform fighting experience, where you can duel with up to 4 players and scramble after gems as your favorite heroic or villainous knight from the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove saga. Gather your pals for endless multiplayer clashes, or choose from more than 16 playable characters in Story Mode, each with their own unique story to tell. Master every move, explore a vast array of items and locales, and discover new revelations in Shovel Knight Showdown!
Shovel Knight: King of Cards (Yacht Club Games) - €8.99/£7.99
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Make way for Shovel Knight: King of Cards, the grandest adventure in the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove saga! Step into the gilded boots of King Knight as you leap, Shoulder Bash, and twirl your way to a kingdom of your own in this regal prequel. Gather cards, take on challengers, and build a deck in the all-new card game, Joustus! Travel through strange worlds, gather new subjects, best the Joustus Judges, and become King of Cards! World-class platforming, exquisite visuals, a story with heart, action-packed stages, masterful music, glorious new bosses, and more await you in Shovel Knight: King of Cards.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (Techland) - €19.99/£17.99
From gold mines to saloons, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales. Live the epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws. Blurring the lines between man and myth, this adventure made of memorable encounters unveils the untold truth behind some of the greatest legends of the Old West.
Football Manager 2020 Touch (SEGA) - €34.99/£29.99
Football Manager 2020 Touch is the speedier way to experience life at the helm of the world's greatest football clubs. Whether you’re on the move or in front of the TV, how you get to the top is up to you.
Your role may be streamlined but your choice of club is certainly not with 116 leagues and 51 nations to set up home and craft your footballing philosophy at. Will you take a lower league challenge or jump straight in at one of the game’s elite?
Taking full advantage of the Nintendo Switch controller options and a bespoke user interface, you’ll speed through the seasons, skipping the pre-match proceedings and media circus to focus your attention on the best bits – squad building and Match Day. The rest you can leave to your backroom team.
Dauntless (Phoenix Labs) - Free
Battle for survival at the edge of the world. As a Slayer, it's up to you to hunt down the boss-sized Behemoths that are devouring the land. Team up with millions of players as you master challenging co-op battles, craft deadly weapons and powerful armor, and forge your legend as a Slayer of Ramsgate.
Dauntless is a free-to-play online action RPG from Phoenix Labs. Look forward to regular updates, seasonal events, new Behemoths, and more in a rich, evolving world.
BATTOJUTSU (Caerux) - €4.99/£4.99 (€1.99/£1.99 until January 1)
Simple Fighting Game.
Player need to push buttons faster than the other players.
Player can choose 3 difficulty level and Player can play easy.
Cardpocalypse (Versus Evil) - €24.99/£22.49 (€19.99/£17.99 until December 19)
Make friends, play cards, twist the rules, become a Mega Mutant Power Pets master, and try to save the world in this single-player RPG about being a 90’s kid. On her first day at Dudsdale Elementary, 10-year old Jess accidentally gets everybody's favorite collectible card game banned, forcing the kids to take their card battles underground. Troubles arise when mutants from the game invade the real world, and it’s up to Jess and friends to stop them.
Gensou Skydrift (UNTIES) - €21.99/£19.79 (€17.59/£15.83 until December 31)
A Touhou Project racing game is here!
In the mystical land of Gensokyo somewhere in Japan, humans and yokai live together in strange harmony. One day, some girls notice that their spirit energy is weak. Yokai specialist Reimu Hakurei and her friend Marisa Kirisame spot someone running off on a racetrack...
BQM -BlockQuest Maker- COMPLETE EDITION (Wonderland Kazakiri) - €22.97/£20.97
Includes:
- BQM -BlockQuest Maker-
- Samurai Era DLC
- Cyber Century DLC
Arcade Archives Frogger (HAMSTER) - €6.99/£6.29
"FROGGER" is an action game released by KONAMI in 1981. Guide a lost frog to the house on the other bank within the time limit. There will be many obstacles to overcome on the way home. Time your way safely across dangerous roads full of cars and rivers where alligators and snakes lie in wait.
SuperEpic: The Entertainment War (Numskull Games) - €14.99/£14.99
In a not-too-distant future dystopia, a single videogame development company, Regnantcorp, controls an Orwellian society by enslaving the population with their addictive free games.
As a rebellious racoon, along with your llama steed, you'll explore a surreal castle-like office full of enemies, challenges, secrets and corporate pigs. Break into their headquarters, uncover the conspiracy and save videogames!
