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Halo‘s Graphics Guru Talks The Problems of the Future
Way before you pick up a controller, the first thing lots of folks think about when they think video games is how it’s going to look. This generation of gamers isn’t so enlightened that they’ll overlook shitty graphics in lieu of anything a game presents. Yet, graphics need to be balanced against various systems’ processing…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 27, 2011 -
The Best Game Music of 2011: Rayman: Origins
Listen: the first thing you need to know about the music in the newest Rayman game is that it’s got some kickass virtuoso kazoo playing. Yes, kazoo. Like, a plastic one. And it kicks a lot of ass. That bit of whimsy comes courtesy of Christophe Héral, a musician/composer who’s worked on Ubisoft games since…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 27, 2011 -
The New York Times Offers Two Round-Ups, But Doesn’t Name a Game of the Year (Yet)
The end of 2011 brings with it an implicit deadline for those inescapable year-end wrap-ups. Yet, the Paper of Record doesn’t really pony up a traditional countdown-to-the-best list. Instead, New York Times video game critic Seth Schiesel has written two pieces that catalog the games that caught his fancy in 2011. The first article runs…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 27, 2011 -
A Live-Action Battlefield 4, Through the Eyes of YouTube’s FreddieW
After teaming up with EA to produce a Battlefield 3 commercial, Internet sensation Freddie Wong—best known for geeky, homemade film shorts that riff on Splinter Cell, Halo and Portal—stayed on set to create the video seen above. This one imagines what asynchronous co-op play might look like for that game’s inevitable sequel. “Battlefield 4” does…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 23, 2011 -
BioWare’s Co-Founders Say The Old Republic Is “A Crash Course in Everything Star Wars“
Massively multiplayer games come into the world as wriggly things full of writhing paths of possibility. Things start changing as soon as those servers go live and players start interacting with each other and the content. Running beta tests can predict some exploits and behaviors, but the game’s also still being built while those betas…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 23, 2011 -
You Can Now Sign Up For Dust 514‘s Beta… If You’re An EVE Online Player
We’ve shown you armor, weapons and vehicles from Dust 514, the persistent online shooter from the makers of EVE Online. Now, a select few will finally be able to get their hands on the game and how all those elements feel. Over on their dev blog, developers CCP have announced that registration is live for…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 23, 2011 -
Even Birds Can Get the Super Mario Theme Stuck in Their Heads
Koji Kondo created an earworm of epic proportions when he wrote the theme music for Super Mario Brothers more than 20 years ago. The tune’s become one of the most recognizable pop culture jingles of the last 40 years, to the point where tropical birds feel the need to sing it out loud. The feathered…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Game Boy Version of Bionic Commando Coming to Nintendo eShop on Dec. 29
With classics like the original Tetris, Metroid II and Blaster Master released in recent weeks, Nintendo’s eShop has been a retro cornucopia for 3DS owners. Capcom’s announced that they’re adding another old-school title to the download store with the impending debut of 1992’s Game Boy version of Bionic Commando. You’ll be able to grab the…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Sony Announces Games and Pricing for U.S. PlayStation Vita Launch
We’ve known for a while when the PlayStation Vita was hitting American shores, but were still in the dark about exactly what games would be coming with it. No more. Sony’s finally detailed the games that will be available when their newest gaming handheld hit on February 22, 2012. According to a post on the…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Here’s a New Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Fight Stick to Kick Galactus’ Ass With
Serious fighting game players demand high-quality controllers and Hori’s got a reputation for making some of the best. The Japanese accessories company’s just released a controller tied to Capcom’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, with varieties for PS3 and Xbox 360. If you’re in need of a new whuppin’ stick or just want to dig…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Skyrim Isn’t Forbes’ Game of the Year. (Deus Ex: Human Revolution Is)
It may be notching up top honors at outlets like GameSpot and The Wall Street Journal, but Skyrim doesn’t quite what it takes to be Forbes‘ Game of the Year. Bethesda’s RPG comes in third in the write-up on the business magazine’s affiliated website, with Portal 2 in second place and Deus Ex: Human Revolution…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Batman Gets Retro and New-School Looks in Arkham City Lockdown iOS Update
The people behind Batman’s video games seem to think that players can never have enough Batsuits. Loads of variant outfits—some free, some not—have been pushed out for both Arkham City and the iOS spin-off Arkham City Lockdown. The latest update to the Dark Knight’s portable adventure includes more new looks, including one from a graphic…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Skyrim Teams Up with Spider-Man, Thanks to This PC Mod
There’s no credit given forFancyPantz is the creator of this mod—which takes the giant spiders found in Bethesda’s mega-hit action role-playing game and turns them in creepy multiples of Marvel Comics’ flagship character—but I’m thinking the guy’s last name in real life has to be Osborn. You’d need to share the Green Goblin’s insane obsession…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
In Japan, Nintendo Beats Sony in Week One of the Vita vs. 3DS Showdown
The PlayStation Vita’s barely a week old in its native Japan, where its release was met with the usual lines and enthusiasm. Hordes of PlayStation faithful are hoping that Sony’s latest handheld makes good on the promise of hi-def handheld gaming that approaches the quality of a home console. But the sales numbers from the…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
Downloadable Fix for Skyward Sword Bug Now Live in Japan, Coming Soon for U.S.
We’ve written before about the nasty bug that will break Nintendo’s latest Legend of Zelda game and Nintendo’s plans to address it. Gamasutra reported earlier today that Nintendo opened up a special “Legend of Zelda Data Restoration Channel” to deliver the patch that would fix the problem for Skyward Sword users. When Kotaku followed up…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011 -
PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies X-Mas Package Teases Upcoming Popcorn Dragon Game
It’s Christmastime, one of the few times where old-fashioned snail mail matters anymore. Some companies send clever cards, like the ones we featured yesterday. Other companies send ViewMasters, the old-school 3D viewer that told stories through a series of still film frames. Casual game giant PopCap did the latter and delivered season’s greetings featuring characters…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011 -
Tekken 3D Prime Edition Comes to the Nintendo 3DS in February
Think for a moment about fighting games and portable gaming systems. Compared to genres like first-person shooter or action/adventure, fighting games make a great fit for handheld play because they don’t need a second analog stick. D-pad input and face buttons let you pull off most of the moves you need to compete and have…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011 -
First Modern Warfare 3 DLC Coming in January
On a video show that’s part of Call of Duty Elite’s premium servive, Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling announced that the “content season” for Modern Warfare 3 will start on January 24th. That’s presumably when the first DLC will go live. It’s not clear if that date is when Elite premium members will be getting the…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011 -
Take a Look Inside Batman’s HQ with Arkham City‘s DLC Batcave
The latest update to Rocksteady’s hit Bat-game came yesterday, bringing with it a new Batsuit and new Challenge maps for players to perfect their stalking and combat skills in. One of those arenas is the Dark Knight’s santcum santorum, the Batcave itself. YouTuber Drake3691 captures a session inside the giant crevices underneath Wayne Manor and…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011 -
Only Xbox 360 Owners Will Be Able to Use This Exclusive Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC Weapon
Remember when Final Fantasy games were a hot-damn, big-deal reason to get a PlayStation console? That era ended a little while back, and the very fact that Final Fantasy XIII showed up on the Xbox 360 meant that things would never be the same. Now that game’s sequel will be offering an exclusive weapon that…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 21, 2011
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