The buzz around the little retro-inspired handheld Playdate gaming device seemed strong, and it translated into actual sales. Panic, the publisher behind the popular untitled Goose game, committed to selling 20,000 units on a first-come, first-serve basis.
According to Panic’s shipping estimator, Playdate’s first wave of pre-orders sold out in less than 20 minutes. The anticipated launch had few technical troubles in its way, especially for International checkers. Playdate tweeted about the server instability and 502 errors after international shipping came crashing down.
What is Playdate?
The Playdate is a gaming device built by Panic in collaboration with Teenage Engineering. It is an odd little yellow device that looks adorable by any standards. The device boasts a unique black and white display that, according to Panic, “looks more amazing than you are probably imagining.”
It has got a unique crank on its side for controlling games. Playdate is planning more than the original 24 games, although no official announcements have been made. You’ll get to unlock two games each week for 12 weeks straight. For example, if you get your device in 2022, someone who received their unit in 2021 may already be nearing the end of their 12 week season.
How To Pre-Order a Playdate?
You can order Playdate directly from the website for $179.
Remember, the price is just for the console and does not include a Stereo Doc accessory or pen, which can be bought separately. The availability and price of the following accessories haven’t been announced yet.
When is Playdate Launching?
There has been no official announcement made as far as the launch date is concerned. The company is supposed to be shipping its first 20,000 units at some point in 2021. Panic will likely be giving more information soon about the same.
Here are the countries where Playdate will be shipping at the launch:
The Gaming Industry has a huge turnover in India, in tune with the rest of the world. With the pandemic hitting the world so hard, many releases had to be delayed. A huge audience awaits the release of movies, games and books throughout the year. However, there is nothing to be worried about, especially gaming enthusiasts. We’ve got you gamers covered. Here’s a list of the best upcoming games (at least the ones we think are super cool!) that you should look out for:
MARVEL’S AVENGERS
A dream every Marvel Fan has looked forward to coming true; The third-person action-adventure featuring all the Marvel superheroes where you get to step in the shows of your favorite hero. It can be played solo or cooperatively with up to 4 players online. The story starts with an A-Day celebration at the Avengers west coast headquarters. With an explosion due to the latest tarragon crystal reactor, the city of San Francisco is ruined and the avengers are boycotted; Only to be proved innocent by Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel). The super humans are aimed to be fighting against a conspiracy built by an organization, AIM. Play your favorite superhero, and save the world from the threat.
You can unlock powerful skills and gears and customize it according to your playstyle. The game releases on September 4, 2020.
KERBAL SPACE PROGRAM 2~
‘The next generation of space exploration’, Kerbal Space Program 2 is a simulation game and a sequel to the space flight simulation Kerbal Space Program from Private Division. With exciting new parts, colony building in space, interstellar travel, enhanced modding, and stunning visuals; this multiplayer game is all set to take off to space—Pun intended! The exact date is uncertain. Although, spacecraft from the game are known to launch sometime around Fall 2021.
WATCH DOGS: LEGION~
The sequel to Watch Dogs 2, Watch Dogs: Legion is a third-person action-adventure game set up in London. Unlike other versions, this one does not have a single protagonist. Instead, the game revolves around multiple characters recruited through a unique mission. After recruitment: they will be assigned either combat, stealth or hacking. With a unique set of skills, abilities and an entirely different background dictating the special trait, the players level up by completing various missions and activities. Ubisoft announced the game’s planned release on October 29, 2020.
STAR WARS: SQUADRON~
Set up in the universe of Star Wars, it is an upcoming space combat game with the storyline of ‘The Return of Jedi’. For all the star wars fans, this multiplayer game is playable in Virtual Reality using VR Headsets too! The story alternates between two customizable pilots who are flying for New Republic’s Vanguard Squadron and the Empire’s Titan Squadron and pits them against each other. As players move ahead in the game, they unlock exciting features such as gears, upgrades, shields, upgrades and various cosmetic items for the ships!
The game is said to be released on October 2nd, 2020.
FAST & FURIOUS: CROSSROADS~
The film franchise the game is based on has been my personal favorite. The hybrid racing and action role-playing video game is set up in different locations such as Barcelona, New Orleans, Morocco and Athens. Grab this chance of being a part of the ‘Fast saga’ and avoid the traps set up by the villains by using weapons and gadgets available throughout the game. The gameplay in the recent trailer shown is a combination between Ridge Racer and God Eater gameplays.
The game was supposed to be released in May 2020, but was delayed to 7 August 2020 due to the pandemic.
MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION~
The remake of the 2002 video game Mafia, the game takes you back to the 1930s, in the fictional city of Lost Heaven that is hit by The Great Depression. The storyline follows the rise and fall of mobster Tommy Angelo within the Salieri crime family. With a new feature of motorcycles in the series, the game is built with an expanded story and new assets. See yourself changing from Thomas Angelo: The Hardworking taxi-driver to Thomas Angelo: The Mafia.
The game is set to release on August 28, 2020.
GROUNDED~
Imagine yourself as a lilliput in the world of Gulliver’s Travels~ That’s exactly how this game is going to be. A world where players are reduced to the size of ants and must struggle to survive in a backyard filled with dangers. It’s a survival game developed by Obsidian Entertainment. It can be played from a first-person as well as a third-person perspective. This game is not for people who cannot handle insects and bugs crawling up your sleeves. However, the game has an interesting accessibility feature for people with arachnophobia (severely scared of spiders!), allowing players to decide how scary the spiders can be in the game.
The game is set to release on July 28, 2020.
A TOTAL WAR SAGA: TROY~
The first in the award-winning strategy series to focus on the Bronze-age Mediterranean and the legendary twenty-year conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece, known as the Trojan War. The game might obviously focus on the historical Trojan war with new-inspired features. Experience your events and realize your legend as one of the eight iconic heroes. Conquer and build your vast empire with exceptional strategies that your mind creates.
The game is set to release in the year 2021.
DEATH STRANDING~
The name sounds morbid, although it might just be a little more interesting! Few of you must’ve already been playing it by now since it was released on July 14th, 2020. Numerous commentators also noted that the elements of the game resembled that of the Covid-19 pandemic. An action game developed by Kojima Productions, which has players controlling Sam Porter Bridges, a courier tasked with delivering supplies to the fractured and isolated colonies that remain and reconnecting them via a wireless communications network. The player’s main enemies include creatures related to ‘beached things’.
Do you remember those clunky game consoles that were available in the markets and happened to be the dreams of every 90’s kid? People with such possessions and the ones who let you play with them turned out to be your favorite humans at those times. Remember Mario? If you’re a gamer, especially an ardent one, you’d know about the rising trends and the upgrades that tend to come along with them. If you wonder what the future of gaming is in India, this article is for you!
With almost 40% of India’s population actively using the internet, the gaming industry in India is yet to achieve another milestone alongside developing new versions of their game. Every day, versions upgrade and the hunger for a better interface just keeps growing. Whether you like it or not, the online gaming industry is growing along with the Jio Revolution, setting high standards for data utilization throughout the country.
According to a report released by Boutique Investment Bank, Maple Capital Advisors titled ‘Gaming — India Story’, the Indian Online Gaming Industry is expected to grow 41% annually, with market value set to value $3750 million by 2024. India is known as the largest market for app downloads worldwide. As per 2019, India is one of the top five mobile gaming markets in the world. Infact, the industry was estimated to be populated with 300 million gamers.
Easily available, affordable and a different way of connecting with friends during the lockdown, mobile gaming is not just a recreational activity anymore; it has turned into a profitable industry. Studies show that the number of mobile users constitute 85% of the total gaming industry, with PC/Laptop and tablet users standing at 11% & 4% respectively. According to reports by Newzoo, 32% of gamers in India are female.
PUBG Mobile is a sensation among mobile users, spreading globally like a wildfire. As of January 2020, India is known to have 116 million downloads which is 21% of the 555 million PUBG players worldwide. The operators holding tournaments for various games, especially PUBG, has increased by 7 times from 2016 to 2018. These operators hold various esports tournaments and avail it for the public through android devices, who can win cash on the platform. Emerging e-sports organizations in India such as competitive scrims & IGPL sports holding everyday mock-tournaments to War Mania, Villager esports & sportskeedaesports, providing gamers with sophisticated and competitive platforms. E-Sports is the new era, besides Social Media that the world is entering into today.
E-Sports were played as a demonstration sport at Asian Games 2018, where Tirth Mehta from Bhuj, Gujarat won a bronze medal & has been commonly called the first Indian e-sports for Hearthstone. That year, the total prize money was 5.63Cr; both tournaments & nationals combined. PUBG, singly constituted 18% of the total prize with CS:Go & Dota2 constituting 6%. In 2019, the prize money took a huge leap and increased to 180% with different cities (such as Delhi & Mumbai) holding international sports events & giving gamers a way to physically interact with each other rather than just muting one another digitally.
Alongside regular addiction to the game, the number of visits to online gaming websites or apps rose by 29% between February & March this year due to the pandemic; with also an increase in the engagement by 21%.
