A dataminer known as BetaM has located possible post-launch content in version 1.04 of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

This information was shared on ResetEra and reveals the full list of characters potentially being added to the game in the future. It features some evil faces from Spyro the Dragon and the inclusion of Crash Tag Team Racing characters.

• Baby Coco
• Baby Cortex
• Baby Crash
• Baby N.Tropy
• Baby-T
• Chick (CTTR)
• Emperor Velo (CNK)
• Gnasty Gnorc (Spyro)
• Hunter (Spyro)
• Nina Cortex (CTTR)
• Pasadena (CTTR)
• Rilla Roo (Bash)
• Ripto (Spyro)
• Sorceress (Spyro)
• Spyro
• Stew (CTTR)
• Von Clutch (CTTR)
• Willie Wumpa Cheeks (CTTR)

There’s already a large number of characters in the game, and there’ll be even more if this is true. In saying this, there are no guarantees. Spyro was previously confirmed for CTR last month alongside multiple other characters. For more information regarding the game’s most recent update, check out our previous post.

What do you think about this list? Have you been enjoying CTR since it was released on the Switch? Leave a comment below.

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: Albany, New York

Your Mission

As a Software Engineer at Vicarious Visions you will be an owner in one or more game systems. You will be a crucial part of the development team collaborating with team members and others to deliver AAA quality code.

In the spirit of inclusion, we encourage all to apply!

The Quests

• Utilizing your technical skills, you will collaborate with game designers, visual artists, audio designers and other specialists to design and propel AAA game development.
• Exemplify and promote standards for code, design, development, debugging, optimization, review, testing and documentation
• Establish mutual trust and respect among your teammates, and celebrating in each other’s success

Player Profile

• You possess a deep understanding of object-oriented programming in a variety of languages including C++
• You have experience with working on PC and console platforms. Mobile is a Plus!
• You excel in working as part of a team
• You possess a real passion for developing high quality games
• You have earned Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience

Your Platform 

In 2018, Vicarious Visions celebrated its 27th year in the industry. Over the years, we have made hundreds of games, in every genre, on every conceivable game platform in the known universe. We are a studio that is built to last.

Our philosophy of combining cutting-edge tech with creative innovation is evidenced in all of our products. We’ve worked on some of the most successful game franchises, including Skylanders®, Guitar Hero™, Marvel Ultimate Alliance™, Crash Bandicoot™, Spider-Man™, and Tony Hawk™.

We thrive on a culture of collaboration, respect and fun. We have built a welcoming and relaxed workplace that invites creativity and encourages individual voices.

Activision Blizzard is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

The following are transcripts of my Uncharted 2 video series (parts 4-5 out of 5) from my channel Farlands. The first compilation can be accessed by following this link.

4 – In Medias Res

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So in the previous videos of the series, we have discussed what is pacing, and how Uncharted 2 handles it. Now, we are going to talk about some techniques the game uses to its advantage. The first one is In Medias Res.

It is a narrative technique that starts you from the middle of the story before getting to the beginning. The goal is to instantly engage players, and only then expand on what is happening and why. You need to intrigue, but also be careful to not confuse instead.

In games when using this technique you also have to keep in mind tutorials and onboarding. You’re not just putting the player into the middle of the story, you also instantly show them what the gameplay is all about in an exciting but not too overbearing manner. Uncharted 2 perfectly handles everything in its In Medias Res beginning. Just look at this first cutscene.

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So many things are happening. We are in a train. Why? We are wounded. What happened? And then it turns out that the wagon is hanging off a freaking mountain. How the hell did we get into this? In less than a minute there’s so many questions that players already want answers to.

Then we get a platforming tutorial where players are actually not in any real danger, but they feel like they are due to the narrative set-up. We then get some more navigation and shooting tutorials, and bits and pieces about what happened. The chapter ends after we find the MacGuffin of the game – a mysterious ritual dagger, and we switch to the early parts of the story to continue chronologically from there.

I mean, holy shit, how much more effective can you be? Now, it’s important to keep in mind that just starting at such a moment is not enough. You have to put breadcrumbs for the players to follow. Gasp, we found the dagger. Gasp, we travel to Nepal, that’s right next to the Himalayas that are in constant view! Gasp, our treasure is in the Himalayas, that’s why we will be in the mountains. Gasp, he mentioned a train, that must be the same one.

And then after actually getting to this train, we experience the single longest action sequence of the entire game, delaying the reveal of what has actually happened as much as possible. And this is why the In Medias Res of Uncharted 2 is so effective. Not just because it starts with a bang, but also because it keeps teasing you with approaching closer and closer to this moment, to answer all your questions. And by then you’re hooked, you’re invested and you want to see how this story ends and how the characters you learned to love will get out of this situation. This is how you get a great In Medias Res beginning.

5 – Contrast

[embedded content]

We continue our exploration of the techniques Uncharted 2 uses to help create the wonderful pacing that it has. This time we will talk about contrast.

