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Posts Tagged “
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exegi monumentum
Classical Gaming: A Roman Retrospective
Rock, Paper, Shotgun linked to this nice retrospective of Roman-themed games over the years, starting with Legionnaire (1982) and ending with Rome: Total War (2004). The series of musings includes wrap ups and discussion, strengths and weaknesses. I began my academic life as a classicist with a knack for lyric poetry — while I hopped ship to history (East Asian at that), I still have many reminders hanging around of those halcyon days spent with Horace and Livy. A nostalgic look back at how and why these classically-themed games have succeeded (or not) is a welcome reminder of many games I played as a youngster: More »
npd group
Americans Now Spend $1 Billion A Year On Game Subscriptions
Whenever a developer who works for a company that doesn't make MMOs pipes up and says "PC gaming is dead", they really mean they just can't make money selling what they're selling. Maybe it's because of piracy, like many say, but hey, maybe it's also because they don't make MMOs, because NPD figures released today show that Americans spent over $1 billion on online subscriptions last year. That money came from an estimated 11 million subscribers, the majority of whom were obviously playing WoW, with RuneScape, LotRO, FFXI and City of Heroes following (in that order) in its wake. NPD say "it's clear that there is a sizable chunk of revenue being generated by PC gaming beyond what is reflected in retail sales", and really, none of us are in a position to argue with that. More »
fallout 3
Fallout 3 Lead: "We're Console Players Now"
Worried that Fallout 3 may be a little too dumbed down for your tastes, PC fans? Course you are. The same allegations were levelled against Oblivion, if I remember correctly. Bethesda would have heard your cries, but the sound of millions of dollars in Oblivion sales kinda drowned you out. As for Fallout 3, no, they're not worried about dumbing down a PC game for console gamers at all. Well, they are, but they're equally worried about making a game too complex for console gamers! Classic rock/hard place scenario. Fallout 3 lead Emil Pagliarulo isn't worried about rocks or hard places, however, telling Next-Gen:
People like myself and some people that work here actually grew up as hardcore PC guys, and now we're older, we have kids, we don't have that much time, so we've transitioned. We're console players now.You mean the same cross-platform trend that, despite complaints from a vocal minority of trigger-happy console gamers and uppity PC types, brought in Oblivion's aforementioned millions? Think you'll be OK, Emil.
But we still have those PC game sensibilities. Those are the games we like. So I think BioShock has a little bit of that too. You can definitely feel the old System Shock roots in that game. So hopefully there's a trend there.
Bethesda: We Don't "Dumb Down" Franchises [Next-Gen]
wolfenstein
Yes, other games came before it, but that's just nitpicking: for 99% of gamers, the first-person shooter genre kicked off with Wolfenstein 3D, which turned 16 yesterday. Happy birthday! Having played through the original only a few months ago, it's funny how, sixteen years on, I still had more fun with Wolfenstein than I do with most modern FPS games. Maybe that says something about the pure, arcade pleasures of the game. Or (more likely) it says something about the appeal of mowing down a mechanised Hitler with a chaingun while stuffing your face with plates of bbq chicken.
[via Wired]
Happy Birthday, Wolfenstein
Yes, other games came before it, but that's just nitpicking: for 99% of gamers, the first-person shooter genre kicked off with Wolfenstein 3D, which turned 16 yesterday. Happy birthday! Having played through the original only a few months ago, it's funny how, sixteen years on, I still had more fun with Wolfenstein than I do with most modern FPS games. Maybe that says something about the pure, arcade pleasures of the game. Or (more likely) it says something about the appeal of mowing down a mechanised Hitler with a chaingun while stuffing your face with plates of bbq chicken.[via Wired]
retrospective
Perhaps The World's Only Kingpin Retrospective
Ever raved to strangers about a game they've never heard of? I have! About Kingpin. Yeah, I don't know what it was about it...it was a good shooter, but there were better shooters, it was violent, but there were more violent games...something (probably the Cypress Hill - who did the soundtrack and some of the thug's voice-acting - connection) just clicked with me, and as a bored 19 year-old uni student I played the shit out of it. So you can see why I blew a good 10 minutes on the weekend reading this excellent retrospective on the game. Why's it excellent? Because long-winded look-backs on obscure, yet heart-warming old games are always excellent.Retro: Kingpin: Life Of Crime [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
clips
Brothers in Arms: Hells' Highway -- New Trailer and Screens
Alright, time for the eye candy. Ubisoft and Gearbox send us a 90-second trailer showcasing Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, due for release in August on the 360, PS3 and PC. This simulation involves Operation: Market Garden, the largest paratrooper operation in World War II, which set the stage for the Allies to cross the Rhine and advance into Germany.
