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Is Tiny Wings The Angry Birds Of 2011?
Angry Birds is a wonderful game. But it’s so 2010. And we’re in 2011. We need a new mobile game to fall in love with. And this might be it. Released in February, Tiny Wings is the work of Andreas Illiger, and it is a beautiful-looking game. The art style is sensational and looks beautiful…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2011 -
Darkstalkers’ Most Versatile Voice Now Managing Popstars In Heaven
You may not know his name, but if you like Japanese games with mechas, fighters or idols, you probably know his voice. Earlier this month, Kan Tokumaru passed away. He had been hospitalized and was getting treatment for a non-disclosed illness. Starting in the 1970s, Tokumaru voiced characters in Japanese anime like Gaia in Mobile…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2011 -
Virtual Idol RAGE!!
Last year, Sega held concerts for virtual idol Miku Hatsune. The concerts enthralled fans and even garnered international media coverage. The latest Miku Hatsune concert wasn’t held by Sega, and all it did was piss everyone off. Miku Hatsune is not a Sega character per se. She’s a character for Yamaha’s Vocaloid software that has…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2011 -
Going Crazy, Punching Cars And Eating Brian
Or this might be your dinner. Not sure. Apologies for the sideways camera angle. Stupid iPhone keeps doing that No, Lady, You Can’t Play Facebook Games On Your Government Computer A public servant working for an Australian politician has asked for “extended internet access” on her work computer. Why? So she could play Facebook games.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
No Farts-In-A-Jar For Saints Row 3
Just because Saints Row: The Third lets players beat up people with sex toys doesn’t mean it lets them unleash farts from jars. “Not every crazy weapon idea that gets thrown out at meetings ends up getting used,” says producer Greg Donovan in the latest Game Informer. “With some ideas, we’re like ‘that’s not over…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Are There Enough Gamers For This Controller?
Granted, it’s only March, but this might be the most hardcore music controller released in Japan this year. That is, if it’s released. You are looking at a dedicated controller that’s designed for playing Sega rhythm game Project Diva and…that’s it. Dubbed the “Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Dreamy Theater 2nd Dedicated Controller”, it will be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Pokémon Suspect, Cops Arrest You!
Japanese cyber cops are cracking down big time on individuals who are breaking copyright law. And if you break he law, you just might end up on prime time news. Last fall, 27-year-old Makoto Sekiguchi uploaded pictures of unrevealed characters in Pokémon: Black and White to the internet via his mobile phone. The characters were…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Torchlight Burns Out In Japan [Updated]
The Japanese release of Xbox Live Arcade game Torchlight has been cancelled due to bugs in the game’s Japanese text. [via Famitsu] Updated: Runic’s Travis Baldree, developer of Torchlight, sent this statement, which to be perfectly frank I do not quite understand. But we like Torchlight, so… “We’re not privy to the decision making process…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Two Excuses For A Lack Of Wii Games
Well, there is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. That is a Wii game, a big one. Oh, and there’s a Kirby game coming. But after that, it’s…a void. There is a reason for this, says Nintendo. According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, one reason for the skimpy Wii line-up is that the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Man Loses Gamertag, Man Gets Gamertag Back
This is a happy one. Years later, internet person TigerC10 has finally been reunited with his old gamertag, after reading on Kotaku that Microsoft was freeing up old and unused ones. Warm, fuzzy feelings all around! [via IGN]
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
What Do Left 4 Dead 2 And Infamous 2 Have In Common?
Well, they’re both sequels…but there’s more. Both games feature the vocal talents of actor Eric Ladin, who’s appeared on Mad Men as well as starring in a new crime program The Killing Ladin voiced Ellis in Left 4 Dead 2. The actor also voiced and did motion capture work for Cole, Infamous 2’s main character.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
This Game Could Have Been Worth A Million Bucks
Former Total Nonstop Action Wrestling star Stevie Richards (aka Michael Manna) apparently scored a perfect game in baseball game MLB 2K11. If verified, he might be the first person to do that, putting him up for line for a million dollar payday. The game’s publisher is holding a contest that will award a cool mil…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Bored Of Fighting Games, Man Destroys Windshield Wipers
Thirty-one year-old Kenichi Moriai was unemployed. But after his fighting game-inspired rampage bent on destroying windshield wipers, he wasn’t just out of a job, he was arrested. Again. On January 28, in Yashio City in Saitama Prefecture, eight trucks in a freight company parking lot had their windshield wipers bent and mangled. According to the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 9, 2011 -
Pretend Kisses, Mortal Kombat And The Quietest Night Note Of 2011
Sorry my voice was so low! Making Killzone 3 Was Hard Work And Fake Kisses Killzone 3 cinematics director Jim Sonzero was feeling the heat. Long, brutal days turned into nights — nothing new to those in the game industry. Sonzero wanted actor Ray Winstone to get in Malcolm McDowell’s face. That’s when they started…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 8, 2011 -
Nintendo Is So Not Screwing Around With 3DS Piracy
The 3DS was apparently already cracked within 24 hours of release, and it’s now supposedly running piracy devices. Isn’t Nintendo going to do anything? You betcha. Back in July 2010, THQ’s Ian Curran said, “What excites me even more [than 3DS games] is that there’s technology built in that device to really combat piracy…I actually…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 8, 2011 -
Robert De Niro Is Keen For Uncharted Movie Madness
David O. Russell, director of Three Kings and The Fighter, has a kooky idea for making Uncharted into a movie: ditch the game story and make it different. Robert De Niro hasn’t read the film’s script, but he’s hip. When asked by MTV whether he’s interested in the Uncharted flick, De Niro replied, “Absolutely, sure.”…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 8, 2011 -
Is Microsoft Getting Serious About Next-Gen? [Update]
Console makers are always working on new stuff – you know, tinkering. But Microsoft is putting its money where its mouth is and hiring up for what could very well be a new console. There are three job listings: one for a “hardware verification engineer“, another for a “VLSI graphics architect” and one for a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 8, 2011 -
A Nintendo 3DS Magic Trick To Amaze And Confound
The 3DS is able to render 3D without the need of 3D glasses. Neat trick, but the 3DS has another ace up its sleeve. The 3DS can, as pointed out on blog Tiny Cartridge, continue to play music while in sleep mode when it is placed on a DS Lite. When placed on a DSi,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 8, 2011
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