Gaming at NYCC 2017: Panels and Booths You Should Definitely Check Out
Gaming at NYCC
New York Comic-Con is a mecca for geekdom and gaming has, and always will, have a presence. In years past, NYCC has provided demos of upcoming blockbusters like Halo 4, Pokemon X and Y, Dead Rising 4, Street Fighter V, Final Fantasy XV, and plenty of others. With that said, getting your hands on the most buzz-worthy upcoming titles at NYCC can be a bit hit or miss. This year’s ‘upcoming’ big name titles like Call of Duty: WWII, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Middle Earth: Shadow Of War, or Assassin’s Creed Origins probably won’t be making an appearance on the show floor. Still, there should be a healthy dose of gaming related goodness to be had. Here’s a few interesting players in the Gaming at NYCC space:
PANELS
Celebrate 25 Years of Mortal Kombat
October 08, 2017, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Location: 1A24
Mortal Kombat is a legendary franchise in the gaming industry. It’s beginnings were humble and modest if you listen to the stories that founders like Master Daniel Pesina (yes, he is a real life master of martial arts). With budget level special effects (and animation for that matter), Mortal Kombat ran on a custom engine that many fighting games only wish they could have reproduced. Twenty-five years later and the franchise has sold millions of copies and spawned a couple of big budget Hollywood films as well. People who aren’t even gamers know the name, so what is next for this legendary game?
This panel should be interesting as co-founder Ed Boon goes through the history of the franchise and possibly its future. Fans of the franchise should definitely attend.
Panels like this don’t often have big announcements, but some have in the past. With Injustice 2 recently released by NetherRealm Studios, don’t look for a new Mortal Kombat game announcement. Still, there may be word of a ‘Making of’ style film or possibly word on the R-rated reboot that has been in the works for the past few years. Either way, this should be a fun panel.
Bringing Images To Life: First Look at Square Enix’s Take on Japanese Manga in VR
October 05, 2017, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Room: 1A21
Virtual Reality hasn’t quite been the ‘must-have’ tech it was thought to be about a year ago but the push is still real. While VR isn’t all the buzz as it used to be, the number of VR games and units grows each month. This panel looks to dive into Square Enix’s efforts to leap into VR which should be interesting. Gangan Comics is Square Enix’s imprint in the manga-sphere and they’ve enough titles to keep the effort interesting. If you’re a manga-head and know of any of these titles, this panel could definitely be interesting. VR is ill… especially when you’re using someone else’s rig for free!
Sea of Thieves – A New Kind Of Multiplayer Experience
October 07, 2017, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Room: 1A05
Seas of Thieves is Microsoft’s Xbox One exclusive multiplayer adventure developed by Rare. Gamers will recognize Rare for developing Goldeneye 007 (N64), the Killer Instinct series, Donkey Kong Country series, Battletoads, and more. This new effort has been teased and shown off at E3 as the next big Xbox One exclusive (and if you ask me, Xbox needs this one to be a hit).
Let’s face it. Pirate games are fun. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag was proof of that. Sea of Thieves apparently looks to be a coop paradise of lootin’, swashbucklin’, shootin’, and rum guzzlin’. In my mind, I’m thinking Destiny with pirates (though I’ve honestly not seen enough about the game to accurately say that’s the case). This panel should provide quite a bit of details on where they are in development and what the game will feature. Is there a story mode? What does it take to become a captain? Are there dreaded microtransactions? Can I have a foul mouthed parrot?
World of Capcom
October 06, 2017, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Room: 1A10
Photo Credit: NintendoToday.com
Capcom ALWAYS has a decent size presence at NYCC and this year is no different. The World of Capcom panel is like a State of the Nation address for fans of games like Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, Resident Evil, and so many more. There is even another panel specifically for the recently released Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite game detailing upcoming DLC, modes, and news. Pro gamers and those looking to go pro in the fighting game-o-sphere will definitely want to hit up that panel.
