April Fool’s Day is simultaneously one of the most fun and the most frustrating holidays of the year. While there are always some good jokes, it can make separating fact from fiction pretty tough for 24 hours, especially if you’re trying to cover the news. That said, there are quite a few good jokes floating around the gaming industry and its fringes this year, so we gathered eight of our favorites into this gallery.
Don’t see your favorite, or think we missed a great one? Post it in the comments!
PlayStation Flow (Sony)
PlayStation is going beyond VR. They’re going to make their controllers immersive in the real world, starting with the new PlayStation Flow. Ostensibly a goofy-looking pair of goggles paired with thighbands and armbands that act as controllers. All you need to do is pause any game you’re playing when you get to an underwater section, grab your PS Flow gear, and head to the pool. Activate the goggles, and dive in take control of the character in real-time. It’s goofy, but the intro video is super well done.
Big Head Mode (Heroes of the Storm)
Just what you’ve always wanted: Your favorite Heroes of the Storm characters, but with bigger heads! The new models feature chibi-style artwork on their much-larger-than-normal heads. It’s a bit disconcerting, but luckily Blizzard has rolled out new “Facecheck technology,” which they say will enhance collision “as you run headfirst into tall grass and bushes and scour for your enemies!” Of course, you’ll have to look out for those heroes who are good at headshots. They could be deadly!
See all the info at the official Heroes of the Storm website.
Chirpy coming to multiple games (Paradox Interactive)
Just a couple of days ago, we posted a mod that would remove Chirpy from Cities: Skylines. But if you’re a fan of Chirpy, Paradox Interactive has some great news. They’re bringing Chirpy (who they refer to as “Universally celebrated”) to three of their other major titles: Europa Universalis IV, Crusader Kings II and Hearts of Iron IV. If you ever wondered what 140 character communication would look like in the Middle Ages, Paradox has you covered.
See all the info on Chirpy’s migration to new titles on Paradox’s Facebook page.
MS-DOS for Windows Mobile (Microsoft)
Microsoft’s mobile business has been struggling of late, but they’ve finally hit upon an idea that might springboard it to success: MS-DOS for mobile. If you ever worked on DOS, you’ll be able to find your way around, as you need to type “DIR” to list apps, and “CD” to change directories. It’s super nostalgic, and actually really cool.
You can see all the info on the Windows Mobile Store.
Dial-Up Mode (Google Fiber)
You ever get the feeling that your internet connection is just too damn fast? Me neither. Luckily, Google is here to watch out for us. Worried that we don’t have enough downtime, Google is introducing “Dial-up mode.” Just activate it, and your connection will instantly slow down to the level we experienced while trying to play Doom 2 online. This, says Google, will give you more free time to spend with your family, to text your mom, or just to relax with some meditation.
No one’s clicking that button, right?
Mechanical Gaming Mouse (Corsair)
There has always been an arms race fo sorts among major gaming mouse manufacturers, but Corsair is reaching back into the past for their newest product – the M63MM Mechanical Gaming Mouse. “The ‘M’ is for mechanical,” they remind us. How do you replicate the classic feel of a mechanical keyboard in a mouse? With the awesome tactile sensation of a ball. I don’t know whether to laugh at all the great “ball” jokes, or just shake my head.
T.I.N.D.R. / Fake Patch Notes (World of Warcraft)
There’s no better way to celebrate April Fool’s day than by helping your World of Warcraft followers fall in love. At least, that’s what Blizzard thinks. Once you acquire a T.I.N.D.R. Box and apply it to a follower, they’ll spend countless hours swiping left and right looking for that special someone. Blizzard also teased the patch notes for patch 6.1.4 on their EU site, including notes about Warcraft: The Movie: The Game: The Movie, the renaming of the Undead faction to Walkers, and a whole lot more nonsense. All in all, it was a pretty good year for WoW April Fool’s jokes.
See more about the T.I.N.D.R. Box and read the complete (and completely ridiculous) patch notes on Battle.net.
Game of Thrones Clue / Mad Max Powerwheels / The real Steam Machine (ThinkGeek)
ThinkGeek often has my favorite April Fool’s jokes disguised as products, and this year was no exception. First they had Game of Thrones Clue, which while awesome, seems like it would be a bit tough to sort out just one killer. Next up was Mad Max Powerwheels, which I would totally buy for my son. Finally, they showed off the “real” Steam Machine, a PC that runs on steam power generated by burning coal or any other solid fuel. While these threee were my favorite, there were plenty more made up products as well.
You can see them all at ThinkGeek.com.
