.....And so the betterment of the world overall claims yet more blood in return... 😞 😢
Battle Royale: The Last Generation Of An SNES-CD Saga
- Thread starter RySenkari
- Start date
Loving the way you are wrapping this TL up Ry.
With Halo Infinite soon to be released IRL, I'm intrigued to see how the last Covenant game ITTL goes and how popular it is. I may have missed this earlier but have you mentioned the studio that makes the Covenant games and who owns them? Last I remember is that Microsoft still owned the IP
With Halo Infinite soon to be released IRL, I'm intrigued to see how the last Covenant game ITTL goes and how popular it is. I may have missed this earlier but have you mentioned the studio that makes the Covenant games and who owns them? Last I remember is that Microsoft still owned the IP
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
As are the anime and manga industries, I am sure. I believe that was part of how we lost Kentaro Miura IOTL earlier this year.
Hideo Kojima here has quite the portfolio and is in a way more influential ITTL beyond video games, thanks to Snatcher being more of a cult classic and less of a largely obscure video game that didn't sell well on the Sega CD. His loss will be felt deeply, I am sure. Maybe this will also be more of a wake-up call to others and not just Sakurai, but cultures often don't change in a day. RIP.
Wouldn't be surprised if we have another sad event occur in a similar or larger scale before the epilogue, especially one that comes out of nowhere, kind of like this one.
On a brighter note, Awakened Fron The Earth is another game I wish existed that I could add to my library.
Another random question:
Has the gameography of Rare any different ITTL? Some of Rare's games (like Battletoads) that was published by Tradewest OTL could end up being published by Nintendo? Is the Genesis Championship Pro-Am and the Mega Drive Snake, Rattle 'n Roll butterflied TTL?
Has the gameography of Rare any different ITTL? Some of Rare's games (like Battletoads) that was published by Tradewest OTL could end up being published by Nintendo? Is the Genesis Championship Pro-Am and the Mega Drive Snake, Rattle 'n Roll butterflied TTL?
Those would still happen as Nintendo exclusive contract with rare started from DKC onward, plus those game is how rare bought those SGI workstations to begin with
It was, though there weren't any notable changes from OTL's game.
I thought about doing these every time there would've been one ITTL, but I decided to skip it. I might go back and do them starting from 2003 onwards, but I doubt I will.
I'd beg to differ. Because of the long gap, I'd rather have the winners of these character battles, so as to save both time and energy on the creator's part.
Did there really need to be any though? It's an almost perfect space sim.
The roster for Smash Ultimate on this TL is gonna be quite bigger then ours huh.
I'm also guessing Sonic on TL is one of those impossible characters to be included in smash but has a short chance possibly. Kinda like how some people debate that Master Chief could be in Smash Ultimate OTL.
I'm also guessing Sonic on TL is one of those impossible characters to be included in smash but has a short chance possibly. Kinda like how some people debate that Master Chief could be in Smash Ultimate OTL.
Don't think Sonic ITTL has the same chance Master Chief does IOTL. Master Chief has precedence with Banjo-Kazooie and Minecraft Steve getting in Smash as well as Cuphead costumes. Sega has zero presence in Smash and unlike MS IOTL who doesn't care about the console war, TTL's Apple is all about the console war. Steve Jobs hates the idea of not finishing first and wants to be the only one left in gaming.
September 2020 - A Second Shock
*Mario, Luigi, and Peach are in the princess' throne room, laughing and celebrating together. Suddenly, Bowser and his army of Koopas burst into the room.*
Bowser: Mwahahahaha!
*Bowser and the Mario Bros. begin to fight, but eventually, Mario and Luigi are knocked out, and Bowser advances on Peach. She tries to stop him by thrusting Toad out in front of herself as a protective shield. Bowser just laughs, and goes to swipe Toad away.*
*Then, Toad leaps forward and punches Bowser to the ground.*
Bowser: *shocked as he lays there* Wha?!
