- Culture
The Art Of Persona 5
Persona 5 isn’t just a fantastic video game, it’s an absolute feast for the senses, with a strong, confident art style that runs from its character design all the way through to its menus. Much of this is down to the genius of the series’ longtime art director Shigenori Soejima, whose leadership here has resulted…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2017 -
CultureTotal RecallA Dire Warning About Final Fantasy’s Black Magic
Let’s go back. To a time before Jack Thompson, before age ratings. Back to 1980s Canada, when the most pressing concern with video game content—and how it was destroying the youth—was the black magic found in Final Fantasy. “And once again, it’s about how you can get in touch with your wizard”. If you’re short on…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Gearbox Hit With Backlash For Partnering With Controversial Game Key Seller G2A
Recently, Gearbox announced that they’re partnering with game key re-seller G2A for a collector’s edition of Bulletstorm. Problem: over the years, G2A has been subject to widespread criticism for lax security, enabling fraud, and making money at developers’ expense. Predictably, Gearbox has taken serious flack for the partnership. G2A’s reputation has fallen so far down…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Computer Creates Fake Video Games That Sound Better Than Real Video Games
Remember how someone taught a nueral network to name Pokemon? Someone else has taught one to name video games, and I would buy almost all of them. Starting with a port of Sega’s hit 2008 arcade game Christ disexplications took this ambitious attempt to name every video game ever made and fed it to a…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Fixed a 30-Year-Old Zelda Typo For the NES Classic
An extraneous “N” inserted into the English translation of The Legend of Zelda in 1987 has finally been removed, and it only took 29 and a half years. This actually happened a few months back, because it’s in the version of Zelda included on the NES Classic Edition. But I didn’t even notice until Clyde…
By Chris Kohler Published April 5, 2017 -
UncategorizedHere Is A Thing That Definitely Happens In Nier: Automata
I’m finally playing Nier: Automata, and can confirm that it is a very odd, very interesting video game. Take, for example, this thing I came across when I was playing last night. As you make your way through the game’s compact but layered open world, you’ll undertake a bunch of sidequests for various characters you…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 5, 2017 - Esports
Pro Counter-Strike Team Loses Round Due To Notorious Grenade Glitch
In Counter-Strike, nobody’s entirely certain how molotov cocktails are supposed to work when smoke grenades enter the picture. Sometimes smokes put out molotovs when they land on top of them, but not always. Other times, smokes magically douse flames through walls. Recently, it even happened in a pro game. During a StarSeries Season 3 match…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 5, 2017 - Opinion
An Arcade Shooter Where Gravity Is Your Plaything
You’re In Space And Everyone Wants You Dead is a flashy arcade shooter where you survive against a horde of monsters while bounding across a dizzying landscape. It doesn’t just have a great name; it’s also damn fun. That’s why it’s this week’s Indie Pick. Made by adamgryu, You’re In Space… is an experiment in…
By Heather Alexandra Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Blizzard just released a new Overwatch comic. In it, the Overwatch team grapples with how to handle a robot uprising in London, despite the fact that they’re technically not allowed to intervene. The comic likely exists as setup for next week’s event, but it’s also just a slick comic. Check it out
By Nathan Grayson Published April 5, 2017 -
UncategorizedIn 1982, People Were Streaming Games On Satellite
In 1982, a technology straight out of contemporary science fiction was on track to be the world’s first Twitter. Living and dying in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the cable service teletext brought 24/7, on-demand news directly to a television. Much like Twitter, teletext offered a stream of live, bite-sized information, but in a blocky, neon…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Today BioWare apologized for writing Hainly Abrams, a transgender character, in an unthoughtful way.As we reported yesterday, the character tells you her pre-transition name immediately upon meeting her, but BioWare says it is consulting the transgender community so it can update the game with better dialogue.
By Patricia Hernandez Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
At Nintendo, Working All Night Is ‘Mario Time’
Over the years, game development companies have found all sorts of euphemisms for unpaid overtime, but Nintendo’s might be the best. If legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto ever comes up and tells you it’s “Mario time,” you’re in for a long night. In a fantastic new interview over at Gamasutra by some dude named Chris Kohler,…
By Jason Schreier Published April 5, 2017 -
UncategorizedBaking A Cake Is Still The Hardest Thing To Do In Parappa The Rapper
When I was seven years old, I could never beat the Cheap Cheap Chicken stage of Parappa the Rapper. Now that I’m an adult and the HD remaster has been released for the Playstation 4, I figured I’d finally get past it. I was wrong. Parappa the Rapper is a game bursting with joy. You…
By Gita Jackson Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Twitch And YouTube Streamers Slam Persona 5‘s Video Policy
Yesterday, Atlus warned Persona 5 players that if they show gameplay footage after a certain point in the game, Atlus will go after their channels with copyright claims and strikes. While some streamers aren’t surprised by this policy, they’ve reacted with frustration at what they feel are measures that will negatively impact their channels. Atlus…
By Gita Jackson Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Blizzard Considered Adding A Cat In A Jetpack To Overwatch
Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan is full of surprises. For example, it turns out that he’s a Hanzo apologist. And, at one point, he considered a cat in a jetpack as an original Overwatch hero. There’s still time, my man. We want that cat hero. Yesterday, in an interview with GameSpot, Kaplan revealed a few…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized
Yooka-Laylee Brings Back Banjo-Kazooie’s Best Easter Egg
Yooka-Laylee captures all the good and badof a Nintendo 64 platformer. It doesn’t just take the gameplay. It also takes the urban legends as well. The Ice Key was an item hidden in Banjo-Kazooie’s Freezeezy Peak level. Tucked in cave and secure behind an ice wall, players could do little more than look at the…
By Heather Alexandra Published April 5, 2017 -
UncategorizedHere’s What Happens If You Say No At The Beginning Of Persona 5
Before you start playing Persona 5, a video game about stylish teens learning how to take care of a cat, you need to answer a simple question: Do you agree that the game is fictional? If you say no, Persona 5 won’t joke around or repeat the question. It just won’t allow you to play.…
By Jason Schreier Published April 5, 2017 -
UncategorizedYour Spring 2017 Anime Guide
Flowers are in bloom. The temperature is warming up. It’s perfect weather to go outside. But you know what? Let’s stay indoors and watch some anime. The spring anime season is upon us! Which shows do you want to watch? Let us know in the comments below. Aikatsu Stars! 2nd Season Hoshi no Tsubasa Studio:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 5, 2017
