-
The Best Part of Waking Up is a Super Nintendo in Your Cup
This “Super Nincoffee Jr.” case-mod won’t brew you the perfect cup of joe, but apparently it will play Super Nintendo games. This appears to be the creation of a kid named Tyler and his father. Yes, I scoured it for clues that this could be a trick, that some other console playing Super Mario All-Stars…
By Owen Good -
An Earthquake Sets the Scene for Battlefield 3‘s Next Map Pack
We didn’t get a release date for Aftermath, the next set of four maps for Battlefield 3‘s multiplayer, but an official page does provide some detail as to what it includes. New vehicles and a new game mode are featured on four new maps set in Tehran after an earthquake. Destructible terrain would seem to…
By Owen Good -
‘Minecraft Guy’ Isn’t Supposed to Be a Guy—or a Girl, Says Game’s Creator
Though jokingly given the name “Steve,” Minecraft’s lead character is supposed to be gender neutral, said the game’s creator. All living things in the game are supposed to be gender neutral, in fact. Markus “Notch” Persson, musing about gender in the low-resolution world he created two years ago, admits that calling the protagonist “Minecraft Guy”…
By Owen Good -
How to Punish Penn State—from the Comfort of Your Living Room
When the NCAA leveled crippling sanctions against Penn State a week ago, harshly penalizing the football power for its lack of institutional control in a 13-year sexual abuse scandal, it wasn’t long before I was asked if the NCAA Football series, this year or in the future, would incorporate any of these bans and restrictions.…
By Owen Good -
See Vice City‘s Final Mission, as Imagined on a Commodore 64
You talk about love at first sight. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City had me at its opening credit screens: the LOAD “*”,8,1, multicolored flashing logo and rudimentary MIDI theme took me straight back to 1986, and all the days I spent parked in front of my Commodore 64. When I showed it to my brother—not…
By Owen Good -
It’s Settled: No Yellow Card if You Curse at FIFA‘s Referee
One of the funnier controversies coming out of E3 was how FIFA 13 intended to handle voice recognition in its new suite of Kinect-enabled features. A promotional video left a strong impression that yelling “#$@%!” or “$&%@!” or “wanker!” at the virtual official would result in a yellow card. That was the impression that the…
By Owen Good -
The Moneysaver: Collect Them All
Three collector’s editions headline the usual summer clear-out of stock as we transit to August. Walmart gets really desperate with a three-for-one come-on—for PSP games. Sixty savings, bonuses and deals await below. Software • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collector’s Edition (360) is $49.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $60. [Dealzon] • Dead…
By Owen Good -
Culture
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Wreckateer, the second offering in Xbox Live’s “Summer of Arcade” rollout, highlights an otherwise slow week in the dog days of summer. Tuesday • Adidas miCoach (360, PS3) • Prototype 2 (PC) Wednesday • Wreckateer (360) Thursday • Planet Crashers (3DS) • Decathlon 2012 (DS) Friday • Inversion (PC) Sources: GameStop, GameSpot
By Owen Good -
A Meaningless Settlement Keeps a Clipboard Quarterback in the Game
Twenty-seven million dollars is a lot of money. But it’s not significant. Not in the case of the Madden monopoly lawsuit. In fact, I’m struck by how meaningless all of the terms are in its settlement. Pecover vs. Electronic Arts generated enormous populist sympathy when it was filed in 2008 because it sought to nullify…
By Owen Good -
Freak Yourself Right the Hell Out With This Live-Action Slender Video
Go ahead, see how much of this you can take. What’s the matter? The clip is only 2:09 long. Yeah, there’s a reason I’m posting this live-action of the Slender video game in broad freaking daylight. It’s a favor to anyone who isn’t familiar with the creepypasta, which I’m also not linking to as a…
By Owen Good -
Sony Shuts Down Online Play for Two MotorStorm Games
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, released in 2008, and its PSP counterpart MotorStorm Arctic Edge (2009) are losing their online play features on October 1. An announcement on Sony’s UK PlayStation site said servers for those two games and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 (also PSP) will be closed on that date. I really enjoyed MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.…
By Owen Good -
‘Honey, If I Bought this Facehugger Corset for You, Would You Wear It for Me?’
Hey, facehugger, my face is up here, right? Rage Custom Creations just finished this corset that ensures no one will ever look its wearer in the eyes. It’s being sold for $250 if you have that kind of jing, but it’s fair to say few can pull off this look. More pictures are at Rage’s…
By Owen Good -
Sexy Mario, Anyone?
We have a special guest star in this week’s ‘Shop contest. None other than Sexy Mario has agreed to pose for you. That’s-a it, Mario, work it, baby! OK, give me more pouty … Fresh off his latest shoot on the tennis court, Sexy Mario gave us permission to use one of his shots as…
By Owen Good -
Culture
Sunday Comics: Don’t Stand So Close to Me
Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published July 16.—Read more of Penny Arcade Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published July 16.—Read more of Awkward Zombie…
By Owen Good -
DLC for Street Fighter X Tekken‘s Steam Release Delayed to This Coming Week
The first release of downloadable content for Street Fighter X Tekken‘s PC version has been delayed—on Steam. If you use Games For Windows Live, you could get it on Friday, says Capcom. What’s the holdup? “An unforeseen error with the Valve submission process,” according to the Capcom-Unity blog. The pack should release early this week.…
By Owen Good -
NASA is Putting Portal 2 in Space. (Really)
That panel is a part of some sort, to be flown on a resupply craft to the International Space Station this coming Friday. “An anonymous tech at NASA,” is responsible for laser-engraving Wheatley, the antagonist of Portal 2 the Space Core on the part, Valve said in its official Portal blog on Friday. “And please…
By Owen Good -
Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves
It’s your morning call you can all talk about the games you’re playing, loving and hating in Talk Amongst Yourselves, the place to discuss all things video game and existential. Go to the TAY forum at this link and do what you’ve always done: share your thoughts and opinions on the things you’re passionate about.
By Owen Good -
Who’s That Grill? The Winners
Justin Tuck’s unfacemaskable facemask? It’s in the game. It’s in a lot of other things, too, thanks to last week’s photoshop and overall winner BigMike McCarthy! Last week I asked you guys to morph, swap or photobomb something with Tuck’s grill, and you responded with verve. Notable submissions include Nude_Eskimo (7—look, he even matched up…
By Owen Good -
This is Gabe Newell in His Freshman Year of High School
It’s only his freshman year, that’s why the Valve co-founder and boss hasn’t yet been voted Most Likely to Succeed. Spied by Redditor electrifuzz in his father’s yearbook from Davis (Calif.) Senior High. I discovered today that Gabe Newell went to the same high school at the same time as my dad. They didn’t know…
By Owen Good
Owen Good
Owen Good's posts