Toad: *strikes a fighting pose and pulls out a Smash Bros. invite*
*TOAD Is Done Playing Nice!*
*Toad then grabs Bowser and throws him out of the castle as Mario and Luigi watch in amazement. After this cutscene, we get to see some of Toad's moves, including a rapid-fire object throwing move, the ability to shoot spores at enemies, the ability to use a pickaxe as a weapon, as well as some Mario Party related abilities including a dice throw. Toad's regular throw move is also shown to be faster and stronger than most other character's throws, emphasizing his strength, while he has a mix of floatiness and endurance, a fairly unique combination for a Smash Bros. character to make up for a relative lack of range and offensive ability. After Toad is shown off, we then get a 20 minute video of Mr. Sakurai discussing Toad. It's the first video he's recorded since Hideo Kojima's death, as his video for the Deathborn reveal was recorded before Kojima died.*
-from the third of three Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal videos, revealing that Deathborn, the antagonist of F-Zero: FIRESTORM, would be joining Ultimate, posted on Nintendo's Videocean and Youtube channels on September 26, 2020, there are two more base game characters left to reveal, and those will come during the final pre-release Direct on October 17th
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It's been two weeks since Hideo Kojima's death, and in the wake of his tragic passing, yet another dialogue has emerged about overwork in the game industry. Heart problems and neurological issues have plagued game developers over the past decade, though Kojima's death is certainly the most high profile of these incidents. And while Hideo Kojima most certainly chose to take on such a heavy workload, many within the industry don't have that choice, with long hours and crunch still being the norm at many companies. Though a number of recent high profile games, including Miraculous Ladybug 3 and The Boiling Isles, notably avoided crunching their developers, with Miraculous Ladybug 3 utilizing a large staff so that key members of the team could be rotated as needed (done at the behest of the game's director Thomas Astruc, who has noticeably emerged as one of the game industry's leading anti-crunch advocates), and The Boiling Isles extending its development time by nearly a year to prevent team members from needing to crunch at any point in the game's development, a majority of major games still use the practice, and this year's Fallout 4 and Call Of Duty: Nightfall IV are both said to have relied heavily on crunch to make their set in stone release dates. A number of game industry workers have reported that they've decided to leave the industry due to health reasons, with one worker at Activision reporting that their doctor told them they'd be dead within five years if they kept going at their current pace... and that worker was 31 when their doctor gave them that advice. Clearly, something needs to be done, and surprisingly, a call for action may be emerging in Congress, where there have been calls to regulate the hours of game industry employees, or at least to require mandatory overtime pay, even for salaried individuals. During a session of the Senate last week, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders specifically mentioned Hideo Kojima by name during a speech decrying the culture of crunch and overwork in the video game industry. "This man loved to work, and it killed him," said Sanders, stating that even passionate employees may need to have their hours regulated to protect their health and well being. Though the proposed legislation isn't likely to make it through Congress, it is a sign that the subject of crunch in the industry is surging to the forefront of the political dialogue surrounding gaming, in a way that hasn't been seen since 2008, when G4's documentary The Crunch brought the issue to the surface. Though the Republican wave and the election of Jon Huntsman to the presidency in that year killed any hope of reform at that time, Hideo Kojima's tragic death, which almost certainly appears to be the product of the legendary game creator's voracious work ethic, may be the catalyst to spur a new wave of reforms. Crunch in the game industry isn't likely to be an issue on the minds of most voters, but the results of this November's election could well determine if the clarion call for change is answered in any meaningful way.
-from an article on Gamepolitics.com, posted on September 4, 2020
"Um, I did hear about Mr. Kojima from one of my constituents, and, you know, I don't really play video games, so I'm not familiar with his work, but it's certainly a tragedy. I'm in favor of more protections for workers, I think people who work very long hours should be paid for that extra work, but it's certainly got to be done in such a way that doesn't put a burden on job creators, and I'm not in favor of any kind of regulations that would force any workers to restrict their hours. I think you have the right to work in this country, as many hours as you want. People shouldn't work themselves to death, obviously, but you have the right to work."
-Marco Rubio, speaking with reporters at a rally in Durham, North Carolina, on September 9, 2020
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Mariokart Zero Shatters Series Sales Records, Handheld Software Sales Records
The launch of Mariokart Zero is the biggest launch ever for a handheld video game, easily breaking the launch day sales record for the series previously held by Mariokart Reality, and also topping the handheld software sales record, previously held by Pokemon Amethyst and Topaz. The game reportedly sold nearly ten million copies on its first day alone, an astonishing figure when one considers that there are so far only about 30 million total Game Boy Zero units in the hands of players, as the console continues to be tough to find for people wishing to purchase it. The game received excellent reviews from most gaming websites, which praised both the graphics, the zero gravity mechanic, and the game's 32 courses (with more planned on the way, at least 16 spread amongst two DLC expansions). These reviews helped the game achieve its outstanding launch sales, and it continues to perform quite well, expecting to hit more than 12 million total sales by the end of the week, and potentially more than 20 million by the end of the year to become the year's top selling game. The game's excellent sales have been a shock even to Nintendo, though the company shipped plenty of units of the game to retailers, anticipating the hot demand, and many of those 10 million units were sold via Nintendo's digital download store. The success of Mariokart Zero proves that the Game Boy Zero remains the hottest commodity in gaming, even more than a year after its launch. Though it's slowly becoming easier to find on shelves, many retailers continue to report shortages, and it's been almost impossible to reliably get the Game Boy Zero on websites such as Amazon since its initial release last year. It's expected to be one of the best selling Christmas items this year, even as both Nintendo and Apple prepare to launch their own highly anticipated next-generation consoles. Mariokart Zero is the last major first party release for the system this year, though 2021 is expected to be flush with releases, including new Mario, Zelda, and Kirby titles, several highly anticipated ports and remakes, and a hugely anticipated original IP codenamed "Project Nerverunner".
-from a September 23, 2020 article on Gamespot.com
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Though initially controversial, the Sorcerer Susuki arc of Dragon Ball Super is shaping up to be the show's most exciting arc yet, as Goku and his allies are forced to unlock new powers to battle Susuki and his minions and their strange magic which has given the Z-Fighters fits in recent episodes. Though Goku's Ultra Instinct Form (as well as Vegeta's new Brutal Instinct Form) have proven effective against a few of Susuki's tricks, the sorcerer's ability to exploit the Z-Fighters' weaknesses to soul and mind manipulation has forced the heroes to go old school, concealing their ki powers and relying on their cunning rather than brute strength. This recent series of episodes sees Goku continuing to recover in the Soulsleep Chamber, acquiring new abilities via meditation with a mysterious female entity calling herself the Goddess of Magic, while Vegeta has been imprisoned by Susuki's dangerous subordinate Acer, forced to relive his past as his soul is transported into a strange alternate timeline. Meanwhile, Gohan continues to train his Mystic form with new magical abilities that appear to put him on par with Goku and Vegeta for the first time since his battle with Super Buu all the way back in the Buu Saga. Bulma is also being forced to augment her power suit with magical runes after it was destroyed in a brutal fight with Acer, and her search for the final rune she needs has taken her traveling companions (her son Trunks, his friend Gohan, and the everpresent Galactic Patrolman Jaco) to the mysterious world of Regalia, ruled over by the powerful magical queen Kamuri. Though Dragon Ball Super was initially slated to end with the Tournament of Power arc back in 2018, Toei announced that it would be extended for three more arcs, starting with 2018-2019's Mechanical World arc, which was somewhat less well received but did notably introduce Bulma's powersuit and Vegeta's Brutal Instinct form, along with the return of fan favorite Broly (who was seemingly killed at the end of the arc, but many fans are thinking he'll return at some point to help battle Sorcerer Susuki. Though many fans are speculating on a potential new form to succeed Ultra Instinct and Brutal Instinct, Akira Toriyama has yet to tip his hand on the new power-ups, and fans will no doubt be in for a truly shocking moment when the new form is finally revealed.
