Every month, the gaming industry releases over a hundred games on distribution platform such as Steam, and every month, the folks at OpNoobs look at each closely, to make a selection of what they believe are the Top 10 most significant releases.
OPN's DevLounge Monthly brings together industry professionals for a lively conversation on Twitch, to reflect upon the highlighted games of the month and bring insight on their significance for the indie gaming movement as a whole.
The OpNoobs organizers present each title and the studio behind them to a panel of game developers, after which they open the floor to commentaries. The conversation has a free form format, therefore allowing for flexibility in topics approached, whether the focus lies on the game itself, its genre, competitors and predecessors, or the studio, its creators and developers.
THE PANEL
LOGAN DE MELT
Lead Producer, Signal Studios
Website: http://www.signalstudios.net/
Logan started his video game career as a Game Master for Ever Quest in 2000 and found his a different path which led him to competitive gaming in MLG. After setting aside his Halo 2 glory days, he joined THQ which took him all over the world and to several other development houses such as Relic, Gas Powered Games, 5th Cell, and Pandemic Studios. He moved to the Seattle area to join WB Games to ship Fear 2 and Scribblenauts which lead to joining the brand newly formed Uber Entertainment for Monday Night Combat. He has been at Signal Studios now for over 5 years and never happier =)
CHRISTOPHER NATSUUME
Creative Director and co-founder of Boomzap Entertainment
Website: http://www.boomzap.com/
Producer of the original Far Cry, Chris Natsuume has been actively working as a designer, producer, and director in the game industry since 1992, with credits on almost 50 games. Currently, Chris is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Boomzap Entertainment, one of the pioneers of the virtual studio environment (100% home-based and pants optional).
SHANE NEVILLE
Founder, Ninja Robot Dinosaur
Website: http://nrdland.com/
Shane Neville is a 20-year game industry veteran whose credits include hits such as Need for Speed, Company of Heroes and Shellrazer. Shane went indie in 2010, founding Ninja Robot Dinosaur, working solo or with small teams to make games that often feature ninjas, robots and/or dinosaurs. Shane's latest title is Bunker Punks, which is currently in Early Access on Steam, it doesn't have dinosaurs... yet.
JUSTIN PAPPAS
Ape Law Founder, Creative Director
Website: http://www.boomzap.com/
To make game for to give to man! Justin’s Ape Law exists to explore and experiment with games as the next great storytelling medium. He formed the studio in the summer of 2013 in Cambridge, Mass. Justin has worked as a level designer on games like 'BioShock: Infinite' and the 'Tomb Raider' reboot and moved onto the indie scene in 2011 as the level design lead on 'Chivalry: Medieval Warfare' and is now the creative director and level builder/designer for 'Albino Lullaby'. The studio is comprised of other industry vets, who have worked on a myriad of games from 'Borderlands' to 'Lord of the Rings Online' and at studios like Warner Brothers, Hasbro and Harmonix. We are spread out over the north east coast of North America, Toronto down to Austin and communicate primarily over Skype.
OPN TEAM
Frederic Brizzi, OpNoobs President
Shane Gamez, OpNoobs Executive Producer
GAME COUNTDOWN, IN YOUTUBE ORDER
#10 – Twixel
RELEASE DATE: 11/18
THE GAME
Control two independent pixels as you avoid any and all obstacles in the crazily hard and addictive game that is Twixel!
THE STUDIO
My name is Daniel Carreras, I’m 28 and British. I’m a graduate from the University of Brighton in Computing (Started as Computer Science (Games)) and am currently looking to make my mark on the Gaming industry in some way. Currently writing for VGChartz.com whilst developing my own indie games. Not sure where my specialisation is just yet, but I could literally talk about the state of the gaming industry for hours.
#9 - hack_me
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 1 2016
THE GAME
Hack_me is a hacker simulator game. The main objective in game – is to hack big companies's servers to show people that there is nothing in this world that protected on 100%. You’ll need to use your cmd, bruteforce, SQL-injectors and other programs to hack servers.
THE STUDIO
All we know about hack_me is that it was developed by Egor Magurin and published by Megawatts Co.
#8 - The Revenge of Johnny Bonasera
RELEASE DATE: 11/17
THE GAME
This is the story of Johnny Bonasera, a kid that was beaten and humiliated by a gang punk. Fueled by an insatiable desire for revenge, Johnny Bonasera promises revenge against each of the punks who humbled him. One by one. Unscrupulous. Mercilessly.
ABOUT THE STUDIO
All we know about The Revenge of Johnny Bonasera is that it was developed by Rafael García
#7- Second Coming
RELEASE DATE: 11/1
THE GAME
Second Coming is a sci-fi cartoon gamebook with turn-based 3D battles (xcom-style). It is a sci-fi adventure where you and your team explore an alien ship and uncovers its secrets. This game will appeal to both gamebook enthusiasts as more traditional gamers - extending the gamebook format with digital effects and narration. The story explores the concept of origin of life and alien civilizations.