Jamestown+ (Final Form Games) - €15.99/£14.39 (€13.27/£11.94 until December 18)
Set on 17th-century British colonial Mars, Jamestown+ is a neoclassical cooperative shoot-em-up for up to four players. Lush pixelart and an award-winning orchestral soundtrack immerse you in Raleigh’s battle to protect Britain’s last bastion: Jamestown colony. It's designed to be an exciting experience whether this is your first shoot 'em up or your hundredth!
Dead End Job (Headup Games, available December 13) - €16.99/£13.99 (€14.44/£11.89 until December 20)
Dead End Job sends you into a madcap, whacky world to bust up ghosts. It’s a procedurally generated, couch co-op, twin-stick shooter that straps a vacuum pack to your back, and puts a plasma blaster in your hand. For you, it’s just another day in the office.
Event Horizon: Space Defense (Drageus Games, available December 13) - €6.99/£6.29 (€3.49/£3.14 until January 5)
Set in the captivating Event Horizon universe, this hardcore game puts you in control of a massive space fleet at war with over twelve alien factions. Make the best decisions in two crucial phases: strategic building and adrenaline-fueled battles.
You will have to trace your own path to victory from a large variety of possible items, features and actions. You should also travel to hunt giant space worms, investigate helpful beacons and scavenge wreckages for new assets.
Let's Sing 2020 - Platinum Edition (Koch Media, available December 13)
Downloadable Content
Trine 4: Toby's Dream (Modus Games) - Free
Experience Toby's Dream, a special bonus level for Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince.
Pinball FX 3 - Williams Pinball: Volume 5 (Zen Studios) - €9.99/£8.99
The stunning collection of three authentic Williams and Bally tables includes TALES OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, CIRQUS VOLTAIRE and NO GOOD GOFERS.
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2: Ultra Pack 2 (Bandai Namco Entertainment) - €7.99/£6.49
Play as Android 21, an original character from Dragon Ball FighterZ, and experience her malicious hunger. The reincarnation of Majin Buu, Majuub will also be joining the fight.
- 2 new characters: Android 21, Majuub
- 5 new Parallel Quests
- 8 Additional Skills
- 5 Costumes/Accessories
- 8 Super Souls
Pic-a-Pix Pieces: 15x15 Pieces Pack 12 (Lightwood Games) - €2.99/£2.99
Another 48 puzzle grids to solve at 15x15, which will form two more spectacular pictures.
Pic-a-Pix Pieces: 20x20 Pieces Pack 12 (Lightwood Games) - €2.99/£2.99
Another 48 puzzle grids to solve at 20x20, which will form two more spectacular pictures.
BQM -BlockQuest Maker-: 2nd DLC “Cyber Century” (Wonderland Kazakiri) - €4.99/£4.49
The second DLC for BlockQuest Maker comes with cyber themed map and event parts, as well as new dungeon currency system.
Let’s Sing 2020: Song Pass (Koch Media, available December 13)
Demos
Link-a-Pix Deluxe Christmas Demo (Lightwood Games)
Link-a-Pix is a clue-linking puzzle, solved by painting lines between clues which have the same colour and number. The number shows the length of the line which will connect them. The Christmas demo offers a preview with four seasonal pictures in different sizes.
Pre-orders
JDM Racing (Nikita Alexeevich) - €4.99/£4.49 (€3.49/£3.14 until December 19)
Pre-Load ends 20/12/2019, 14:59 local time
Experience the real drive, sense the speed and feel a surge of adrenaline from skidding in a new racing game from the creators of Drift Legends.
Link-a-Pix Deluxe (Lightwood Games) - €7.99/£6.99
Pre-Load ends 02/01/2020, 14:59 CET
Link-a-Pix is a clue-linking puzzle, solved by painting lines between clues which have the same colour and number. The number shows the length of the line which will connect them.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Oddworld Inhabitants) - €29.99/£26.99 (€23.99/£21.59 until December 30)
Pre-Load ends 23/01/2020, 19:59 CET
Along comes Stranger, a tall, dark and enigmatic bounty hunter with a mission to capture troublemakers and scoundrels and return them to civilized townships for incarceration.
But Stranger is keeping a secret and needs expensive surgery to survive. In his quest to earn enough Moolah, Stranger reluctantly accepts the ultimate bounty from the owner of the Mongo River and suddenly his adventure takes a very different turn.
Farabel (Drageus Games, available December 13) - €9.99/£8.99
Pre-Load ends 20/12/2019, 00:59 local time
The strategy game that starts at the end! You know how to level up, but can you level down? Be smart to survive!