-from Ricardo's Anime Update Blog, posted on September 27, 2020
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Game Spotlight: Futureshock 2
Futureshock 2 is an adventure/sci-fi video game published by Electronic Arts and developed by Looking Glass Studios. It's the sequel to 2015's Futureshock, and features many of the same mechanics and themes as OTL's Bioshock series, with a protagonist who becomes trapped in a strange, alien place somewhere on or near Earth and must discover the secret history of their environs and how to escape. Like the original Futureshock, the game's development is headed by Ken Levine and Warren Spector, and unlike in OTL's Bioshock games (and even Futureshock), Futureshock 2 plays much like an adventure/RPG hybrid, with a lot of Junction Point and Deus Ex influence, allowing the player to determine their path of escape and the people they'll interact with as they make their way through the game. The protagonist of the game is Motai, a man from our modern present day who one day awakens in an underground prison in the far future, with no clue how he got there or how he'll get out. He's aided by a number of fellow prisoners, including a young woman named Nimea who was transported from the past like him, though unlike Motai, Nimea was transported from the year 1996, and though she starts as a protagonist, she eventually becomes the game's primary antagonist, as she is revealed to be behind much of the game's events... but even then, things aren't quite what they seem. Whereas Futureshock focused on fleshcrafting, with technocrafting only coming into play later on in the game, Futureshock 2 is entirely focused on technocrafting, with Motai learning the skill before he even escapes his prison cell, and the player learning many late-game Futureshock skills very early into the sequel, to make way for new and more powerful skills later on. Of course, many people in the prison where Motai is being held are capable of technocrafting, so players will need to master a number of technocrafting skills if they are to make it through the game and learn its mysteries. Players can now use technocrafting to create weapons and armor, combining scrap with various implements found around the prison to construct powerful amalgamated gear. Technocrafting can be used to strip the armor and augments from the bodies of others, though players should be careful not to have their own armor weakened by opponents' technocrafting as well. Technocrafting is also used to solve a variety of puzzles, and while puzzles are never too complex, rarely requiring players to venture out of the room, some can be tricky enough to really test players' minds and mettle. Futureshock 2 sees the introduction of five years worth of graphical and gameplay progression, and is a more polished and pretty title than the original Futureshock, while also making use of enhanced VR tricks that developers have mastered since the original game. The voice cast is quite a strong one, with Lin-Manuel Miranda starring as the voice of Motai in his second video game voice role (after an appearance in one of the recent Just Dance Revolution games), and Kelly Marie Tran as the voice of Nimea. Other members of the cast include Ashley Johnson (as the voice of prison mechanic Klio), Roger Craig Smith (as prison trader Stonie), and George Takei (as the villainous prison doctor Marchand). As is the tradition with both the OTL Bioshock games and TTL's Memory Hole games, Futureshock 2 features a selection of past music hits, though these songs are mostly from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. 1990s music, particularly early 1990s music, plays an especially important role in the game, with Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", Oasis' "Wonderwall", and Duran Duran's "Come Undone" prominently featured.
