Culture Archives - Page 1516 of 1552

This Week in the Business: ‘PlayStation Orbis has the Jump on Next Xbox’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “PlayStation Orbis has the jump on next Xbox.”—Industry sources talking about how Sony, unlike this generation, will actually launch its next PlayStation ahead of the next Xbox QUOTE | “In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire…

Steve Peterson Published April 7, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Unboxing the Mother Lode of Old PC Games

If you think unboxing new games is fun, wait until you see how awesome it is when a guy finds a box of old PC games and spends seven minutes taking them out of a single, larger cardboard box Space Quest. Man Hunter. Police Quest. Gold Rush. I can smell the musty manual paper through…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2012

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Atari’s Founder Also Made Kick-Ass Robots

Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of Atari and also the man behind Chuck E. Cheese’s, won’t just be remembered for those two towering achievements. The guy also made robots. In 1981, having left Atari three years previously, Bushnell founded Catalyst Technologies, a venture capital group designed to help invest in technology start-ups. Catalyst in turn went onto…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2012

Culture

Original, Badass Zelda Art By Katsuya Terada

Katsuya Terada is a Japanese artist you may not know by name, but you may definitely know him for his work. He’s done character design for the Blood: The Last Vampire movie. He’s helped out on Western cartoons like Hellboy. He’s even done illustrations for Nintendo Power magazine. Which leads us neatly into this gallery…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2012

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Thirty Years in a Loft and This Console Still Looks Gorgeous

It might be dusty, and the games might be more than a little dog-eared, but according to the photographer it all still works, despite having sat in a loft for over thirty years. They sure don’t make ’em like they used to. True Vintage [sj9966 @ Flickr, via it 8-bit]

By Luke Plunkett Published April 4, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Today is “Atari National PAC-MAN Day”. No, Seriously, it is.

Thirty Years ago today, Atari had the balls to proclaim an entire day, hoping to lift its iconic Pac-Man character alongside the likes of other people who have their own day. Like, you know, Martin Luther King. And Jesus. The fact it was only celebrated by video game fans and Atari employees for that one…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 3, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Did You Know GameStop is Named After a Book Store?

It’s one of those things you probably never bothered to think about. “GameStop” sounds like something it took three seconds to come up with. But there’s surprisingly a bit more of a story behind the name. Executive Chairman of the company (and also founder and former CEO) Dan DeMatteo has told Reuters that he named…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 3, 2012

Culture

Giant Killing Machines, Direct From Russia

Hope you like giant instruments of destruction. Because Russian artist KaranaK specialises in giant instruments of destruction. Most of the vehicles you’ll see in these galleries are from Star Conflict and Russian game Project Genome. Others are just personal pieces. You can see more on his DeviantArt page Fine Art is a celebration of the…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 3, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

Not the Pokémons. There’s too many of them, and just when you think you’ve got them all, Nintendo goes and creates more. Catching all (or most) of the coloured variations of the Nintendo 64 control pad, though, that’s probably easier. And more impressive. And practical! [via is it real]

By Luke Plunkett Published April 2, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Nothing Says Steroids, or Awesome Box Art, Like Two Crude Dudes

Two Crude Dudes is a terrible game. Just terrible. I remember trying to play it as a kid, on a number of occasions, and every time I picked up a controller I’d be floored by how poor it was. So, uh, why did I keep picking up a controller? Because I so badly wanted it…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 2, 2012

Culture

Angry Birds Space Fruit Snacks: The Snacktaku Review

The first Angry Birds slipped onto the iPhone with little fanfare, slowly growing into one of the biggest games of all time. For the game’s first proper sequel, Angry Birds Space, developer Rovio comes shooting out of the gate with t-shirts, key chains, stuffed animals, and Angry Birds Space Fruit Snacks. Available in four different…

By Mike Fahey Published April 2, 2012

Culture

Feel the Force

Kinect Star Wars is the highlight of April Fools’ week, which is traditionally not a big sales holiday. For anything. Xenoblade Chronicles releases in the west on Friday. Tuesday • Fallout 3 and Oblivion Double Pack (PS3, 360) • Kinect Star Wars (360) Wednesday • I Am Alive (PSN) Friday • Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) •…

By Owen Good Published April 1, 2012

Culture

Sunday Comics

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. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published March 26.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published March 28.—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by…

By Owen Good Published April 1, 2012

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘Dropping a Nuclear Bomb on GameStop’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Dropping a nuclear bomb on GameStop.”—Leading games industry analysts react to the rumor that the next PlayStation could block used titles, which could prompt GameStop to avoid stocking it QUOTE | “Engagement with fans doesn’t have to mean letting the lunatics…

Steve Peterson Published March 31, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Fact-Checking Alan Wake’s Writer Cred

I’ve only played a bit of Remedy’s newest downloadable Alan Wake game—though Evan Narcisse liked it a lot, and I like what I’ve played, too. But then, I have something of a soft spot for Alan, for some reason. The original game sticks with me more than I thought it would; it’s the sort of…

By Kirk Hamilton Published March 31, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Good God, Mortal Kombat on Game Gear Had Some Terrible Audio

I have some fond memories of my Game Gear. I loved that giant hunk of sexy black plastic so much that I forgave its terrible battery life and the other aspects that led to its financial failure. The game I played most was Mortal Kombat, which I was so excited to finally own in some…

By Kirk Hamilton Published March 30, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Clue‘s Multiple Endings Confused Everyone Way Before Mass Effect 3

I love the movie Clue. I’ve seen it over a dozen times. I can quote whole sections verbatim, and any time I feel annoyed by someone, I suffer from flames on the side of my face and heaving breaths. The board game is great, but the movie will always be the Clue that has my…

By Kirk Hamilton Published March 30, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The Ugly Duckling of the Prince of Persia Series

It’s funny, when people think of Prince of Persia games, they think of either the first one, or the ones including and following 2003’s Sands of Time. It’s as though there was a game in there that never existed… That game was 1999’s Prince of Persia 3D The 1989 original, and its 1993 sequel (which…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The History of Early Computer Games. In Iraq.

There’s a really interesting piece up on HG101 in which Iraqi gamer Salwan Asaad, now living in Egypt, recounts his experiences growing up in the 1980s with the region’s fledgling scene. Unlike the hell-in-a-handbasket Iraq has become in the last twenty years, Asaad remembers during the 1980s it was a (relatively) more prosperous state, and…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 28, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Look How Awesome Old Video Games Were in Old Movies

Seeing video games in a movie these days, or even a movie based on a video game, is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s expected. But during the 1970s, it was something to be marvelled at. This clip collects cameo appearances on the silver screen by the arcade games and home consoles of the 70’s,…

Luke Plunkett & Chris Person Published March 28, 2012