THE STUDIO
Seen in a Dream is a consultant, developer, 3D-thinkerer and author of fiction. I develop story driven products togheter with my studio Seen in a Dream Studio, be it books, games, education or other.
#6 - Planet Coaster
RELEASE DATE: 11/17
THE GAME
Planet Coaster® - the future of coaster park simulation games has arrived! Surprise, delight and thrill incredible crowds as you build your coaster park empire - let your imagination run wild, and share your success with the world.
THE STUDIO
Frontier Developments plc (formerly Frontier Developments Ltd.) is a British video game developer based in Cambridge, England founded in January 1994. The company is headed by David Braben as chief executive officer. It has produced several games in the Elite series, including 2014's Elite: Dangerous. A second studio, Frontier Developments Inc., was opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in August 2012, headed by David Walsh as its president, and closed again in January 2015. In 2013, the company reincorporated as a public limited company to enter the stock market.
#5 – The Sims 4: City Living
RELEASE DATE: 11/1
THE GAME
From Willow Creek to Newcrest, your Sims have enjoyed life in the suburbs. The yard. The jogging. The large, luxurious houses. Don't you think it's time they move somewhere a little... busier? We agree, and that's why we're happy to announce The Sims 4 City Living Expansion Pack*, which releases on PC and Mac on November 1, 2016.
THE STUDIO
EA Maxis is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA), serving as one of its four major video game development labels. The company was originally founded in 1987 as Maxis Software, an American independent video game development company, and later simply became known as Maxis. Most Maxis titles are simulation-based. Maxis founder Will Wright likens them to "digital dollhouses".Maxis has also released games developed by other production houses, such as A-Train (1992, for Artdink) and SimTower (1994 for OPeNBook Co., Ltd.). Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims (2000), its first major sequel The Sims 2 (2004), and the majority of their later expansions. After much restructuring of The Sims series development after The Sims 2, which saw development relegated to the new The Sims Studio (which later became absorbed into Maxis), the company released The Sims 4 in September 2014. Maxis' Emeryville studio was closed in March 2015, moving development of Maxis titles to other EA studio locations. Employees of the Emeryville studio were offered other positions within Maxis and other EA studios. In an organisational restructure later in September, the now consolidated Maxis team was moved to function alongside EA Mobile.
#4 - Football Manager 2017
RELEASE DATE: 11/4
THE GAME
Take control of your favorite soccer team in Football Manager 2017, the most realistic and immersive soccer management game to date. It’s the closest thing to doing the job for real!
THE DEVELOPER
Sports Interactive Ltd. is a British video game development company, who is best known for the Football Manager series. Based in Old Street, Central London, the studio is wholly owned by the Japanese video game company, Sega. In addition to its work on Football Manager, the studio has also created a number of other sports management simulations including NHL Eastside Hockey Manager and Championship Manager Quiz, and is the former developer of Championship Manager.
#3 - Watch Dogs 2
RELEASE DATE: 11/15
THE GAME
Welcome to San Francisco. Play as Marcus, a brilliant young hacker, and join the most notorious hacker group, DedSec. Your objective: execute the biggest hack of history.
THE STUDIO
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment Software until 2003, commonly referred to as Ubisoft) is a French multinational video game developer and publisher, headquartered in Rennes, France. It is known for developing games for several acclaimed video game franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Just Dance, Rainbow Six, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Watch Dogs and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
#2 – Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
RELEASE DATE: 11/4
THE GAME
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will take players on an unforgettable journey as they engage in heroic battles from Earth to beyond our atmosphere against a relentless, enemy faction that threatens our very way of life.
THE STUDIO
Infinity Ward is an American video game developer. They developed the video game Call of Duty, along with five other installments in the Call of Duty series. Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, and Jason West established Infinity Ward in 2002 after working at 2015, Inc. previously.[2][3] All of the 22 original team members of Infinity Ward came from the team that had worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault while at 2015, Inc. Activision helped fund Infinity Ward in its early days, buying up 30 percent of the company. The studio's first game, World War II shooter Call of Duty, was released on the PC in 2003. The day after the game was released, Activision snapped up the rest of Infinity Ward, signing employees to long-term contracts. Infinity Ward went on to make Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Ghosts and most recently announced Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
#1 – Dishonored 2
RELEASE DATE: 11/11
THE GAME
Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2 – the follow up to Arkane Studio's first-person action blockbuster and winner of more than 100 'Game of the Year' awards, Dishonored. Play your way in a world where mysticism and industry collide.
THE STUDIO
Arkane Studios SASU (formerly Arkane Studios SA) is a French video game developer based in Lyon, France. It was founded in 1999, and released its first game, Arx Fatalis, in 2002. Arkane Studios opened a second studio, Arkane Studios Austin, in Austin, Texas in July 2006.
