Last year, a years-long mystery alternate reality game finally came to a close with the release of Glittermitten Grove, an Adult Swim-published fairy management game that secretly contained Frog Fractions 2. At GDC this year, that ARG will be dissected and discussed by writer and narrative designer Justin Bortnick. 

Since we at the Gamasutra Twitch channel could not contain ourselves, we invited Bortnick, who is partly responsible for that ARG, to discuss his work and philosophy on the Gamasutra Twitch channel earlier today. 

Since we didn’t want to spoil the contents of Bortnick’s talk (but we were happy to spoil parts of Frog Fractions 2), we decided to discuss his general narrative design philosophy, and the state of ARG experiences as a whole. It was an illuminating conversation, one which you can watch in its entirety up above. 

If you’re somewhat in a rush (or are still trying to figure out what Frog Fractions 2 is), here are a few quick takeaways for you based on our chat. 

Alternate reality games don’t have to have puzzles…they just wound up that way

During his work, Bortnick consulted with designers who worked on well-known ARGs like I Love Bees (the Halo 2 promotional ARG), and made the observation that an alternate reality experience doesn’t necessarily require puzzle design, it’s just been one of the more successful mechanics that eventually helped impact the genre. What’s interesting about this analysis is that Bortnick points out that there’s a fine line between an ARG and a general real-world puzzle scavenger hunt. What separates the two is finely-crafted narrative design, and a need to react quickly to how your players interpret your hunt. 

Sometimes your players come up with more interesting solutions, and it’s useful to use them

Bortnick explained that during the run of the ARG, players often failed to solve puzzles in the way they were intended to be solved…but then stumbled on “solutions” that were more inventive or interesting. In practice, that meant Bortnick would rewrite the “solution” on the fly to help generate more content for players to dig through, all helping cover developer Jim Stormdancer while he worked on the full game. 

There’s still more Frog Fractions 2 ARG puzzles out there in new games

To our utmost horror, as we tried to unwind the logic of Frog Fractions 2, Bortnick pointed out that there are still indie games being released with Frog Fractions-related puzzles (like Emily is Away Too). And with that revelation now we realize, that even Gamasutra has become a part of Frog Fractions 2.

For more developer interviews, editor roundtables and gameplay commentary, be sure to follow the Gamasutra Twitch channel.  

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas

The Japanese video game console market has grown for the first time in 11 years, experiencing a spike in sales during 2017.

The increase in sales is attributed to the Nintendo Switch’s speedy hardware sales, which have surpassed 10 million units sold worldwide since its March 2017 debut. 

As Kotaku reports, in 2016 Japanese hardware sales were 117.05 billion yen ($1.05 billion), while in 2017 they flourished to 202.37 billion yen ($1.81 billion). Software sales also increased since 2016, going from 182.4 billion yen ($1.63 billion) to 189.3 billion yen ($1.69 billion) the following year. 

Japanese gaming markets last saw growth in 2006 when the Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo Wii, and PS3 were launched, Kotaku also notes. 

As a member of the Xbox Insider Team, I can say with certainty that we’re looking forward to 2018 and all the content we hope to share here and in the Xbox Insider Hub in the coming months. But we also think it’s important to look back on last year’s successes, which were pretty exciting from our point-of-view. To better celebrate together, we’ve compiled a “Best of 2017” list so you can see the changes we made last year, the content we shared in our app and everything you, as Xbox Insiders, helped us accomplish!

New Features Guided by Xbox Insider Feedback 

This year, Team Xbox introduced a ton of new features to the Xbox One with the help of our Xbox Insider community. Throughout the summer and fall of 2017, we received feedback from you on features like the new Home, an updated Guide, Light Theme, Arena and more – all of which contributed to some of our biggest updates this year.

Not only did our community try out and impact new system features, but Xbox Insiders also took part in the Xbox Game Pass Beta and helped Team Xbox successfully launch both Xbox Game Pass and new Store features like Digital Gifting.

