Yet another English translation patch for a Japan-exclusive Virtual Boy game has been released by Thunderstruck. His patch for SD Gundam Dimension War builds upon the work of Benjamin and Greg Stevens and translates the remaining Japanese texts and graphics.

• Credits are fully translated.
• Warning screen doesn't show the Japanese warning anymore and the English text has been centered.
• The title screen logo has been replaced with an English version made by Virtuous Rage.

More information and downloads here.

With this patch, every Japanese exclusive Virtual Boy game should now have been fully translated to English.

You can support thunderstruck on Patreon.

https://www.planetvb.com/modules/new...hp?storyid=466 ...

PlayStation 5 isn't the only new hardware coming from Sony in 2020. The company today announced that next month will see the release of the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment.
As the name suggests, the Back Button Attachment plugs into the bottom of the PlayStation 4's DualShock controller and adds rear-facing buttons for players who prefer that control style. The attachment includes two buttons that can be individually mapped to 16 different DualShock 4 inputs, with an integrated OLED screen providing an interface for the button assigning process.
The plug-in peripheral allows users to save three different profiles to toggle between. And because the attachment covers the controller's standard headset jack, it also includes a pass-through stereo headset jack.
The Back Button Attachment launches in North America on January 23 for $30 ($40 CAD). A European launch will follow February 14 with a €30 price point.


https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-button-add-on ...

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is No.1 for a third consecutive week and is the final No.1 of 2019.
It holds off FIFA 20, which remains at No.2, and Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, which retains third position. In fact, the entire Top Five is unchanged, with Mario Kart 8: Deluxe still at No.4 and Luigi's Mansion 3 at No.5.
As the final chart of the year, we can now see that physical game sales for 2019 are down almost 20% compared with 2018.
This week's Top 40 marks an end of an era for the official UK charts, as a new charts supplier will be used in 2020.
GfK (under various names) has been providing for the UK charts for more than two decades, but the charts have faced criticism in recent years as they only track physical sales. This is because boxed game sellers like Amazon, GAME and Argos share their software sales with GfK, but digital game sellers like Xbox Live, Steam and PSN do not.
This has given rise to a new charts project launched by European trade body ISFE called GSD. GSD tracks physical sales and digital sales, although in different ways. Physical sales come directly from the retailers and encompass all games released in a box. Digital sales come directly from the publishers, but not all publishers are taking part (including Bethesda and Nintendo) and therefore not all digital games are counted.
Additionally, the complexity of compiling the GSD chart means that the data takes longer to collate.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-1-of-the-year ...

From everyone at DCEmu we would love to wish you a very Happy Xmas whereever you are in the world, be safe and good. ...

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Pokemon Sword, Shield, and the Pokemon double pack vyed for placement on the NPD charts for US dollar sales in November, and when taken separately, Fallen Order managed to win out.
Respawn's story-focused Star Wars title debuted at No.1 in the United States by dollar sales in its launch month of November, coming in under only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which maintained its spot as the best-selling game of 2019 so far. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now the No.9 best-selling title of 2019 so far, coming in under Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (which is now the best-selling fighting game in US history) and above Anthem.
Pokemon Sword, the Pokemon Sword and Shield Double Pack, and Pokemon Shield took spots No.3, 4, and 5 respectively, though according to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, if the three titles were combined they would have ended up collectively at No.2 for the month. And that's not including digital sales. They also collectively saw the highest launch month dollar sales of any Pokemon release in US history.
For other categories, the waning console generation trends continued to bring total game spending for the month to $2.3 billion, down 19% year-over-year. Hardware spending was down 26% year-over-year to $891 million, with the Nintendo Switch remaining the best-selling console for the month and the year so far. Accessory and game card spending was down 14% to $433 million, with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 leading accessory sales.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...s-for-november ...