How many times have you yourself played ludo with your friends during the lockdown? Other games such as Teen patti, Rummy, Candy Crush Saga, Coin master and 8 ball pool which eventually turned out to be the most played games during the pandemic. It’s weird how our way of interacting with each other has changed. The chats have shifted from WhatsApp & Instagram to mere emojis & talking throughout the game.
Surprised? There is more to the industry. It has been estimated that approximately 40,000 employees will be working in the industry by 2022. It’s not just an evolution for your hobbies, but for the corporate world as well. Honestly speaking, with more gamers comes more challenges. However, PUBG was banned in many states across the country such as Gujarat declaring that the game was ‘too addictive and violent’—resulting in students’ arrest when they were caught playing.
To conclude, you can either ignore these trends & keep playing games for fun; or you can get better at them & start playing at national eventsーwho knows you win a prize incredible enough!
Did you ever wish to see Iron Man go against Spiderman? Have you regretted Thor not aiming for the head of Thanos? Were you angry when Starlord disturbed Mantis’s spell and ruined their chance? Well, here’s your chance for redemption. Comic book giant Marvel recently collaborated with game published Netease to launch “Marvel Super War.”
The game is based in the fictional marvel universe and falls in the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre. Older gamers who were associated with Valve’s Dota2 will find themselves at home with Marvel Super War. You get to pick one among multiple Marvel superheroes, each with their unique role and skillset. The players then duke it out 5V5 on the same map, with an objective of destroying the other team’s base tower.
Image: Google Play Store
Marvel Super War can be played against the setting of Wakanda, which is Black Panther’s country. The map is divided in three lanes for each team and every player is assigned a lane. The superheroes are divided into five individual classes, though some heroes share their characteristics with other classes. These include Fighter, Energy, Assassin, Marksman and Support.
As the names suggest, each category has its unique advantages and drawbacks. The essence of the game is to make the perfect team and win the battle. Of the five players, three are given the job of handling enemies on their lane, while one enters the “jungle” to level up. The jungle is a neutral area spread across the map, which has neutral creeps. These creeps offer additional buffs and are usually killed by assassin heroes, who are also known as “junglers.” The fifth hero, which falls under the Support category, can roam around the map and support any team mate stuck in a difficult situation.
Image: Google Play Store
Each hero has either three or four skills, depending upon the hero selected and begins the game at level one. As the game progresses, the player can level up his respective hero by collecting gold and by gaining experience. Each hero upgrades up to level 18, while improving all his skills along the way. Gold can be collected by killing enemies, enemy minions, neutral creeps or destroying the guard turrets that protect the enemy base. The game also has a shop of inventories, of which any six can be purchased by each player to further enhance the hero abilities.
Image: Google Play Store
Marvel Super War also features Surtur that can be killed by any member of any team, following which that player’s team will be aided by Surtur. It then becomes the job of the opposing team to kill Surtur again before it does any serious damage.
Image: Google Play Store
Marvel Super War includes several popular superheroes such as Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Thanos, Iron Man, Spiderman and Hawkeye, among others. It also includes members of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Players have the liberty of choosing one of all these characters, giving the player a wide range of options. The game is also expanding continually and is adding new heroes every month.
Fans of the Marvel Universe can bring their wildest fantasies to reality with this game. You can pit Rocket Racoon against Groot, you can make Ronan help Starlord defeat Thanos or you can even make Thanos fight alongside Iron Man! The possibilities are endless, letting the player enjoy hours upon hours of gameplay without boredom.
Image: Google Play Store
Marvel Super War was released in December 2019 and I have been playing it since then. It has seasonal updates like any other online multiplayer and it is currently preparing to launch the third season. There are close to 60 heroes, with more coming in. My personal choice is mostly among the Energy or the Marksman heroes. Energy heroes include Mysterio, Magneto, Storm, Human Torch and Iron Man, among others. Marksman heroes allow you to choose from Hawkeye, Angel, Vision, Rocket Racoon and Starlord.
While the Energy heroes do not do much damage with basic attacks, they are extremely powerful spellcasters and can change the course of the game at any moment. Marksman heroes on the other hand give much higher damage with their basic attacks, but their skills offer limited boost. My other choices are also among Tank heroes, that include Hulk, Ronan, Cull Obsidian and The Thing, among others. These heroes are extremely damage resistant and prove a major blow absorber for the team.
As mentioned earlier, the essence of the game is to form the correct team and gain a tactical advantage over the enemy team. Friends can even team up to play in a custom room and form their own teams to fight each other. Finally, every Marvel fan can realize his dream of seeing The Avengers battle the X-Men, or the Fantastic Four go against the Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel Super War is currently exclusive for the Android platform and is free-to-play. Its next update is scheduled for July 9, 2020 and will add “Adam Warlock” as a new hero.