More Game Content Offered Than Ever Before

We want to make sure our Xbox Insiders have early access to and the ability to provide feedback on all things Xbox, so we’ve spent the past year partnering with game studios to offer our community early playtests and content updates. In 2017 alone, we brought you the Minecraft Better Together Beta on Xbox One and Windows 10, which became our largest playtest ever, as well as early access to Paladins, Dragon Ball FighterZ and more.

Improvements to Xbox Insider Hub Give You More Choices

2017 saw many improvements made to the Xbox Insider Hub, all focused around giving our community more options. Last August, we expanded our Xbox One Update Preview Rings and clearly defined how Xbox Insiders gain access to each. Alongside these changes, we improved our tools to ensure that enrolling in and switching between the various Preview Rings available to you is a nearly instantaneous process.

We didn’t stop at simplifying our Xbox One Update Preview Rings, however. We also fine-tuned console management to allow Xbox Insiders to unenroll a console previously enrolled in “Insider content” (like the Xbox One Update Preview or game-related content) by another user without contacting support.

Xbox Insider XP Rewarded for Bug Reports

This summer, we started rewarding XP to Xbox Insiders who told us about a bug that was later fixed by Team Xbox. We plan to continue this effort in 2018 and would invite you to continue letting us know about any unexpected behavior you encounter via the “Report a problem” tool. We’ll let you know by Xbox One system message if you receive XP for your reports.

Xbox Insider Program Appears in New Places

Another big goal for us this year was to create more opportunities and visibility across our program. To achieve this, we expanded the Xbox Insider Hub to PC so you can complete Quests and Surveys for PC-specific games and features on your Windows 10 device. We also launched our Xbox Insider Blog, partnered with the Windows team to include “Gaming and Xbox” as a category in the Windows Feedback Hub and appeared on “Tips & Tricks.”

If you’re able to drag yourself away from the Nintendo Direct hype, you’ll notice that there’s another fun packed European Nintendo Download to enjoy!

Let’s see what’s on offer this week:

Switch eShop

Furi (The Game Bakers, €19.99 / £17.99) – Fight your way free in this ultra-responsive, fast-paced sword fighting and dual-stick shooting game. Feel the tension and adrenaline of one-on-one duels against deadly adversaries: you will need absolute focus and skill to defeat each of the guardians. Do you have what it takes to reach the last gate? Find out more in our Furi review.

Super Meat Boy (BlitWorks, €12.99 / £11.99) – Super Meat Boy is a tough-as-nails platformer where you play as an animated cube of meat who’s trying to save his girlfriend (who happens to be made of bandages) from an evil fetus in a jar wearing a tux.

The Escapists 2 (Team17 Digital, €19.99 / £19.99) – Bust out anywhere, with anyone on the Nintendo Switch. Team up with another inmate for local two player split screen mode, taking a Joy-Con each to either team up to break out, or work against one another to determine who’s the quickest convict to make an escape. Risk it all to breakout from the toughest prisons in the world. Find out more in our The Escapists 2 review.

Moorhuhn Knights & Castles (Young Fun Studio, €29.99 / £26.99) – Finally, Moorhuhn strikes back! Get set, aim, fire… and never neglect your own cover. Fight against the AI, your friends… or your enemies!

Never Stop Sneakin’ (Humble Hearts, €12.99 / £11.69) – Can you believe it? That madman, Amadeus Guildenstern, just traveled through time and kidnapped all the U.S. Presidents! Yes, all of them! Even the bad ones!

Energy Invasion (EvgeniyKolpakov, €2.99 / £2.69) – Energy Invasion – an arcade game inspired by the classic Breakout. Unlike the original game, your ball does not break blocks on its own, but can launch missiles in a chosen direction. Features: – A lot of bonuses (both useful and harmful) – Bright graphic effects – Levels with dangerous enemies – Soundtrack from Nick R 61 – 25 levels in “Invasion” mode, 25 levels in “Linear” mode, ∞ levels in “Endless” mode

ACA NEOGEO Art Of Fighting 2 (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “ART OF FIGHTING 2” is a fighting game released by SNK in 1994. Twelve fighters compete to be crowned as the strongest one in the “King of Fighters” ultimate fighting championship. We didn’t quite feel that the game lived up to its immense promise when we reviewed it back in 2008 when it landed on the Wii Virtual Console, but we’ll take another look now that its made the jump to the Switch.