We are one week away from crowing 2019's Christmas No.1, and currently Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is in prime position.
Activision's shooter returns to the summit of the UK physical charts despite a 10% drop in sales week-on-week. The title replaces FIFA 20, which falls to No.3 after sales slipped 41% over the previous week.
Call of Duty was just 3,000 sales ahead of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is at No.2. The licensed EA game is probably benefitting from the excitement around the upcoming Star Wars movie -- The Rise of Skywalker. Sales for the game rose 30% week-on-week, and if it manages a similar feat next week (not unthinkable with the release of the movie), it might be a rare moment where neither Call of Duty or FIFA takes home the Christmas crown.
As an outside bet for Christmas No.1 there is Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, which has enjoyed a very strong December following the launch of a special Nintendo Switch bundle. However, week-on-week sales are down 30%, so it would be a surprise if the perennial seller manages to knock out FIFA, Star Wars or Call of Duty.
Mario Kart is currently at No.4 and is just holding off its friendly rival Luigi's Mansion 3, with just 2,000 boxed units separating the two games this week (Luigi's sales were up 49% week-on-week). Luigi's Mansion 3 has been a real hit for Nintendo this Christmas. Although it doesn't match the sales of Pokémon Sword and Shield, the puzzle adventure game has far exceeded previous games in the franchise, and has sold more copies than other popular Switch games this year - including New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Another success this Christmas has been Just Dance 2020 (which currently resides at No.7). For its first six weeks on sale, this year's Just Dance has more than doubled sales of last year's entry (physical sales only). Sales of the Wii version are down year-on-year, but the game has sold better on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch (particularly Nintendo Switch).


https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...hristmas-chart ...

Welcome to 2019 (almost 2020) where nearly everything has been gamified... from education to marketing, and even the battle against fake news.

It was once held as one of the most disruptive tools to any business because it was one of the most functional ways of having real effects on outcomes, like improving training for employees and overall performance on the job.

In all honesty, gamification is a tool as traditional as any. Since the beginning of modern life, moms, dads, and kindergarten teachers have been using games to teach all sorts of lessons including values and attitudes, among other things.

Flash forward to the appearance of the first video game consoles and things began to change. All of a sudden, games were allowed a more expansive world all to their own. They were built around a universe that stood on graphics, storylines, design, and experiences to captivate gamers all over the world.

That first generation of gamers is now well into adulthood but still continues to enjoy gaming as part of their entertainment. They now have their own families, a disposable income but still, maintain the same gamers decision-making standards.

So taking all of this into consideration, let’s explore the good and bad sides of the increasing gamification of online casino games.

The Not-So-Good Side

Gamification of betting games can lead audiences not suited for them to be drawn in. The games, while more similar to regular video games now, still implicate aspects that those audiences do not care about, making them disinterested from playing. These websites follow strict rules to keep unfit audiences away from the sites and games, a simple software or app can also protect and prevent access. So there’s not much more to say there.

Others argue that gamification could take away from the original feel of the game. Well, there’s still plenty of choices for those who want to play the traditional way. No need to panic there, you will find the good old games anywhere you look.

Now The Good Side

It draws in a whole new generation of users: the gamers who grew up in love with adventure storylines, quests, rewards, advanced graphics and more challenges for their intellect. These games feel like more than just robotic exchanges of statistics and luck.

By offering the option to add a gamified version of betting, users can experience something that makes them more engaged in their play.

It is more than just betting now, players can enjoy the storyline, the challenges, and the rewards while putting little or maybe no money into it, which makes it a genuine form of entertainment for many. Gamification makes sure there's something for everyone, you just have to do a google search and you'll find a million options or browse through UK NetEnt casinos to see that no one is left out of the game.

This inclusion has been revolutionary and has elevated the industry’s development, design, and playing aspects of the genre.

Afterall at the heart of the matter, casino games are just that, games. They're just improved to satisfy the next, more demanding generation of players.
...

While copyright issues and end user license agreements may be the main legal aspects that video game developers and operators have to deal with, those in the UK gambling sector are currently facing heavy regulatory enforcement. Once a game is made available and marketed to be played for real money to customers from Great Britain, game providers and suppliers all over the world automatically fall under the regime of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the authority that regulates gambling in the UK.

In 2015, new UK gambling laws were introduced so that the legal situation changed from one founded on mutual recognition to a regime that required gambling software providers and gambling site operators to obtain a UK gambling license. This applies to any remote or non-remote game or betting product that can be played for real money: betting, casino,bingo, lotteries and other forms of real-money gaming, as long as they target customers from the UK.

Which aspects were most affected by the new UK gambling laws?