Futureshock 2 starts off without a whole lot of exposition or fanfare. After a rather short opening cutscene, you wake up as Motai in a sparsely furnished prison cell, and have to figure a way out with only a bit of dialogue from guards and a fellow prisoner, and what clues you can gather from what's in your cell. There's actually three ways out of the cell, but all of them will involve learning your first bit of technocrafting, and from there, you must make your way to the surface. Though stealth is advantageous early on, players aren't required to do so, and if they're good enough at combat and technocrafting, it is possible to just take out guards and robots as you go, though this does burn through valuable resources. You learn pretty early on that you've been transported to some time in the distant future, and soon enough, you meet Nimea, the only other person from the past in this prison complex. You learn that Nimea's been here for several years, but is just as stumped about how to escape as you are, and soon, the two of you are separated by the arrival of Warden Schaff (voiced by Miguel Ferrer, who's still alive as of TTL's 2021), the early primary antagonist of the game. Schaff is working fairly closely alongside the prison doctor, Marchand, to perform cruel experiments on various prisoners, and Motai is taken to be operated on about a third of the way through the game (learning in the process that Nimea has been heavily experimented on). You're able to escape, and the next segment of the game is spent finding the warden, who you hope may be able to help you escape. As Motai makes his way to the warden's office, more hints are dropped about why he was taken, what Nimea has been up to, and also some hints connecting the plot of this game to that of the original Futureshock, including the revelation of the canon ending. revealing that Riva did indeed choose to return to the past at the end of the original game, seemingly dooming humanity... if not for the intervention of Nimea, who, it's revealed, was taken instead of Riva, and instead of being taken to a space station, she was brought to this prison, where she experienced an ordeal much like Riva's in the original Futureshock, and who made many of the same decisions, though, as it turns out, Nimea's actions were intended to save humanity even from the apocalypse itself). Motai doesn't learn everything about Nimea, only that she's much less of a prisoner than it seems, but that her actions have been seemingly benevolent, and he aligns with her to take down the warden, only for it to be revealed that this prison is intended to be a training ground, that Marchand, rather than being a cruel mad scientist, is performing experiments and procedures on volunteers with their full consent, and that all of this is being done to create a group of humans with the power to take down a tyrannical ruler in a space station hovering above the planet. Nimea, not the warden, has been the one keeping people prisoner here, and brought Motai to be her companion, When Motai refuses to help her, she reluctantly turns on him, and he's eventually trapped in the bowls of the prison, a forgotten area with nightmarish horrors and robots. This is where you meet Klio, the only one who's been able to survive down here, and she helps Motai survive and escape. Motai reunites with his allies, including Stonie, and even meets back up with Marchand, who expresses regret for certain procedures he's had to perform, but says that it's the only way humans will survive against the things that are now trying to kill them. Motai decides to volunteer for one final procedure that gives him enhanced technocrafting to take down Nimea, but Nimea herself has grown into a sort of techno-telepath goddess, and seeks to keep humanity from reaching the surface because she's seen the horrors above and blames herself for allowing them to come into being. The remainder of the game sees Motai and his allies battling against Nimea's most powerful robots and subordinates, while learning even more about her, including the fact that she's been able to link up with the satellite orbiting Earth and that she plans to re-terraform the planet to create a world in which humanity will survive, but according to her twisted vision so she can keep everyone safe. Motai contrasts his own life, which has been fairly comfortable before arriving at the prison, with Nimea's life, which was bad even before she was brought here. Before he goes to the surface, he tries to appeal to her one last time, asking her to help the both of them find a way back home, but she refuses, and tells Motai that if he leaves the prison, she'll kill him. The final boss battle is the first time we actually see the ravaged surface of Earth, and it's beyond spectacular, like a Kessler syndrome on steroids, with shattered Moon fragments and satellites orbiting the planet, which is a desolate and destroyed wasteland devoid of life, with Motai and Nimea the only living things on the surface. Their final battle is set to a remixed version of "Black Hole Sun", and consists of the two technocrafting masters attempting to shatter each other's armor and barriers while hurling huge objects at one another on the surface of the wrecked Earth. The game has three endings, like the original Futureshock: in one ending, Nimea dies and Motai remains on the planet, and humanity remains underground, but thrives to an extent due to Motai's mastery of technocrafting. In the other ending, Motai dies, but in doing so, convinces Nimea to see the error of her ways, and she uses her powers to restore the surface of the Earth, but even though she's somewhat changed, she still rules as a semi-benevolent dictator, and humanity's future is still unclear. In the final ending, which starts out somewhat ambiguous, Motai is returned to his time, and Nimea is presumed dead, but in a post-credits scene, Motai thinks he spots her in a crowd, and it's implied that once the two meet, they'll work in the present to try and change the future together.
Futureshock 2 is released on September 21, 2020, to a very positive critical reception, becoming one of the best reviewed games of the year. Critics praise the character development of the main cast, the surprisingly diverse and fun to explore underground prison environment, the complexity of the technocrafting system, and the game's presentation and production values. It would see sales largely on par with that of the first game, making it one of 2020's biggest hits, and in addition to seeing release on the Reality, Virtua, and Stadia, it would be a launch title for the Hyper Nintendo and Quest as well, featuring enhanced graphics and smoother animation. It would receive at least two major DLC packs, one focused on the characters of Clio and Stonie and incorporating robotics in a major way, and the other being a prequel in which players are able to experience Nimea's original journey, but one that eventually becomes a sequel in which Nimea's adventures in both timelines where she lives are continued. It would be Warren Spector's last game, as the legendary creator would retire from the industry soon after its release, though Ken Levine would remain with Looking Glass and Electronic Arts to develop future IPs.
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Other Significant Titles For September 2020:
Yakuza 7: Though the Yakuza series would introduce a new protagonist to the series, it would stick to the old beat 'em up RPG formula established by previous games, and wouldn't go turnbased as in OTL's Like A Dragon. The new protagonist, Gozuka Habashi, is fairly similar to OTL's Ichiban Kasuga, though he's a bit less naive, and doesn't do a long stint in prison, still being fairly young as of the events of this game. The new Yakuza title, which is released for both the Virtua and the new Apple Quest, sees a fairly positive reaction, not quite as good as Like A Dragon, but definitely on par for the series, and maintains the series' reputation and sales success.
Stadia Flight Simulator: OTL's new Microsoft Flight Simulator game is a Stadia exclusive on consoles ITTL, though it would also come to PC, and is a collaboration between Google, Microsoft, and a third party development studio. Utilizing the Stadia's hardware and streaming capabilities, it has many of the same features as OTL's new Flight Simulator, and enjoys a similar critical reception: it's an excellent and highly realistic flight sim that becomes a minor selling point for the Stadia's premium service, and would eventually be offered free to all Stadia players regardless of subscription status.
