Kotaku: Battlestar Galactica

Tricia Helfer to Address NVIDIA Visual Computing Conference

Owen Good — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Tricia Helfer has about two months to work on her speech, because she's the latest in the keynote lineup for NVIDIA's visual computing conference in San Jose in late August. And, being a hot former-supermodel-turned-actress and all, she had better come up with something good or I expect all the ~~geeks~~ ~~fanboys~~ industry luminaries in attendance will say, in unision, "NOT NEWS," and get up and leave or something. Happens to me all the time, and I'm stunning.

Helfer, a former supermodel and now an actress, is "Number Six" on "Battlestar Galactica" and was also General Kilian Qatar in Command and Conquer 3. So, she's got the chops to talk to gamers and sci-fi fans on their level. But I'm sure they'd listen to her read a phone book, too. Fortunately, she'll be giving a perspective on "how advancements in visual computing are impacting the entertainment industry," according to an NVIDIA release.

Attendees of NVISION, the conference, may also meet Tricia at the NVISION 08 GeForce LAN event — where attendees bringing their own computer can participate in the attempt on a Guinness World Record by playing PC games non-stop for three straight days. There will also be a Girl Gamer Zone "dedicated to all female gamers who wish to play together and support female gaming."

The conference is in San Jose from Aug. 25 to 27. I'll try to infiltrate the Girl Gamer Zone. I'm a former San Josean so, I know every local custom, can speak their language, blend in, just like Marcus Brody. I might also need some phone numbers for fact checking later, you know.

NVISION 2008 [NVIDIA]

BSG Advergame Channels Every Extend Extra

Mike Fahey — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:40:59 MST

Casual game developer Blackdot has created one of the best Battlestar Galactica video games ever by taking a proven concept and slapping on Battlestar graphics. Raptor's Revenge, the free to play advergame created to coincide with the release of Battlestar Galactica: Razor on DVD, is pretty much Every Extend Extra. Your Raptor is out of guns and has switched to nukes, seemingly detonating itself amidst waves of Cylon forces, creating chain reactions that take out massive numbers of enemies at a time. It actually plays pretty well, and would be quite enjoyable if not for the long, unskippable trailer that plays out before every game. Annoying, but necessary. Them DVDs ain't gonna sell themselves now.

Raptor's Revenge At Kewlbox [Kewlbox.com]

Battlestar Galactica And Mass Effect Fuse Into Pure Love

Mark Wilson — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:33 MDT

Some ~~smart~~ ~~brilliant~~ Nobel Prize candidate PR expert came up with what may be the cause of the biggest geekgasm in the history of the world. To promote Mass Effect, Microsoft has joined up with Sci Fi to bring the 2-hour Battlestar Galactica: Razor to movie theaters in major cities across the US on November 12th—two weeks before it debuts on television.

And it's totally free. And it's Battlestar. And it's Mass Effect. And I have to change my pants. Now register quickly because my theater is already booked full.

Battlestar Galactica and Exit This Wednesday

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:20:12 MDT

The first Battlestar Galactica game since that really bad one hit back on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox is coming to an Xbox 360 near you this Wednesday. The space combat game features single player missions taken from important moments in the new series as well as three different multiplayer modes: skirmish, domination, and firefight. Up to 8 players can take to the spaceways in any of four human or four Cylon ships, each with unique capabilities and weapons. If space combat isn't your thing there's always Exit, the Xbox Live Arcade version of the PSP puzzle game that puts you in the shoes of Mr. ESC, a hero who rescues people from disastrous situations and then puts them to work in solving any of 120 stages, with more promised with future updates. I'll be getting BG myself, as I've been a slave to space combat since Privateer, Wing Commander's spunky younger brother hit back in 1993. Both games will set you back 800 Microsoft points and will be available early Wednesday morning, as per usual.

Week in Games: Decisions, Decisions Edition

fdemarco — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:00:00 MDT

So many good games coming out this week I'm afraid my bank account is going to take quite a beating. Eye of Judgment, Zak and Wiki, Ratchet & Clank, Jericho and Castlevania are all on my short list of games to get this week although one or two of them may have to wait until the cash magically replenishes itself.

The Eye of Judgment (PS3)
Battle to the death with cards and a camera.

Zack & Wiki Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
The great game with a terrible name!

Painkiller: Overdose (PC)
Once a mod, now a for real game.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
Ratchet and Clank return with another outrageous weapons arsenal.

Clive Barker's Jericho (PC, X360, PS3)
Control a team of psychic soldiers against legions of the undead.

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (X360)
Fighting planes are fun!

Mega Man ZX Advent (DS)
Mega Man returns!

Conan (X360, PS3)
The legendary barbarian graces the 360 with his twitching muscles.

Battlestar Galactica (X360, PC)
Downloadable game based on the uber popular TV series.

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (PC)
Age of Empires III spreads it's reach to the Asian Dynasties.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
All new revamped Castlevania action!

Hands-On Battlestar Galactica XBLA

Mark Wilson — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:39:55 MDT

Admiral Adama would be very disappointed in you, Sierra. Because a Battlestar XBLA title could be an amazing bite-sized piece of the show for fans to pick up and play on a whim. Instead it's a lame arena shooter without the weapon combat, controls, or maybe most importantly, almost any exploitation of the rich IP to make it a fun title.

In multiplayer, combatants fight in arena team deathmatch, Cylons vs. humans. Each ship is tiny on the screen, whipping around quickly and firing short-range guns or heat-seeking missiles. And that's the game.

Oh, there is a single-player element that is supposed to have somewhere are 8 hours of gameplay ranging several missions. Considering the limited spectrum of the basic combat (even with occasional powerups on the map) the real achievement here is how Battlestar Galactica the show—creating immersive, creative sci-fi operating on a shoestring budget—will have fans buying the title in droves.

My personal favorite part of the hands-on: the handler explains pitches me on the crazy good AI. Then he showed me what he meant. I shot at a Cylon ship. It followed me behind an asteroid.

Maybe I'm being unfair you say? Maybe I'm just a deranged fan who has hijacked a popular video game site, crying about anything less than a fullblown Mass Effect Battlestar Ultra Platinum Sprinkled In Gold And Fairy Dust Edition with photorealistic Cylon cleavage?

Well, that would be true. But Battlestar Galactica XBLA failed to meet even my most meager of expectations.

Battlestar Galactica Theme and Pics On XBL

fdemarco — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:00:00 MST

If you just can't wait for the Battlestar Galactica game to make it to Xbox Live this fall, you can content yourself with this BG theme and picture pack now available on XBL. It's available in all Xbox regions so that geeks from around the world can all share in the Battlestar Galactica goodness. Like all themes and picture packs, this one is available for the low, low price of 150 Xbox points. If you'd like to take a peek at what your getting, check it out on DashboardThemes.com. Flynn De Marco

Theme and Pictures: Battlestar Galactica Pack #1 [Major Nelson]

Battlestar Galactica Summary Coming to 360

Brian Crecente — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:00:28 MDT

Reader Matt sends us a note that the Sci-Fi Channel announced today that a one-hour summary of the Battlestar Galactica series is coming to the Xbox 360 next month. Battlestar Galatica: The Story So Far will hit right before the premiere of season 3. The special is also goin gto be hitting iTunes... strangely, I don't see any mention of it coming to the PSP. Brian Crecente