Of Mice and Sand (ARC SYSTEM WORKS, €9.99 / £8.99) – “Of MICE and SAND -REVISED-” puts you in charge of a desert craft and its rodent crew. Brave an alien planet, and turn your squeaking subordinates into first-class shipmates, all in the name of adventure!

Azkend 2: The World Beneath (10tons, €7.99 / £6.99) – Enjoy amazing match-three gameplay and discover one of the most astonishing worlds ever imagined. While traveling from Liverpool to New York, your ship was pulled down into a massive maelstrom. 

Switch Pre-Orders

Bayonetta (Nintendo, Conditional discount: €10.00 / £10.00 for purchasers of Bayonetta 2 on the Nintendo eShop Regular price €29.99 / £24.99) – In a coffin submerged at the bottom of a murky lake, a witch is reborn. Discover or relive the epic Bayonetta anytime, anywhere on Nintendo Switch! 

Bayonetta 2 (Nintendo, Conditional discount: €30.00 / £25.00 for purchasers of Bayonetta on the Nintendo eShop Regular price €49.99 / £39.99) – In this climactic sequel to the critically acclaimed Bayonetta action game, players will be on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Dragon Quest Builders (Nintendo, €49.99 / £39.99) – The goddess Rubiss has spoken – and you have been chosen. Dragon Quest Builders is destined for Nintendo Switch. The game is a big hit in Japan, mixing the fun of building with an overarching story and the combat of an action-RPG. You’ll master the art of construction, build your own towns however you want, defend them from monsters, and rescue townsfolk in need. Succeed and you may just rebuild Alefgard, the very same world where the series began. A separate free build mode allows you to build to your heart’s content with unlimited resources. And a Nintendo Switch exclusive Great Sabrecub will boost your speed and grant you special material by defeating enemies.

Kirby Star Allies (Nintendo, €59.99 / £49.99 for pre-orders until 15.03.2018, 23:59 local time Regular price €59.99 / £49.99) – Game description : The pink puff is back – in HD – and he’s not alone. Kirby is back – and he’s finally on the Nintendo Switch console in HD! But this time, he’s not alone. Recruit enemies by hitting them with hearts, and gather helpers for a party of up to four characters.

Wii U eShop

Breakout Defense 2 (nuGAME, €6,99 / £5.99) – Breakout Defense is a breakout game for one or two players. Play single player against the AI and aim for a high score or two player mode competing against a friend. Supports Off-TV Play mode.

Jolt Family Robot Racer (Cooply, €5,99 / £4.99) – JOLT is a fast paced, racing party game. The game at its core is a competitive platformer thatst a friend.n controls (slash attack and heavy blow) to destroy your enemies.le suits made and defend your people!ost, powerful energy source before it’s too late an array of different objects in the environment; your goal is to outperform or outright sabotage the other racers.

Special Offers

Nintendo Switch

• Black the Fall (SandSailorStudio) now €13.41 / £10.79 until Tue 23rd Jan, normally €14.90 / £11.99
• Nuclien (SPRINGLOADED) now €2.59 / £2.24 for pre-orders until Thu 18th Jan, normally €3.49 / £2.99
• Death Squared (SMG Studio) now €9.37 / £8.99 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €12.50 / £11.99
• GoNNER (Raw Fury) now €6.99 / £6.29 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €9.99 / £8.99
• Graceful Explosion Machine (Vertex Pop Inc.) now €8.99 / £6.99 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €12.99 / £9.99
• INVERSUS Deluxe (Hypersect) now €7.79 / £7.14 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €11.99 / £10.99
• Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (Asteroid Base) now €9.99 / £7.99 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €14.99 / £11.99
• Semispheres (Vivid Helix) now €6.99 / £6.29 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €9.99 / £8.99
• Severed (Drinkbox Studios) now €9.99 / £8.99 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €14.99 / £13.49
• Thimbleweed Park (Terrible Toybox) now €14.99 / £11.24 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €19.99 / £14.99
• Thumper (Drool LLC) now €13.99 / £10.71 until Mon 15th Jan, normally €19.99 / £15.99
• Tactical Mind (QubicGames) now €2.69 / £2.42 until Wed 31st Jan, normally €2.99 / £2.69