Dragonball Z: Kakarot: This DBZ RPG which follows the events of the original series comes to TTL a bit later than OTL, and is released not only for the current and next gen consoles, but also the handhelds at release, including both Game Boy Zero and Apple G devices. Like OTL's game, it's a sprawling epic that blends features of RPGs with the DBZ fighting titles, and enjoys sales and critical reception similar to that of OTL's game. The DLC would begin to work the events of TTL's original sagas into the game, though we wouldn't get a full sequel until TTL's Super is concluded.
Lesser Pill: This Activision published title from a somewhat small studio is an intense third person shooter title about a drug addicted female assassin whose girlfriend is kidnapped and who goes on a rampage of revenge in order to find her. Though that may seem like a fairly generic description of a game, this game also features a realistic depiction of drug abuse and dives into psychological horror, with one game reviewer comparing it to Requiem for a Dream, blending excellent shooting mechanics with a psychological "mind" system in which the players' game interface can be altered depending on the protagonist's current state. It depicts the protagonist's self-destructive behavior without ever glorifying it, and features one of the most tragic endings in a modern video game, in which the protagonist dies as a result of her own actions but does at least manage to save her girlfriend and give her a chance at a normal life. One of the biggest critical surprises of the year, it achieves excellent reviews and decent sales, both surpassing expectations to make this one of 2020's biggest sleeper hits.
Bowser: Mwahahahaha!
*Bowser and the Mario Bros. begin to fight, but eventually, Mario and Luigi are knocked out, and Bowser advances on Peach. She tries to stop him by thrusting Toad out in front of herself as a protective shield. Bowser just laughs, and goes to swipe Toad away.*
*Then, Toad leaps forward and punches Bowser to the ground.*
Bowser: *shocked as he lays there* Wha?!
Toad: *strikes a fighting pose and pulls out a Smash Bros. invite*
*TOAD Is Done Playing Nice!*
*Toad then grabs Bowser and throws him out of the castle as Mario and Luigi watch in amazement. After this cutscene, we get to see some of Toad's moves, including a rapid-fire object throwing move, the ability to shoot spores at enemies, the ability to use a pickaxe as a weapon, as well as some Mario Party related abilities including a dice throw. Toad's regular throw move is also shown to be faster and stronger than most other character's throws, emphasizing his strength, while he has a mix of floatiness and endurance, a fairly unique combination for a Smash Bros. character to make up for a relative lack of range and offensive ability. After Toad is shown off, we then get a 20 minute video of Mr. Sakurai discussing Toad. It's the first video he's recorded since Hideo Kojima's death, as his video for the Deathborn reveal was recorded before Kojima died.*
-from the third of three Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal videos, revealing that Deathborn, the antagonist of F-Zero: FIRESTORM, would be joining Ultimate, posted on Nintendo's Videocean and Youtube channels on September 26, 2020, there are two more base game characters left to reveal, and those will come during the final pre-release Direct on October 17th
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It's been two weeks since Hideo Kojima's death, and in the wake of his tragic passing, yet another dialogue has emerged about overwork in the game industry. Heart problems and neurological issues have plagued game developers over the past decade, though Kojima's death is certainly the most high profile of these incidents. And while Hideo Kojima most certainly chose to take on such a heavy workload, many within the industry don't have that choice, with long hours and crunch still being the norm at many companies. Though a number of recent high profile games, including Miraculous Ladybug 3 and The Boiling Isles, notably avoided crunching their developers, with Miraculous Ladybug 3 utilizing a large staff so that key members of the team could be rotated as needed (done at the behest of the game's director Thomas Astruc, who has noticeably emerged as one of the game industry's leading anti-crunch advocates), and The Boiling Isles extending its development time by nearly a year to prevent team members from needing to crunch at any point in the game's development, a majority of major games still use the practice, and this year's Fallout 4 and Call Of Duty: Nightfall IV are both said to have relied heavily on crunch to make their set in stone release dates. A number of game industry workers have reported that they've decided to leave the industry due to health reasons, with one worker at Activision reporting that their doctor told them they'd be dead within five years if they kept going at their current pace... and that worker was 31 when their doctor gave them that advice. Clearly, something needs to be done, and surprisingly, a call for action may be emerging in Congress, where there have been calls to regulate the hours of game industry employees, or at least to require mandatory overtime pay, even for salaried individuals. During a session of the Senate last week, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders specifically mentioned Hideo Kojima by name during a speech decrying the culture of crunch and overwork in the video game industry. "This man loved to work, and it killed him," said Sanders, stating that even passionate employees may need to have their hours regulated to protect their health and well being. Though the proposed legislation isn't likely to make it through Congress, it is a sign that the subject of crunch in the industry is surging to the forefront of the political dialogue surrounding gaming, in a way that hasn't been seen since 2008, when G4's documentary The Crunch brought the issue to the surface. Though the Republican wave and the election of Jon Huntsman to the presidency in that year killed any hope of reform at that time, Hideo Kojima's tragic death, which almost certainly appears to be the product of the legendary game creator's voracious work ethic, may be the catalyst to spur a new wave of reforms. Crunch in the game industry isn't likely to be an issue on the minds of most voters, but the results of this November's election could well determine if the clarion call for change is answered in any meaningful way.
-from an article on Gamepolitics.com, posted on September 4, 2020
"Um, I did hear about Mr. Kojima from one of my constituents, and, you know, I don't really play video games, so I'm not familiar with his work, but it's certainly a tragedy. I'm in favor of more protections for workers, I think people who work very long hours should be paid for that extra work, but it's certainly got to be done in such a way that doesn't put a burden on job creators, and I'm not in favor of any kind of regulations that would force any workers to restrict their hours. I think you have the right to work in this country, as many hours as you want. People shouldn't work themselves to death, obviously, but you have the right to work."
