Today's Best And Worst April Fools' Jokes In Gaming
It's April 1st on the Internet, which means a non-stop barrage of goofs, gags, and pranks. Some are funny; others are... misguided. We're rounding them up for you right here.
Frostbite's April Fools' Joke Is Kinda Mean [UPDATE: EA Apologizes]
UPDATE (5:41pm): EA COO Peter Moore has apologized for Frostbite's comments, calling them "unacceptable/stupid" on Twitter this afternoon.
As Usual, Blizzard Has The Best April Fools' Joke
Every year in the world of video games, there are two certainties: 1) Half-Life 3 will not be announced; and 2) Blizzard will have the best April Fools' joke around.
Google's Early April Fools' Joke: Hiring 'Pokémon Masters'
It's March 31st, and already the April Fools' pranks are flooding in. One of the first? Google is hiring Pokémon masters.
The North Korean Version Of Draw Something Looks Incredible
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--iTorj1Ol--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jbqvt3hymkijpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--YnZXFsos--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jbqvt3hymkijpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TMVCZc9i--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jbqvt3hymkijpg.jpg, (large)])
I wish this wasn't being published on April 1. I wish I was writing this on any other day of the year, when this could possibly be a real thing that I could actually play.
Ah, The Beautiful, Serene Experience Of Journey's Rocket Death Match…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--u1YcTpsg--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jb2yvxx29nyjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--p-0MZds5--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jb2yvxx29nyjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6bXp7fWJ--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jb2yvxx29nyjpg.jpg, (large)])
Journey is a beautiful, sometimes somber travel against wind, snow, and loneliness. Your silent interactions with strangers are poetic and more meaningful than exchanged words. And now it comes with rocket-equipped death matches.
You Do Not Tease the Return of the Terrifying Creepy Watson
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6pJe1xTm--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jasxjfcxiygjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--b5-9Z8k4--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jasxjfcxiygjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--lONsjAMb--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jasxjfcxiygjpg.jpg, (large)])
This is not something you joke about, Focus Home Interactive. Once you invoke Creepy Watson, there is no going back.
An 8-Bit, Co-Op Deus Ex Game Is A Cruel, Cruel April Fools' Joke
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--UI95ZCFt--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jakdsks8sirjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--t9t7M0Tj--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jakdsks8sirjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--_iuk85uG--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jakdsks8sirjpg.jpg, (large)])
The problem with April Fools' jokes is that 50% of the time I wish the prank product was actually real. Eidos Montreal contributes to the problem with their version of a prank: the "reveal" of an 8-bit Deus Ex game.
Whatever It Is, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is Looking More and More Bizarre
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--z6apCjmM--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jagrwdjskehjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--F9VgF7u3--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jagrwdjskehjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6WIQZj8v--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jagrwdjskehjpg.jpg, (large)])
This Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon thing simply will not quit. Yes, I know today is April Fools' Day, but god damn, whatever this is—a film, a game extension, a fantastic hoax—Ubisoft did get it rated by the freaking Australian Classification Board (where it got an 18+ for a "high impact sex scene.")
'You Can Play As A Door For The Rest Of The Game' - Dishonored's…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4OfZs3qR--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jafne9ktgmijpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--fR7YdYWt--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jafne9ktgmijpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--g23K17zp--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jafne9ktgmijpg.jpg, (large)])
Sometimes developer diaries are boring. This April Fools developer diary, brilliantly delivered by Dishonored directors Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith, is not boring. It is amazing. Watch it.
Reminder: It's April 1. Don't Believe Everything You Read. Especially…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ESH1Z3PZ--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/18jbd48i22p55jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QDto7gOD--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/18jbd48i22p55jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--bIRw1Ubc--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jbd48i22p55jpg.jpg, (large)])
It's getting tiresome, we know, and aside from a gifted minority most "gags" are an annoyance (at best), but so long as people still think April 1 is a green light for them to try and be funny, other people will read websites expecting news and items of interest and instead see lies.