Wii U

• Severed (Drinkbox Studios) now €10.49 / £8.39 until Thu 18th Jan, normally €14.99 / £11.99

Nintendo 3DS

• Severed (Drinkbox Studios) now €10.49 / £8.39 until Thu 18th Jan, normally €14.99 / £11.99

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch

• Pokkén Tournament DXBattle Pack (Nintendo) – €14.99 / £13.49

Bundles, Demos and Themes

Nintendo Switch

• Pokkén Tournament DXBundle (Nintendo, Bundle) – €74.98 / £63.48
• Dragon Quest Builders demo (Nintendo, Demo) – Free
• Forma.8 Demo (MixedBag, Demo) – Free
• IMPLOSION (Flyhigh Works, Demo) – Free

Nintendo 3DS

• Pokémon Crystal Version (Nintendo, Virtual Console) – €9.99 / £8.99
• A super GO.ZY. family! (Rainbow, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79
• Let’s fly to Rapunzel Castle! (Rainbow, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79

That’s everything for this week – let us know what you’ll be downloading in the comments below.

DUSK is Now Available on Steam Early Access!

Battle through an onslaught of mystical backwater cultists, possessed militants & even darker forces as you attempt to discover just what lurks beneath the Earth in this retro FPS inspired by the ’90s legends.

We’re seeing the first signs of serious vulnerabilities’ impact on game developers and their games.

Epic Games’ Fortnite team in a Friday evening forum post briefly outlined how the “Meltdown” vulnerability is affecting its popular online multiplayer game.

A spokesperson addressed recent login and instability issues, saying, “All of our cloud services are affected by updates required to mitigate the Meltdown vulnerability. We heavily rely on cloud services to run our backend and we may experience further service issues due to ongoing updates.”

Meltdown has been confirmed to affect the past 20 years-worth of Intel-based systems, meaning potential wide-ranging impact on game development and online services. Security patches to protect these systems from attack cause notable slowdowns that reportedly amplify in correspondence with the CPU workload, which means cloud services are especially affected.

You can see the significant jump in CPU workload below on one of the game’s hosts following the implementation of a Meltdown patch:

For Fortnite and countless other software and services, developers will continue with the patches to mitigate vulnerabilities for the foreseeable future.

More on Meltdown and its cohort “Spectre” here.

Watch the Paladins World Championships live on Steam.

The first-ever Paladins World Championship takes place at Hi-Rez Expo, and will bring top teams from the Paladins Premier League to face off against teams from China, LATAM, Brazil, SEA, Oceania, and CIS.

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox where we bring you the latest details on upcoming games coming soon to Xbox One! This coming week we have two new games coming to Xbox: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III — available as a Games with Gold title — and the survival horror game Outbreak: The New Nightmare. Read on below for more details on these games and we’ll see you back here on Next Week on Xbox.

Games

January 01, 2018

Games with Gold Title Return as the legendary monster hunter one last time in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III. This time, Van Helsing will take up arms against his most dangerous foe yet in this explosive final chapter in this classic gothic horror third-person ARPG.

Games

January 03, 2018

Trapped in a dying city with only a few remaining survivors after a deadly virus outbreak, you’ll have to scavenge the environment for supplies, fight off the undead, and do whatever it takes to survive in this unforgiving survival horror experience.