-Marco Rubio, speaking with reporters at a rally in Durham, North Carolina, on September 9, 2020
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Mariokart Zero Shatters Series Sales Records, Handheld Software Sales Records
The launch of Mariokart Zero is the biggest launch ever for a handheld video game, easily breaking the launch day sales record for the series previously held by Mariokart Reality, and also topping the handheld software sales record, previously held by Pokemon Amethyst and Topaz. The game reportedly sold nearly ten million copies on its first day alone, an astonishing figure when one considers that there are so far only about 30 million total Game Boy Zero units in the hands of players, as the console continues to be tough to find for people wishing to purchase it. The game received excellent reviews from most gaming websites, which praised both the graphics, the zero gravity mechanic, and the game's 32 courses (with more planned on the way, at least 16 spread amongst two DLC expansions). These reviews helped the game achieve its outstanding launch sales, and it continues to perform quite well, expecting to hit more than 12 million total sales by the end of the week, and potentially more than 20 million by the end of the year to become the year's top selling game. The game's excellent sales have been a shock even to Nintendo, though the company shipped plenty of units of the game to retailers, anticipating the hot demand, and many of those 10 million units were sold via Nintendo's digital download store. The success of Mariokart Zero proves that the Game Boy Zero remains the hottest commodity in gaming, even more than a year after its launch. Though it's slowly becoming easier to find on shelves, many retailers continue to report shortages, and it's been almost impossible to reliably get the Game Boy Zero on websites such as Amazon since its initial release last year. It's expected to be one of the best selling Christmas items this year, even as both Nintendo and Apple prepare to launch their own highly anticipated next-generation consoles. Mariokart Zero is the last major first party release for the system this year, though 2021 is expected to be flush with releases, including new Mario, Zelda, and Kirby titles, several highly anticipated ports and remakes, and a hugely anticipated original IP codenamed "Project Nerverunner".
-from a September 23, 2020 article on Gamespot.com
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Though initially controversial, the Sorcerer Susuki arc of Dragon Ball Super is shaping up to be the show's most exciting arc yet, as Goku and his allies are forced to unlock new powers to battle Susuki and his minions and their strange magic which has given the Z-Fighters fits in recent episodes. Though Goku's Ultra Instinct Form (as well as Vegeta's new Brutal Instinct Form) have proven effective against a few of Susuki's tricks, the sorcerer's ability to exploit the Z-Fighters' weaknesses to soul and mind manipulation has forced the heroes to go old school, concealing their ki powers and relying on their cunning rather than brute strength. This recent series of episodes sees Goku continuing to recover in the Soulsleep Chamber, acquiring new abilities via meditation with a mysterious female entity calling herself the Goddess of Magic, while Vegeta has been imprisoned by Susuki's dangerous subordinate Acer, forced to relive his past as his soul is transported into a strange alternate timeline. Meanwhile, Gohan continues to train his Mystic form with new magical abilities that appear to put him on par with Goku and Vegeta for the first time since his battle with Super Buu all the way back in the Buu Saga. Bulma is also being forced to augment her power suit with magical runes after it was destroyed in a brutal fight with Acer, and her search for the final rune she needs has taken her traveling companions (her son Trunks, his friend Gohan, and the everpresent Galactic Patrolman Jaco) to the mysterious world of Regalia, ruled over by the powerful magical queen Kamuri. Though Dragon Ball Super was initially slated to end with the Tournament of Power arc back in 2018, Toei announced that it would be extended for three more arcs, starting with 2018-2019's Mechanical World arc, which was somewhat less well received but did notably introduce Bulma's powersuit and Vegeta's Brutal Instinct form, along with the return of fan favorite Broly (who was seemingly killed at the end of the arc, but many fans are thinking he'll return at some point to help battle Sorcerer Susuki. Though many fans are speculating on a potential new form to succeed Ultra Instinct and Brutal Instinct, Akira Toriyama has yet to tip his hand on the new power-ups, and fans will no doubt be in for a truly shocking moment when the new form is finally revealed.
