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What the ‘Cheevers Will be Gunning for in Dragon Age
Fifty achievements worth 1,000 Gamerscore total have been revealed for Bioware’s “Dragon Age: Origins.” No, “Goat Sex-Having” is not one of them. Spoiler alert, some descriptions may reveal game plot details. The list points to origin stories for six character classes – Human Noble, Dalish Elf, City Elf, Magi, Dwarf Commoner and Dwarf Noble. Players…
By Owen Good -
Why Everyone Will be Rated 100 in EA Sports MMA
EA Sports’ Rob Hydar is the victim of this perfect setup, in which MMA fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller visits to check out how he appears in the upcoming EA Sports MMA, and finds his provisional statistics most displeasing. EA Sports Creative Director Jason Barnes is obviously in on it. When Miller sees his low fighter…
By Owen Good -
Now the Fans Are Suing EA for Appearing in Madden
Following up on the latest litigation involving the Madden NFL franchise, GameSpot finds that a former North Carolina footballer, a licensing group for boxers, and one of the Cleveland Browns’ infamous “Dawg Pound” inhabitants want a piece of Electronic Arts. All three have filed suits over the unauthorized use of likenesses in EA Sports titles.…
By Owen Good -
EA Finds a Home for Spore Movie Project
Electronic Arts and Twentieth Century Fox have reached a deal to produce a movie based on Spore, with the director of the animated film “Ice Age” assigned to the project, Variety reports. “I’m always looking for unique worlds to go to in animation,” said the director, Chris Wedge. “From every perspective – visually, thematically and…
By Owen Good -
Sleuths Dig Up Microtransaction Language in Old Republic TOS
The terms of service agreement for Star Wars: The Old Republic, included in its recently announced Game Testing program, mention both “points” and a “game store,” possibly tipping off plans for microtransactions. According to DarthHater, the terms (above) state :• You acknowledge and agree that all points acquired during the Game Program are non-refundable and…
By Owen Good -
Approval Ratings: No Motivation for Motion Control
This past weekend’s Approval Ratings sought to measure your attitude toward the PSPgo, which launched this week, and also motion control systems, which have been much in the news lately. You’re not going for either in strong numbers. 1. Sony’s PSPgo has been the subject of much criticism prior to its release. Which criticism do…
By Owen Good -
Banhammered PSNer Gets Bangaveled by Judge
Remember that clown who sued Sony because they banned him from PlayStation Network? Some B.S. about it abridging his First Amendment rights? Yeah, a federal judged tossed that suit in a hot minute. Earlier this year, Erik Estavillo got thumbed for being a turd while playing Resistance: Fall of Man. So he sued Sony, alleging…
By Owen Good -
Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition Coming to Xbox Live
Zeno Clash is on the way to Xbox Live Arcade, says Atlus, who promises new content, a new cooperative mode and gameplay fine-tuned to gamer feedback. Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition will is scheduled to release in March 2010. The first-person brawler will include a new cooperative mode in the game’s Tower Challenges, Atlus said in…
By Owen Good -
Take Me Down to Denerim City …
Some gameplay in this latest trailer for Dragon Age: Origins. Seriously, you didn’t expect that statesmanlike speech to quell the bloodthirsty citizens of Denerim, did you? Not when everyone carries huge swords and wears huger shouldermopads during an ordinary day. Dragon Age: Origins – The City of Denerim Trailer HD [GameTrailers]
By Owen Good -
Oil Giant Greener than Activision, Says Newsweek
Measuring the 500 largest corporations in America, Newsweek found no video game maker in the top 100 and even rated Activision behind environmental bogeyman ExxonMobil. Newsweek’s methodology draws on ratings in three different categories and, interestingly, Activision is the leader in its sector (“Consumer Products, Cars”) by a scant margin over Electronic Arts, in the…
By Owen Good -
Reviews
Madden iPhone Micro-Review: The Biggest Small-Time Football
EA Sports‘ Madden franchise didn’t hit the iPhone until the NFL’s first week, trailing Gameloft’s NFL 2010 by a month. Does it deliver what longtime fans should expect? Or is it just a big-name brand’s toehold on a new platform? Loved Come-Back Story: Unlike NFL 2010, which kicked you back to the beginning of the…
By Owen Good -
If Video Game Characters Facebooked
Five imagined status updates, and their comments, reveal the typical comings, goings and doings of gaming’s glitterati, played perfectly to type. For my money, Tails’ pitiful sycophancy is bested only by Mega Man’s personality test disappointment. As someone who used to write Facebook personality tests (literally) I can vouch for their unscientific inaccuracy and overall…
By Owen Good -
Study: Gamer Aggression Mimics That of Warfare
A study involving Unreal Tournament players, given a cash incentive for winning, found that gamers’ testosterone levels spiked noticeably after pwning complete strangers. When defeating friends, they produced even less testosterone than their vanquished teammates. The study’s results imply that video games draw on physiological mechanisms in ways similar to warfare, where testosterone-fueled aggression provides…
By Owen Good -
Electronic Arts Sues to Cancel Langdell’s Trademarks
Electronic Arts is asking the United States to cancel five trademarks held by Tim Langdell’s Edge Games, saying the marks have been effectively abandoned. In comments to Kotaku, EA portrayed its actions as done on behalf of the development community. Langdell, at the center of many controversies over the years regarding trademark rights to the…
By Owen Good -
Brütal Bus Sets Soapbox Derby Record
Remember the Brütal Bus Soapbox? Not only did it finish this weekend’s Los Angeles Red Bull Soapbox Race intact, it set a top speed record of 46.1 mph. Team Ironheade of San Francisco took top honors and a VIP NASCAR experience for their winning entry. What’s more, their speed record is an all-time track and…
By Owen Good -
Watch Frank West Golf a Zombie in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Frank West’s 5-iron isn’t just for beating the crap out of your foe in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. As Seth Killian demonstrates, it can also properly motivate the zombies he summons. Don’t mess with Frank. He’s covered par fours, you know. Watch Seth Show You How Frank West Works [Capcom-Unity via Joystiq]
By Owen Good -
Federal Judge Rules Video Games are Protected “Expressive Works”
The news here isn’t that Jim Brown, a man who certainly knows his rights, is supporting college players suing Electronic Arts over the use of their likenesses. It’s how he lost his own claim against the Madden series publisher. On Wednesday, a federal district court in Los Angeles dismissed Brown’s claim against Electronic Arts for…
By Owen Good -
Three Dozen
To: Luke From: Owen Re: Let’s TGS This Weekend Today is my 36th birthday. Rather than ruminate about what that all means, I’m gonna get the hell out of here and enjoy it. Hope everyone else has a great remainder of their weekend. Some of what you missed: Borderlands’ Unique, and Semiofficial, Preorder Bonus Tokyo…
By Owen Good -
How Come Nobody Ever Does This to ‘Friday the 13th’?
I’m no foe of the hard drive/cartridge mod craze, but it strikes me that they’re never ripping the guts out of games that deserve the trashing. Instead, modders only hurt the ones you love … Really though, a 160GB USB hard drive, or Super Mario Bros. 3? Is it really that easy a decision? I…
By Owen Good -
Dig Dug: The Film Adaptation
The same folks who brought you Inglourious Plummers now bring you Dig Dug, a slasher-flick reimagining of the arcade classic that pumps you up with suspense, waiting for that moment when Pooka’s overinflated ego to finally go pop. There’s a swell movie poster for this at the link, too. Go check it out. Dig Dug…
By Owen Good
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