Capcom will probably use this panel to detail the future of their popular franchises including the upcoming and highly anticipated Monster Hunter World title due to drop January 26th, 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One. Fans of this series and other Capcom games will certainly want to attend this panel. Their booth should be a hot one as well with playable demos of various games and almost assuredly will have giveaways!
Skybound Interactive – The World Of Walking Dead
October 07, 2017, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
NYCC Live Stage – Booth 174
Photo Credit: uploadvr.com
Skybound (comics publisher of The Walking Dead) has their own game development outfit that has cranked out a few titles (mostly mobile) using The Walking Dead license. With all the uber fans that will be walking the aisles of the show floor and moaning for ANYTHING related to their fandom, this panel should satisfy that need. With TellTale Game’s point-and-click adventure series nearing it’s 4th and final season at the beginning of 2018, be sure to get some clarity on Clementine and her upcoming finale.
What will be particularly telling is if Skybound has any plans on any other console or PC based Walking Dead adventures. Their mobile strategy and RPG games are ok, but I’m certain the gaming community would love a third person adventure of the scale and immersion of The Last of Us or Days Gone. This is doubtful but a brotha can dream.
Other Gaming Related Panels
Here are a few other panels that were listed as ‘gaming related’ that may be of interest
Gaming in Libraries – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/48584/Gaming-in-Libraries
Troy Baker Interview – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/49799/Troy-Baker-Interview
Geeks of Color, 5th Edition – Getting In The Door – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/48671/Geeks-of-Color-5th-Edition-Getting-in-the-Door
Walking Dead March To War mobile game Interview (stage) – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/50024/The-Walking-Dead-March-To-War-Developer-Interview
Black Heroes Matter – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/48700/Black-Heroes-Matter
Inside Total War:ARENA – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/50015/Inside-Total-War-ARENA
Capcom Presents: Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/49806/Capcom-Presents-Street-Fighter-and-Marvel-vs-Capcom-Infinite
Ni no Kuni II and Code Vein Gameplay Showcase –
http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/49800/Ni-no-Kuni-II-and-Code-Vein-Gameplay-Showcase
Smosh Games – http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/48655/Smosh-Games-Returns-to-NYCC
SHOW FLOOR BOOTHS
By looking at the show floor map, Square Enix, Capcom, and Bandai Namco return with decent sized booths that will assuredly have a bunch of stations featuring playable demos for their recent releases. Here are a couple more of particular interest to gamers:
Lionsgate Games
The film studio Lionsgate started their gaming division back in 2014 and it looks as if they are ready to start pushing out something. They’ve invested in TellTale games so I wouldn’t be surprised if a Hunger Games, Expendables, Twilight, or John Wick game pops it’s head out here. From what’s been advertised so far, this booth will have a ‘new augmented reality game The Walking Dead: Our World and leading mobile games, Saban’s Power Rangers: Legacy Wars as well as The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’.
Just seeing the words ‘augmented reality game’ inspires game-gasms galore! Augmented reality (think Pokemon Go!) is the next big tech this side of virtual reality so hopeful this game has a good showing.
Behavior Digital – Dead by Daylight
Behavior Digital are the minds behind a pretty successful 1 versus 4 game called Dead By Daylight. In this game, you take on the role of horror movie slashers like Leatherface, a ghost, and other serial murderer types and try to trap and capture player controlled survivors. The game has a great concept but has had a mixed responses. Still, with the developer working on it continuously and hoping to add more content and improvements, this game should be interesting for those on the show floor who’ve never tried the game and want to see what it is about.
And there you have it! Gaming at NYCC always has so much to see and do throughout the 4 days it occupies the Javits Center and this listing certainly doesn’t capture it all. With Twitch.tv on the scene, other gaming personalities probably roaming the floor, as well as fringe tournaments either on the NYCC stage or at satellite locations, this weekend will assuredly find ways to keep convention gamers attention! Enjoy!