There are some screens after the jump, too.
More »
sales charts
PC Sales Charts March 16-22
NPD have seen fit to release some more weekly sales data for the PC market. We must have all been nice, rather than naughty, over the past seven days, because for some reason these don't exactly turn up like clockwork. And yes, I know, it's nigh-on useless without online sales data, but nigh-on useless isn't the same as useless, so bear that in mind. And keep on bearing when you see Sins of a Solar Empire at #3! More »
pc games
Zipland Game Helps Kids Cope with Divorce
Zipland Interactive has released an interactive adventure game for the PC that helps children cope with the psychological issues that arise from having their parents divorce. It's a noble effort, and I am sure it will be quite effective under the right conditions. Unfortunately a posting on a gaming blog known for its humorous commentators isn't the right condition. Be gentle. More »
postal
Running with Scissors Packs Fudge
Running With Scissors yesterday announced the holiday release of the Postal Fudge Pack, collecting the entirety of the Postal saga plus extras into one package. Fudge Pack? Why would they call it...ooooh, butt sex. I get it! So controversial! Anyway, you get Postal, Postal 2, both sequels, the Eternal Damnation fan conversion, A Week in Paradise fan mod, and various extra tidbits all available on a multi-format DVD. More »
gothic
Hot and Steamy Gothic 3 Demo Online
Strategy Informer has strategically informed us that they now have the Gothic 3 demo up for download. Gothic 3 is the latest in a series of PC RPG games by German developer Piranha Bytes, featuring an open-ended world that you explore in the guise of The Nameless Hero, fight epic battles, and pee. More »
gift guide
Best PC Game of the Year
The PC, oft overlooked by console gamers, had a little hit on its hands called World of Warcraft. While it launched last year, an update this year offered a major upgrade. The real question is, does any other PC title stand a chance in the polls? More »
gift guide
Tons of EverQuest for $20
The EverQuest Titanium Pack is literally years of gaming packed on five discs. The gaming the pack includes? Just the first 10 expansion packs and the original game. Talk about a time sink. Got someone on your holiday shopping list that you don't want to see for a couple years? Pre-order the Titanium pack for them - it doesn't ship until Jan. 11, so grab a nice card to tide them over - then Jan. 11 they can enjoy the gift of addiction. More »
samorost
Samorost 2 Out
If you haven't seen or played Samorost, you've missed out. A one-man project, Samorost is a web game: ethereal, weird, completely gorgeous and just a bit compelling. Part Myst, part Le Petit Prince, it takes some self-control to play as the story unfolds at its own pace, not yours. But it's worth it. More »
gift guide
Heroes in City of Vililans
NCSoft and Cryptic released some screens this week of the Longbow organization in City of Villains. This one picture just feels really Ace & Gary to me. There's a couple more pics after the fold. More »
home consoles
Is EVE Online Better Than WoW?
The subscriptions numbers wouldn't say so, but literally every time Mark Wallace of Walkerings gushes about the game, I get closer and closer to breaking down and checking it out. In his latest discussion of the artful, pristinely developed universe, Wallace talks about the first player-created outpost residing in "Alliance" space - which sounds like it's a PvP zone, where there is no NPC interference. The Interstellar Starbase Syndicate Operations, one of EVE's uberguilds (they are player corporations in EVE), built the base. Player-owned property in MMOs is nothing special, but the ISS sold shares of ownership in its space base to players. There just is nothing like this currently in Blizzard's WoW, and while EVE doesn't sound like its offering end game instancing in the classic sense, the game's socialogical depth (at least when Wallace writes about it) seems infinitely more compelling. I am so tempted. More »
gift guide
New Gamer Memory Available
PNY recently announced some hopped up high speed PC memory designed for gaming. The PNY Verto Hi Speed Gamer Memory Modules come in packs of two 512 MB modules and each includes an intergrated heat spreader. The DDR modules are available in speeds of 400 MHz, 550 MHz and 600 MHz. The DDR2 modules are available in speeds of 533 MHz, 667 MHz, 800 MHz and 1,000 MHz.
gift guide
