It took eight years, but they finally did it: the developers of Wube Software, in Prague, published the official « 1.0 » version of the factory management game Factorio a few weeks ago. For one of the original creators of the game, however, this is just the beginning.
Pilots… to your starships! Hugo Prévost and Robert Hiltz buckle up and take to the stars in this 6th episode of the PC retrogaming pocast SVGA. Dust up your joystick, fire up your (really) old computer and prepare to blast Kilrathis and Vasudans.
Are you ready? Ready to rip, to tear, to kill dozens of monsters, to hear the sweet sound of that super shotgun firing two shells right into an imp’s face, transforming its head into a geyser of blood and gore? Welcome to Doom, probably the most influencial first-person shooter of all time.
The year is 1997: after the success of Warcraft 1 and 2, Blizzard adds another gem to what will become the golden era of the games studio. The name is Diablo, and its repercussions are felt even today, 23 years later.
Crank that PC speaker sound up, dust out that keyboard and get ready to go back to an era where simpler 2D action-platformers had to compete with juggernauts like Doom. Secure your mullet and your mustache, remember your top-level CIA training and fend off the mutant hordes in Bio Menace.
Did someone said Full Motion Video? A pure product of the 90’s, full motion videogames were a technological leap that came to life when CD-ROM drives became more popular – and more affordable – for the consumer market. To take advantage of all the possibilities offered by these 700 megabytes of space now available, games included real actors and real video sequences… Usually with a terrible result.
Who said that life should be boring during a pandemic? While the world is in lockdown, the time is right to go back to an era where video games could revolutionize the industry, or disappear without a trace, all this from a single CD, or even from a floppy disk. Welcome to SVGA, a show about retro gaming in all it’s glory – and horror.
What makes a « heavy » or « grand » strategy game player happy? Is it a thick rulebook? A pleathora of units? The historical accuracy? And what are the rules to create a « good » strategy game? Enthusiasts, gamers and developpers don’t always see eye to eye on the topic.
Soul-crushing crunch time to be sure to launch a new game on time; the risk of being fired once a project is complete; the multiplication of microtransactions in full-priced games while locking important features behind a paywall… The videogame industry is not living its brightest moment, but a new publisher, Modern Wolf, aims to set some new standards.
Will you triumph at the head of the Allied Forces? Or will you unite the world under tyranny, for the glory of the Reich, the japanese Emperor or the idea of a New Rome? Strategy fans and Axis and Allies afficionados could scratch that grand strategy itch with the upcoming Axis and Allies Online, developped and published by Beamdog.