-from Ricardo's Anime Update Blog, posted on September 27, 2020
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Game Spotlight: Futureshock 2
Futureshock 2 is an adventure/sci-fi video game published by Electronic Arts and developed by Looking Glass Studios. It's the sequel to 2015's Futureshock, and features many of the same mechanics and themes as OTL's Bioshock series, with a protagonist who becomes trapped in a strange, alien place somewhere on or near Earth and must discover the secret history of their environs and how to escape. Like the original Futureshock, the game's development is headed by Ken Levine and Warren Spector, and unlike in OTL's Bioshock games (and even Futureshock), Futureshock 2 plays much like an adventure/RPG hybrid, with a lot of Junction Point and Deus Ex influence, allowing the player to determine their path of escape and the people they'll interact with as they make their way through the game. The protagonist of the game is Motai, a man from our modern present day who one day awakens in an underground prison in the far future, with no clue how he got there or how he'll get out. He's aided by a number of fellow prisoners, including a young woman named Nimea who was transported from the past like him, though unlike Motai, Nimea was transported from the year 1996, and though she starts as a protagonist, she eventually becomes the game's primary antagonist, as she is revealed to be behind much of the game's events... but even then, things aren't quite what they seem. Whereas Futureshock focused on fleshcrafting, with technocrafting only coming into play later on in the game, Futureshock 2 is entirely focused on technocrafting, with Motai learning the skill before he even escapes his prison cell, and the player learning many late-game Futureshock skills very early into the sequel, to make way for new and more powerful skills later on. Of course, many people in the prison where Motai is being held are capable of technocrafting, so players will need to master a number of technocrafting skills if they are to make it through the game and learn its mysteries. Players can now use technocrafting to create weapons and armor, combining scrap with various implements found around the prison to construct powerful amalgamated gear. Technocrafting can be used to strip the armor and augments from the bodies of others, though players should be careful not to have their own armor weakened by opponents' technocrafting as well. Technocrafting is also used to solve a variety of puzzles, and while puzzles are never too complex, rarely requiring players to venture out of the room, some can be tricky enough to really test players' minds and mettle. Futureshock 2 sees the introduction of five years worth of graphical and gameplay progression, and is a more polished and pretty title than the original Futureshock, while also making use of enhanced VR tricks that developers have mastered since the original game. The voice cast is quite a strong one, with Lin-Manuel Miranda starring as the voice of Motai in his second video game voice role (after an appearance in one of the recent Just Dance Revolution games), and Kelly Marie Tran as the voice of Nimea. Other members of the cast include Ashley Johnson (as the voice of prison mechanic Klio), Roger Craig Smith (as prison trader Stonie), and George Takei (as the villainous prison doctor Marchand). As is the tradition with both the OTL Bioshock games and TTL's Memory Hole games, Futureshock 2 features a selection of past music hits, though these songs are mostly from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. 1990s music, particularly early 1990s music, plays an especially important role in the game, with Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", Oasis' "Wonderwall", and Duran Duran's "Come Undone" prominently featured.
Futureshock 2 starts off without a whole lot of exposition or fanfare. After a rather short opening cutscene, you wake up as Motai in a sparsely furnished prison cell, and have to figure a way out with only a bit of dialogue from guards and a fellow prisoner, and what clues you can gather from what's in your cell. There's actually three ways out of the cell, but all of them will involve learning your first bit of technocrafting, and from there, you must make your way to the surface. Though stealth is advantageous early on, players aren't required to do so, and if they're good enough at combat and technocrafting, it is possible to just take out guards and robots as you go, though this does burn through valuable resources. You learn pretty early on that you've been transported to some time in the distant future, and soon enough, you meet Nimea, the only other person from the past in this prison complex. You learn that Nimea's been here for several years, but is just as stumped about how to escape as you are, and soon, the two of you are separated by the arrival of Warden Schaff (voiced by Miguel Ferrer, who's still alive as of TTL's 2021), the early primary antagonist of the game. Schaff is working fairly closely alongside the prison doctor, Marchand, to perform cruel experiments on various prisoners, and Motai is taken to be operated on about a third of the way through the game (learning in the process that Nimea has been heavily experimented on). You're able to escape, and the next segment of the game is spent finding the warden, who you hope may be able to help you escape. As Motai makes his way to the warden's office, more hints are dropped about why he was taken, what Nimea has been up to, and also some hints connecting the plot of this game to that of the original Futureshock, including the revelation of the canon ending. revealing that Riva did indeed choose to return to the past at the end of the original game, seemingly dooming humanity... if not for the intervention of Nimea, who, it's revealed, was taken instead of Riva, and instead of being taken to a space station, she was brought to this prison, where she experienced an ordeal much like Riva's in the original Futureshock, and who made many of the same decisions, though, as it turns out, Nimea's actions were intended to save humanity even from the apocalypse itself). Motai doesn't learn everything about Nimea, only that she's much less of a prisoner than it seems, but that her actions have been seemingly benevolent, and he aligns with her to take down the warden, only for it to be revealed that this prison is intended to be a training ground, that Marchand, rather than being a cruel mad scientist, is performing experiments and procedures on volunteers with their full consent, and that all of this is being done to create a group of humans with the power to take down a tyrannical ruler in a space station hovering above the planet. Nimea, not the warden, has been the one keeping people prisoner here, and brought Motai to be her companion, When Motai refuses to help her, she reluctantly turns on him, and he's eventually trapped in the bowls of the prison, a forgotten area with nightmarish horrors and robots. This is where you meet Klio, the only one who's been able to survive down here, and she helps Motai survive and escape. Motai reunites with his allies, including Stonie, and even meets back up with Marchand, who expresses regret for certain procedures he's had to perform, but says that it's the only way humans will survive against the things that are now trying to kill them. Motai decides to volunteer for one final procedure that gives him enhanced technocrafting to take down Nimea, but Nimea herself has grown into a sort of techno-telepath goddess, and seeks to keep humanity from reaching the surface because she's seen the horrors above and blames herself for allowing them to come into being. The remainder of the game sees Motai and his allies battling against Nimea's most powerful robots and subordinates, while learning even more about her, including the fact that she's been able to link up with the satellite orbiting Earth and that she plans to re-terraform the planet to create a world in which humanity will survive, but according to her twisted vision so she can keep everyone safe. Motai contrasts his own life, which has been fairly comfortable before arriving at the prison, with Nimea's life, which was bad even before she was brought here. Before he goes to the surface, he tries to appeal to her one last time, asking her to help the both of them find a way back home, but she refuses, and tells Motai that if he leaves the prison, she'll kill him. The final boss battle is the first time we actually see the ravaged surface of Earth, and it's beyond spectacular, like a Kessler syndrome on steroids, with shattered Moon fragments and satellites orbiting the planet, which is a desolate and destroyed wasteland devoid of life, with Motai and Nimea the only living things on the surface. Their final battle is set to a remixed version of "Black Hole Sun", and consists of the two technocrafting masters attempting to shatter each other's armor and barriers while hurling huge objects at one another on the surface of the wrecked Earth. The game has three endings, like the original Futureshock: in one ending, Nimea dies and Motai remains on the planet, and humanity remains underground, but thrives to an extent due to Motai's mastery of technocrafting. In the other ending, Motai dies, but in doing so, convinces Nimea to see the error of her ways, and she uses her powers to restore the surface of the Earth, but even though she's somewhat changed, she still rules as a semi-benevolent dictator, and humanity's future is still unclear. In the final ending, which starts out somewhat ambiguous, Motai is returned to his time, and Nimea is presumed dead, but in a post-credits scene, Motai thinks he spots her in a crowd, and it's implied that once the two meet, they'll work in the present to try and change the future together.
