A trailer for A Minecraft Movie premiered and I’m surprised it’s taken this long. After the massive success of the Sonic and Super Mario movies, it was inevitable. Minecraft isn’t known for its graphics so it’s jarring to see a cubed, 3D CGI Minecraft world. I’m not sure I like it. The cast has promise: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks (Taystee from Orange is the New Black), Jermaine Clement, and Kate McKinnon. Jack Black was great in Super Mario Bros but his Borderlands movie tanked. Can his next gaming flick be a win? Prepare yourself for Minecraft overload in 2025, we already have bath bombs, but I am sure we’ll see everything: cars, toys, cereal, even grapes.

• More gaming themed LEGO Sets are coming:

  • The first ever Legend of Zelda LEGO set!

  • Fortnite - I love the Battle Bus and mini-figs. Only makes sense with the LEGO Fortnite game.

  • Dungeons & Dragons Mini-figs! Mini-figs for tabletop games will print money for LEGO.

• Stemuli is creating video games to shape the education experience and help prepare kids for any type of career - really interesting space to watch.

• Video game development is like a lottery - sometimes games pop and sometimes they are dead on arrival. New IP is tricky which is why you see a lot of sequels. Sony pulled the plug on Concord less than two weeks after launching. In development for 8 years and rumored to have cost at least $100M, yet dead in 2 weeks.

World of Warcraft

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a new expansion, The War Within, WoW is the biggest and most popular online game of all time. World of Warcraft was (and still is) a global phenomenon, in the past it had ads featuring Mr. T and was in South Park, How I Met Your Mother, and more.

WoW is based upon the Warcraft universe (from the original RTS games) where the Horde and the Alliance battle it out. Players choose a side, a race (human, orc, etc), and a class (warrior, mage, etc) before exploring the world. They level up and gain equipment by defeating enemies and completing quests before raiding (battling through a dungeon of boss fights) with other players.

The Basics:

Released: 2004 (latest expansion was August 26, 2024)

Platforms: PC (Windows & Mac)

Pricing: Free up to Level 20, $14.99/mo subscription. The War Within Expansion is $49.99

Not everyone’s screen will look the same because WoW allows players to mod the UI to change what it shows and how it shows it. At a high level, this is what you’ll see:

1. Health Bar - Keep track of your health and resources such as mana or energy

2. Buff + Debuffs - Shows the current power ups or negative effects on your character

3. Minimap - See nearby objectives or items to gather

4. Damage / healing meters - Used to see your real time performance in an encounter (or for post analysis)

5. Character - Your character is in the middle of the screen, with other players and NPCs inhabiting the world with you

   1. Blue names - other players

   2. Green names - friendly NPCs

   3. Yellow names - neutral NPCs

   4. Red names - hostile NPCs

6. Chat - Chats with other players, your guild, or whispers to friends, show up here. This will also be your combat log

7. Ability Hotbar - A customizable bar for your abilities, spells, or items

8. Menu Bar - Buttons that open up various menus: character sheet (to manage gear), inventory, etc. You also access game menus to change settings.

demure: (adjective) - modest, reserved, serious. Currently a massive TikTok and social trend with a bit of a sarcastic take on the “very demure, very mindful” way to do things.

“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful. I don’t look like a clown when I come to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work.”

MOBAs, FPS, & RTS, Oh My!

Game genres are so diverse (and full of acronyms). We’re breaking down some of the major ones. Many games ‘borrow’ from multiple genres but this is a good primer:

• FPS (First-Person Shooter): Played from the protagonist's perspective, often with a heads-up display. Ex: VALORANT, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty

• Third-Person Shooter: Played from behind the character, showing the character and the environment. Ex: Gears of War, Resident Evil

• RTS (Real-Time Strategy): Real-time skirmishes with small squads, requiring quick decision-making. Ex: StarCraft

• Turn-Based Strategy: Players take turns making moves, allowing for more strategic and deliberate gameplay. Examples: XCOM, Heroes of Might & Magic

• 4X (EXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate): Involve long-term strategy and empire building. Ex: Civilization, Endless Space, Stellaris

• RPG (Role-Playing Games): Focus on character development, storytelling, and often open-ended gameplay. Ex: Elder Scrolls, Baldur’s Gate

• ARPG (Action RPG): Emphasizes real-time combat, character progression, and lots of battles, usually isometric view Ex: Diablo

• JRPG (Japanese RPG): Typically features turn-based combat, deep storytelling, and often anime-inspired visuals. Ex: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona

• MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG): RPG gameplay with a massive online environment. Ex: World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online

• MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena): Teams competing to destroy the opposing team's base. Ex: Dota 2, League of Legends

• Adventure: Emphasize story, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Ex: Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption

• Platformer: Primarily involve jumping and navigating through levels. Ex: Super Mario Bros

• Souls-Like: Challenging games with tough enemies, sparse checkpoints, and atmospheric settings. Ex: Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

• Metroidvania: Combine platforming, exploration, upgrades unlocking new areas, and RPG elements. Ex: Metroid, Castlevania, Hollow Knight

• Simulation: Mimic real-world activities, often focusing on realism and management. Ex: The Sims, Farming Simulator, PowerWash Simulator

• Sports: Simulate real-world sports. Ex: NBA 2K, Madden, FIFA

• Rhythm: Require players to press buttons in time with music or other sounds. Ex: Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution

• Puzzler: Challenge players to solve problems using logic and reasoning. Ex: Portal, Tetris, The Witness

• Fighting: One-on-one combat, often with special moves and combos. Ex: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken

• Survival: Players must survive in hostile environments by gathering resources and managing health. Ex: Minecraft, Don't Starve, Rust

• Battle Royale: Large groups of players compete in a last-man-standing format. Ex: Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone

Now that your students are stocked with our back to school must haves, here’s how they can get involved with gaming at school.

College:

• If they want to compete:

  • Find their school’s info here & reach out early to get on their radar as there’s no recruiting portal.

• If they want just want to find like-minded students:

  • More than likely there’s already a club at their school, if so, have them go to their events

  • If there isn’t a club, they’ll need to work with a student life advisor to start one

    • A tip once it’s created: Host diverse events like VALORANT nights, Smash, TCG or board game nights to cater to all gamers.

• Join the Genius League - a dedicated Discord to grow collegiate esports and to provide internships, mentorships, and career development for students.

High School & Middle School Students:

• PlayVS is a great place to start at this age (check their site to see if your school has a program):

  • High School portal

  • Middle School portal

School started over here, so gaming has taken a bit of a backseat but in the next few issues we’ll be touching on the 2024 upcoming game releases, Halloween games, and costumes for gamers.

GLHF,

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring (I only get a few hours a week, so I fear I’ll be playing this until I retire)