Let’s take a look at our chart from the second video. In the middle section we have pretty much non-stop action that keeps getting more and more intense, culminating in the famous train ride levels. After them, though, we pretty rapidly drop down to the calmest chapter of the entire game. You can’t even jump there, you don’t fight, you just walk around, greet people, play with children and pet yaks.

This is contrast, and it is very important for player engagement. People get used to things, that’s just the way we are. And so they wouldn’t, you switch things up. Keep in mind though that contrast is not just about variety, which we have discussed in one of previous videos. Contrast is about changing things in the opposite direction. This is why a whole sequence of ever increasing action is followed up by a chapter of absolutely no action at all.

And that is the most efficient way to achieve contrast: by drastically changing intensity and the predominant type of actions. That being said, this is not the only way. You can also achieve contrast by changing the approach to the actions. For example, in this section closer to the end, you predominantly do only combat.

However, in these 3 chapters, you are not in control of what’s happening and always have to scramble and adapt to survive. But in the following two missions, most of the time you keep control of the situation and how the engagement will go. That said, while this type of contrast is enough to keep players engaged, it might not necessarily be as memorable as the type discussed before.

One last important note about contrast is that you can’t do it too often. If you do, players just won’t be able to get a proper taste of any kind of gameplay. So, you first keep players engaged by varying things up within a certain context, and then continue engaging them by switching the context through contrast, and repeat after a certain time.

With this, we conclude our exploration of Uncharted 2’s pacing, and what makes it so good. I hope you have enjoyed the series as much as I have enjoyed making it. I’m sure there are many details that these videos might not necessarily cover, so if you want, let’s discuss them in the comment section.

A special thank you goes to my patrons for supporting my channel, that really means a lot. If you’d like, feel free to support my campaign at patreon.com/farlands. And regardless, be sure to like and subscribe to keep track of when future content appears on the channel. Thank you very much!

Follow me on Twitter @farlander1991

The next ID@Xbox Game Pass showcase is just around the corner! Tune in Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 a.m. PDT on the Xbox YouTube channel to hear about great games coming to Xbox Game Pass from independent developers.

In this second showcase, you’ll get more announcements and looks at gameplay from titles we showed E3 2019 such as Star Renegades, Dead Static Drive, and Unto the End. We also caught up with some of the developers who are excited to share more about their games with you. This includes Bloober Team on Blair Witch, Thunder Lotus Games on Spiritfarer, and more!

At this year’s E3, we launched Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass continues to get even better with a great game library on console and now on PC — it has never been a better time to discover your next favorite game with Xbox Game Pass. And for fans of games from independent developers, there is plenty to play now and plenty to look forward to! If you haven’t joined yet but are interested, find the right plan for you by clicking here.

For all the latest news and announcements, make sure to follow @XboxGamePass on Twitter and Instagram. For news about PC gaming, follow our new PC Twitter handle @XboxGamePassPC.

And with our Xbox Game Pass mobile app, install games anytime, anywhere to your Xbox One and get notified on what new games are added!

– Some more minor performance improvements (including improvements to Wukong’s Command)
– Fixed Pangolier’s Rolling Thunder interaction with knockback abilities
– Fixed Ogre Magi’s Multicast continuing to stun if you buyback quickly
– Fixed a bug that caused Monkey King to have one less soldier in the area

In April, we found out WayForward was teaming up with Arc System Works to release a brand new entry in the River City / Kunio-kun series.

The talented independent developer has now confirmed River City Girls will be released on 5th September, on the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms. According to the PR, it includes local two-player co-op, stunning pixel art graphics, anime and manga cutscenes, a “fantastic” soundtrack and will be priced at $29.99.

This latest entry in the long-running series stars Kyoko and Misako – two “street-tough high-schoolers” who will have to fight their way through the six regions of River City to rescue their kidnapped boyfriends (Kunio and Riki – the series mainstays).

The fighting system has been overseen by Arc System Works and requires players to utilise an arsenal of combos, counters, throws and special attacks. Along the way, the girls will take on numerous side quests, level up, interact with NPCS (including guest stars from past entries), shop for a variety of items and gear to boost stats, unlock new abilities, wield weapons and recruit defeated foes.

This is supported by an epic synth-pop soundtrack (NateWantsToBattle, Chipzel, Christina Vee and Megan McDuffee!). Limited Run Games will also be offering a physical version – with more details to be revealed at a later date.

Are you pumped for this beat ’em up? Tell us down in the comments.

If you’re a fan of the indie title Downwell and happen to own a copy of Super Mario Maker 2, you might want to take a look at the above video.

YouTube channel Boomstick Gaming has recreated the excellent vertical platforming roguelike rather accurately within Nintendo’s Mario-themed course creator. Just like the real game, the objective is to make it to the bottom, while attempting to get the highest score possible. This version even has a built-in easy setting – allowing you to have a practice run.

If you would like to try out this course for yourself, the code is 2KH-BN0-7VG. Be sure to check out the Nintendo Life Super Mario Maker 2 Course Search as well. And if you’re interested in playing Downwell, you can purchase it from the Switch eShop for $2.99 / £2.69.

By Andrew Smith 04 Jul 2019