Up Close with the iPlay, the Apple Gaming Console That Doesn't Exist
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--OjtBa2sw--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/18ja1qgb35o7gjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6tem9ir_--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/18ja1qgb35o7gjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--bJtm5YGV--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18ja1qgb35o7gjpg.jpg, (large)])
Today, game website IGN showed the launch trailer for the iPlay. It's poised as Apple's effort at video game hardware. And it's totally made up.
This Fully-Playable 16-Bit Wonderland is Guild Wars 2's Idea of a Joke
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--SK0161b3--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/18j7tawhdns3bjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--9dGNYlcZ--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/18j7tawhdns3bjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--iqxCHmsi--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j7tawhdns3bjpg.jpg, (large)])
Originally planned as a fake 8-bit update to celebrate April Fools' Day, Super Adventure Box grew into an expansive three-level homage to the golden age of gaming available to Guild Wars 2 players the length of April, because ArenaNet.
April Fools! All of These Announcements Are Fake—but Which Ones are…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--XyPI-pNy--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/17i99ojtoz8tijpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--86FAMMm9--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/17i99ojtoz8tijpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4J3H3lDl--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17i99ojtoz8tijpg.jpg, (large)])
Alright, it may be a Sunday, but it's still April Fools' Day, a very special day in video gaming, and many of its companies, studios and merchants are pulling hoaxes and stunts, and making gag announcements. So let's round up as many as we can here!
Here's the Great, Painful Trailer For Fake Assassin's Creed Kinect
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6hExyGYV--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18qt1w92nful6jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4tXvI_AG--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18qt1w92nful6jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--fmhqfJXA--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18qt1w92nful6jpg.jpg, (large)])
If Assassin's Creed really was made to be played entirely with crazy gestures via the Xbox Kinect, it would be a) horrible, b) amazing or c) the cause for many, many injuries.
Notch's Next Game (Really, Trust Us) is 'Mars Effect'
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hkQAvGoe--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/17i6fzjybe1q5png.png, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--nvvfRg8D--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/17i6fzjybe1q5png.png, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--RwHvtjDi--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17i6fzjybe1q5png.png, (large)])
A couple weeks back, Markus "Notch" Persson said he wanted to explore the possibility of a space-trading Firefly-inspired sandbox game akin to Firefly. It now appears that was a huge put-on.
Google Announces Google Maps — for the Nintendo Entertainment System…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--zUJVUVIE--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18r4uneplpq5xjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--PixTsc5L--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18r4uneplpq5xjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--nXW56u3L--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18r4uneplpq5xjpg.jpg, (large)])
The undisputed Internet-age leader in April Fool's hoaxes gets a one-day head start on its latest gag—a brilliant announcement video for "Google Maps 8-Bit," a port of the popular, well, map service to the Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicon. The best part? It's an homage to Dragon Quest.
It's Time for the Worst Day in Video Gaming: April Fool's
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--UoCoah2T--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/17i2yjtvs6baojpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--6TqMVEJ1--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/17i2yjtvs6baojpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GmSgkEsp--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17i2yjtvs6baojpg.jpg, (large)])
The self-publishing capability of the Internet and the concept of viral spread has definitely made this holiday more hazardous for credulous reader and skeptical newsman alike over the past 12 years. But video gaming,…
Let's Close Out April Fool's With This Unbeatable Minecraft Office Prank
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--PkODuvV9--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18hczcftujnp8jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--sqw2ZjCF--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18hczcftujnp8jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TKtAu7EY--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18hczcftujnp8jpg.jpg, (large)])
Closing out this April Fool's Day is a prank that is 100 percent truthful in its awesomeness. At Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Greenview Data, the co-workers of one Minecraft-addicted employee, Matt, converted his cubicle into a Minecraft cave anyone could be proud of, in game or in real life.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--XDfqD52L--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18hczh9gcq56ojpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--zFfH5A0z--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18hczh9gcq56ojpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--zOw0-BUe--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18hczh9gcq56ojpg.jpg, (large)])