Futureshock 2 is released on September 21, 2020, to a very positive critical reception, becoming one of the best reviewed games of the year. Critics praise the character development of the main cast, the surprisingly diverse and fun to explore underground prison environment, the complexity of the technocrafting system, and the game's presentation and production values. It would see sales largely on par with that of the first game, making it one of 2020's biggest hits, and in addition to seeing release on the Reality, Virtua, and Stadia, it would be a launch title for the Hyper Nintendo and Quest as well, featuring enhanced graphics and smoother animation. It would receive at least two major DLC packs, one focused on the characters of Clio and Stonie and incorporating robotics in a major way, and the other being a prequel in which players are able to experience Nimea's original journey, but one that eventually becomes a sequel in which Nimea's adventures in both timelines where she lives are continued. It would be Warren Spector's last game, as the legendary creator would retire from the industry soon after its release, though Ken Levine would remain with Looking Glass and Electronic Arts to develop future IPs.
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Other Significant Titles For September 2020:
Yakuza 7: Though the Yakuza series would introduce a new protagonist to the series, it would stick to the old beat 'em up RPG formula established by previous games, and wouldn't go turnbased as in OTL's Like A Dragon. The new protagonist, Gozuka Habashi, is fairly similar to OTL's Ichiban Kasuga, though he's a bit less naive, and doesn't do a long stint in prison, still being fairly young as of the events of this game. The new Yakuza title, which is released for both the Virtua and the new Apple Quest, sees a fairly positive reaction, not quite as good as Like A Dragon, but definitely on par for the series, and maintains the series' reputation and sales success.
Stadia Flight Simulator: OTL's new Microsoft Flight Simulator game is a Stadia exclusive on consoles ITTL, though it would also come to PC, and is a collaboration between Google, Microsoft, and a third party development studio. Utilizing the Stadia's hardware and streaming capabilities, it has many of the same features as OTL's new Flight Simulator, and enjoys a similar critical reception: it's an excellent and highly realistic flight sim that becomes a minor selling point for the Stadia's premium service, and would eventually be offered free to all Stadia players regardless of subscription status.
Dragonball Z: Kakarot: This DBZ RPG which follows the events of the original series comes to TTL a bit later than OTL, and is released not only for the current and next gen consoles, but also the handhelds at release, including both Game Boy Zero and Apple G devices. Like OTL's game, it's a sprawling epic that blends features of RPGs with the DBZ fighting titles, and enjoys sales and critical reception similar to that of OTL's game. The DLC would begin to work the events of TTL's original sagas into the game, though we wouldn't get a full sequel until TTL's Super is concluded.
Lesser Pill: This Activision published title from a somewhat small studio is an intense third person shooter title about a drug addicted female assassin whose girlfriend is kidnapped and who goes on a rampage of revenge in order to find her. Though that may seem like a fairly generic description of a game, this game also features a realistic depiction of drug abuse and dives into psychological horror, with one game reviewer comparing it to Requiem for a Dream, blending excellent shooting mechanics with a psychological "mind" system in which the players' game interface can be altered depending on the protagonist's current state. It depicts the protagonist's self-destructive behavior without ever glorifying it, and features one of the most tragic endings in a modern video game, in which the protagonist dies as a result of her own actions but does at least manage to save her girlfriend and give her a chance at a normal life. One of the biggest critical surprises of the year, it achieves excellent reviews and decent sales, both surpassing expectations to make this one of 2020's biggest sleeper hits.
Toad in Smash? Never thought I'd see the day.
And since the last time it broke into politics was through G4's programming, the fact that it didn't require their talent shows how influential Kojima still is ITTL.
Didn't Amethyst and Topaz sales outpace initial sales of the Game Boy Zero? If so, it's a miracle that Mario Kart Zero managed to outsell them in this instance.
If the continuation of DBS has been mentioned before, it was certainly a while back.
If this is how Mr. Spector chooses to leave his legacy behind, then he couldn't have picked a better game to end things on.
And the others are no slouches either for gaming news.
And since the last time it broke into politics was through G4's programming, the fact that it didn't require their talent shows how influential Kojima still is ITTL.
Didn't Amethyst and Topaz sales outpace initial sales of the Game Boy Zero? If so, it's a miracle that Mario Kart Zero managed to outsell them in this instance.
If the continuation of DBS has been mentioned before, it was certainly a while back.
If this is how Mr. Spector chooses to leave his legacy behind, then he couldn't have picked a better game to end things on.
And the others are no slouches either for gaming news.
Amethyst and Topaz is the Gen 7 game, for the Connect. It was Earth and Sky (Gen 8) that outpaced Zero sales, but since there weren't many Zero consoles to go around yet, it didn't sell as much as Amethyst and Topaz did.