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And Here I Was Thinking Tetris Was A Random Game
I had long believed that the cruel, torturous selection of what bricks are coming next in Tetris was random. Turns out, they’re not! Which makes sense. Nothing that cruel can happen by accident. “Tetris doesn’t deliver the bricks in a completely random order; it shuffles ahead a set of bricks”, Goldeneye designer Martin Hollis tells…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedIn This Clip, Controllers Make The Best Guns
Forgive the leetspeak title, PWN3D is a short film from a couple of friends who work in the film industry. It’s directed by a fella named Shane English, and shows what happens when a video game destroys a living room. Watch it. It’s pretty good!
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedDeus Ex’s Future Will Give You Creepy Robot Hands, Awesome Robot Eyes
Sarif Industries, a key player in the upcoming Deus Ex: Human Revolution, manufactures robotic human body parts. This “commercial” for the company makes that look even creepier than it sounds. Robot piano hands? Fine for piano, maybe, but what about holding kittens? And robot football arms? That was a perfect, if girly, pass for the…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Voice Actress Capturing The Hearts Of Otaku Everywhere
In Japan, voice actresses have a niche fan base. There are magazines and websites dedicated to them, and popular voice actresses might parlay that into music singles or photobooks. Aya Hirano, the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, was able to make the leap from anime and games to mainstream celebrity, appearing on television and even as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
This Might Be The Best Pirate Trap We’ve Ever Seen
Garry Newman, the creator of the Garry’s Mod mod/machinima toolkit for the PC, just sprung one of the best pirate traps in recent memory, tricking those who did not pay for his product into essentially giving themselves up. Newman recently programmed a little trap in the code of the game, which would generate an error…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
The PlayStation Hacker’s PlayStation Hacking Days Are Over
Rapper (and part-time hacker) George Hotz has settled out of court with Sony, who wanted him strung up on charges of circumventing the PS3’s copy protection. And the details of that settlement are now public. In order to escape going to trial, Hotz has agreed to, basically, never mess around with another Sony product ever…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 13, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallCaptain Commando, Capcom’s Greatest Hero
Boy, Capcom really went to town today on the news and media, didn’t they? It’s a damn shame, then, that none of it involved the company’s original mascot – and my all-time favourite Capcom hero – Captain Commando. Just like Sega, in the 1980s Capcom felt the need to create a mascot for itself, to…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
What Are You Listening To?
Welcome to a themed Tuesday open thread. While I may be reading the above collection, this one’s about the music, podcasts, audiobooks or whatever it is you’re listening to these days. Please, share with the group. I’m still looking to expand my podcast horizons, so further suggestions on high quality, well produced and interesting (non-rambling)…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
Dragon Age II Is A Bit More Playable On PC Today
BioWare has released patch 1.02 for Dragon Age II, patching various bugs, quest glitches, and technical foul-ups and generally making the game a bit more tolerable on the Mac and PC. Check out the full patch notes here
By Mike Fahey Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
Wii Price Drop Due Next Month, Says Report
The Wii may be as cheap as $150 USD next month, according to a report from Engadget, which cites a “trusted source” that says the console will become fifty bucks cheaper by May 15. If accurate, it would be the second price drop Nintendo has issued for the four-year-old platform. The Wii dropped from its…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
New NeverDead Screens Are Under Construction
Konami offers a new look at the dismemberment-focused action adventure NeverDead today, this time featuring a level that looks a little brighter, a little unfinished. Look at all those tarps and that scaffolding! NeverDead is currently in development at Konami and Rebellion Developments. If you don’t know that about this PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
From Gears To Deals To Games On Demand, This Is Xbox Live For April
April is shaping up to be a big one for Xbox 360 owners, especially if they like getting their hands on Gears of War 3 early. That multiplayer beta leads a long list of content that Microsoft confirmed for April today, from Xbox Live Arcade games to deals on tons of other stuff. If you’ve…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 -
UncategorizedPortals Opening All Over Steam’s Potato Sack Indie Games
Valve’s vast potato-based conspiracy explodes today, as GLaDOS and Portal invade the thirteen games that were offered as part of Steam’s indie game Potato Sack bundle. The horror! Players that purchased the Steam Potato Sack indie game bundle have gotten a whole lot more that thirteen excellent indie titles and a special skin for Portal…
By Mike Fahey Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
Lego Pac-Man Is Just An Artistic Experiment
A GOOD USE OF BRICKS | SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: A delightful Lego take on Pac-Man, on display late last month at Bricks by the Bay, “a celebration of LEGO as an artistic medium and hobby.” (Photo by origamiguy1971 via Flickr) The Making of Gears of War 3 Multiplayer I’ll stay out of the way of…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
PlayStation Store Update: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, Steel Rain and the Gun Sonata Arrive
Well this is certainly an exciting week for PlayStation 3 owners. Not only is tasty puzzle-RPG Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes finally here in high-definition, new add-ons for Bulletstorm, Killzone 3, and Super Stardust HD have also flooded the North American PlayStation Store. There’s also Dungeon Hunter: Alliance and demos for Swarm and Clash…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 -
UncategorizedMore Talk Of Portal 2 Arriving Early As GLaDOS Invades Bit.Trip Beat
Could Valve actually release Portal 2 ahead of schedule, forcing us to rethink the properties of the universal constant known as Valve Time? Because the developer of Bit.Trip Beat, one of the title participating in Valve’s Potato Sack Pack offer and its associated alternate reality game, are hinting at that very thing. Gaijin Games just…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2011 - Uncategorized
BlizzCon 2011 Tickets Will Briefly Be On Sale Next Month
Blizzard has cordoned off two fleeting moments in time next month in which fans can attempt to spend $175 per ticket to attend the annual celebration of all things Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo-related in Anaheim, California. BlizzCon 2011 takes place in October this year, same as last year, bucking Blizzard’s trend of alternating between August…
By Mike Fahey Published April 12, 2011