The main areas that were significantly affected by this change in UK gambling laws were anti-money laundering, problem gambling (the protection of underage citizens and prevention of gambling addiction), and marketing (the way games and any related promotions and bonuses are advertised). All of this required developers and online gambling UK operators to implement so many measures that some of them withdrew from the market altogether, hence blocking UK players from playing their games for real money,while others ended up having to pay huge fines for non-compliance.

Heavy sanctions for non-compliance

The well-known online gambling site 888 casino, for instance, was fined £7.8m in 2017 for not taking adequate measures to protect problem gamblers, whereas Paddy Power Betfair had to pay £2.2m for failing to comply with AML measures. A report issued in July 2019 recorded £19.6m in total fines over the previous 12 months. Online gambling platforms were also fined for non-compliance on the part of their affiliates, who failed to display the significant offer terms, or who used media that was deemed to be appealing citizens under the legal gambling age.

All of this of course begs the following question: has the UKGC has gone too far with this enforcement? Clearly, too many operators are withdrawing from the market, which is also giving rise to a grey market.

Justification for the new UK gambling regulation

Neil McArthur, Chief Executive of the UKGC has justified this argument by insisting on the importance of fair and safe gambling: “I want gambling consumers in Britain to be able to enjoy the fairest and safest gambling in the world and I want gambling operators to work with us to put customer enjoyment and safety at the top of their corporate agenda.”

The situation may not be as dire as one may suspect, at least for the best gambling sites in the UK who have successfully complied with these measures. While a lot of their previous competitors have dropped out, those who remained have strengthened their position as reliable and safe UK gambling platforms. A lot of them are listed on Casino Hawks, a review site that features exclusively those online gambling sites that possess a UK gambling license. ...

Yu Suzuki is one of our People of the Year solely for the fact that Shenmue III exists. It's difficult to overstate how unlikely this seemed.
Originally released in 1999, Shenmue was Suzuki's big system-seller for the Sega Dreamcast. It was a trailblazer for the time, a 3D open world in a grounded, modern setting with a day-night cycle and variable weather effects at a time when the PSone and Nintendo 64 had set the expectations for 3D console titles.
Shenmue blended RPG, fighting, and adventure game elements to tell the protagonist Ryo's story of revenge, one that tended to be frequently interrupted by optional pursuits like playing arcade games or collecting capsule toys. (In some sense these were less distractions than time fillers, because if the next major plot point involved meeting a person at a certain place Wednesday at 2 p.m., players could have in-game hours or days to kill before getting there, and no way to skip ahead beyond the usual nightly sleep.) Shenmue was revolutionary, influential, and beloved by its fans. It was billed as the most expensive game ever made, with Suzuki once saying it cost Sega $47 million in development and marketing. Long before developers trotted out the "We always conceived this new IP as a trilogy" chestnut, Suzuki was talking about Shenmue as a story that would need at least five games before the original was even out.
But just like the platform it was supposed to sell, Shenmue did not enjoy commercial success to match its critical plaudits. Even so, it did well enough for Sega to move forward with a sequel. But while Shenmue II was still in development, Sega dropped a bombshell and announced its withdrawal from the hardware market entirely to become just another third-party publisher. By the time Shenmue II released in late 2001, the Dreamcast was dead and buried to the point that Sega didn't even bother releasing it in North America, waiting a full year to port it to the Xbox instead.
While there was still plenty of Ryo's story left to tell, it wasn't going to be in Shenmue III. Instead, Sega teamed up with external studio JC Entertainment to co-develop Shenmue Online, an MMO version of the franchise with Suzuki supervising. That project fell apart, and Suzuki focused on developing arcade games for Sega until he formally left the company in 2009. The end of his actual relevant tenure at Sega would appear to have been significantly earlier, as Suzuki's current studio Ys Net was established in 2008, and Sega of America president Simon Jeffery was under the impression Suzuki was no longer an employee a year earlier (He corrected himself as soon as that was reported).
When Suzuki officially left Sega, it had been eight years since Shenmue II's debut. Shemue III had seemed unlikely before. With the writer/director/producer of the franchise and the company that owned it parting ways, Shenmue III looked all but impossible.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...2019-yu-suzuki ...