Last Week in Gaming - April 19, 2020 Edition

Published: April 19, 2020 5:15 PM /

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Team Fortress 2, Resident Evil 2

The gaming community lost two members this past week: voice actors Paul Haddad and Rick May. Besides games, they also contributed to theater, television, radio, and education. COVID-19 was one of the reasons for May’s passing, while Haddad succumbed to other medical problems. In other industry news, more gaming events are going online due to global quarantine, and the ESRB takes steps to warn parents about microtransactions.

Highlights From This Week's Gaming News

Paul Haddad, Original Voice of Leon in Resident Evil 2, Has Passed Away

Along with playing Leon in the original Resident Evil 2, he also acted in another horror game, Daymare: 1998. In addition to that, Haddad voiced Uncle Arthur from Babar and Quicksilver from X-Men: The Animated Series.

Streets of Rage 4

Streets Of Rage 4 To Land On PC, Consoles April 30th

Co-developer and publisher Dotemu also shared new details about the game's Battle Mode, and their executive producer discussed the inclusion of "classic pixel art from old-school Streets of Rage releases."

Fig Crowdfunding Site Acquired by Republic

According to Fig, Republic will help raise awareness of their crowdfunding campaigns and enable them to feature more games, but it won't change the company. Fig also announced a new campaign for Amico, a video game system.

Gamescom Opening Night Live Goes Digital Along With Event

Germany extended a ban on large events, effectively confirming the cancellation of Gamescom due to COVID-19. However, Gamescom will have a digital event. This includes Geoff Keighley’s Gamescom: Opening Night Live, which will livestream on Aug. 24. Indie MEGABOOTH, normally a physical showcase at conventions, is also moving to a digital presence via a Steam sale.

Gamescom

Distributor Alliance Games Furloughs Employees Due To Coronavirus

The tabletop company is doing this "to reduce their expenses." But they also promise to continue paying for employee health insurance.

LudoNarraCon 2020 Exhibitor Lineup and Panels Revealed

Always a digital convention since it launched in 2019, LudoNarraCon is back with a new selection of exhibitors that includes Frog Detective 2 and panels on topics like holistic storytelling. After re-opening submissions to developers unable to go to a cancelled GDC, LudoNarraCon will now feature over 40 games on Steam.

PlayStation Play At Home Bundle Gives Away Journey and Uncharted

In response to people staying at home due to COVID-19, Sony is making Journey and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection free to download until May 5. The company has also announced a relief fund for independent developers affected by COVID-19.

Journey, Uncharted

The Game Festival Returns to Steam This Summer

It’s scheduled for June 9-14. Developers can go to Steam and apply to the event until April 24. The Digital Dragons Indie Celebration will also offer game demos on Steam in May, and are accepting developer submissions from April 20-26. 

ESRB Loot Box Ratings Will Warn Parents About Microtransactions

The new rating will also cover additional features like treasure chests, prize wheels, and non-randomized paid elements. Games that receive this new rating will feature the message: “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items).”

TF2 and Star Fox Voice Actor Rick May Passes Away

Rick May voiced Soldier from Team Fortress 2, Peppy Hare from Star Fox 64, Dr. M in Sly 3 and various other characters in games. He also acted in theater productions and a radio adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In addition to that, May taught at the Rekindle School.

The Game Festival Summer 2020

Features and Reviews of the Week

In Other Waters Review

While In Other Waters wasn’t that enjoyable for TechRaptor, the game featured unique gameplay and a relaxing atmosphere.

TechRaptor Staff's Video Game Confessions

Several members of TechRaptor got together to reminisce about their regrets in gaming. Check out stories about pre-order mishaps, literally stealing Pokémon like a Team Rocket Grunt, and more.  

Final Fantasy VII Remake Weapons Guide

TechRaptor has compiled a series of guides for Final Fantasy VII Remake. This one is focused on finding and wielding weapons in Midgar, including the iconic Buster Sword. There are other guides about hard mode and endgame content, and more can be found in the main hub for Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Nightdive CEO on the Challenges of Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition

Stephen Kick, CEO of Nightdive, told TechRaptor about struggles with licensing, searching for the original source code, and updating character models.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Do you plan to check out any of the upcoming gaming events online? What do you think of all the Final Fantasy VII Remake guides? Did you see other news in gaming this week that deserves attention? What did we miss from the last week in gaming? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. And for more on COVID-19’s impact on gaming, check out TechRaptor’s evolving hub of COVID-19 updates.

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


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