- Uncategorized
Press A To Win ManStruggle
To triumph over their friends in Grab’s new Facebook game ManStruggle, players need to bring their “A” key. How does a developer make a fighting game that is accessible to Facebook’s social-gaming audience? They throw out the complicated parts, like combos, special moves, punching, and kicking. All one needs to do to triumph over their…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Old Role Playing Game The Kids Can’t Stand
Michael Abbott teaches undergraduates about the history of video games. They must play the old, ugly stuff. Defender? They can deal. Planetfall? It’s a struggle. But there’s this one game they just can’t take. Ultima IV. Historic, important, innovative, (no, I’ve never played it), legendary role-playing game Ultima IV. He gave them five days to…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
How Video Games Reorganize Your Brain
It is no secret that video games aid players with their hand-eye coordination. A new study shows that playing video games extensively reorganizes how the brain handles difficult visuomotor tasks. Gaming pundits have been pulling out the eye-hand coordination card for as long there have been video games. Seeing things is easy. Manipulating things with…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
An Atari Collection As Permanent Marker Art
Artist Hollis Brown Thornton is selling this amazingly detailed permanent marker drawing for $600 in his online store. If you’re a fan of “Atari” you should check out some of Brown’s other game-themed artwork, like Mario-inspired Clouds in the Sky at Sunset or, my favorite, Space Invaders moment “Closing Credits at the End of The…
By Brian Crecente Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
A Million New Recruits Join The Clone Wars
If you build a free-to-play massively multiplayer game set in the Star Wars universe, they will come. Sony Online Entertainment reports more than one million registered players a week after the launch of Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures. It was a real no-brainer for Sony Online Entertainment. Multiplae millions of players flocked to Free Realms,…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 -
UncategorizedAn Epic Tale Of Role-Playing And A Cappella Metal
German a cappella metal band Van Canto makes the free-to-play MMO Runes of Magic look more exciting than it has ever been in this music video for “Magic Taborea.” Those not familiar with Van Canto might see the elaborate costumes and props and wonder why the band would go to so much trouble to market…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Team Ico Tells Us A Bit More About The Last Guardian
A few more tantalizing tidbits of information about upcoming PS3 exclusive The Last Guardian popped up in a recent interview between the Playstation Blog and the game’s developer. Developer Fumito Ueda told the blog during the Tokyo Game Show earlier this month, that The Last Guardian is not a “pet game”, but rather an adventure…
By Brian Crecente Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Old Republic’s Smuggler Gets Its Own Wookie
If a video game is going to feature a character class based primarily on the exploits of Harrison Ford as Han Solo, that class better have a Wookie sidekick. BioWare delivers. Meet Bowdaar, The Old Republic Smuggler’s answer to Chewbacca. After 108 years as a pit fighting slave, Bowdaar developed a warrior’s strength, a strong…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Zombies Stalk The Streets Of London
“Bring out your undead!” cried Capcom to London Dead Rising fans, urging them to dress in their zombie finest for an early launch event at HMV on Oxford Street. The fans answered. With the popularity of zombies being what it is these days, one might imagine these are just a average group of London young…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Hollywood Turned Down Enslaved Flick
Enslaved has Hollywood talent like actress Lindsay Shaw. The game was written by Alex Garland of 28 Days Later and The Beach fame. And its developers originally pitched Enslaved as a feature film. The idea was for Enslaved to be a computer-generated flick. As website Destructoid points out, it would have been rendered in real…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Triple Miyamoto
A pair of artists recently drew and painted Donkey Kong daddy and Mario maker Shigeru Miyamoto. Why did the candy turn into creepy Kirby? Why did they make Miyamoto creepy? (Click the triptych to enlarge.) The photo on the left was included in a 2004 interview between Miyamoto and Next Level games, during the pre-Wii…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 24, 2010 -
UncategorizedWhat if Civilization’s Catchy Theme Music Had Its Own Lyrics?
It would most definitely not sound like this. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be listening to Brentalfloss’ attempt at adding them, just in time for the release of Civ V this month. He says that the lyrics were “officially endorsed” by Christopher Tin, the original composer of Civilization’s Baba Yetu. It’s catchy! [Thanks Brent]
By Brian Crecente Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
This Beer Is Free!
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Stars It’s called “All Free” and is calorie-free, alcohol-free and sugar-free. It’s not too bad. Like, it’s drinkable! It’s been so popular in Japan that sales were actually suspended. Oh, All-Free isn’t totally free. One can is something like US$1.50. What you missed last night Sony Blocks Fake Controllers, Warns…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Activision Blizzard Teams With White House To Develop Smart People
Best known for Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, Activision Blizzard has joined a corporate initiative to help improve literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM fields). The initiative is called Change the Equation and was launched by President Obama last week. It is a non-profit organization that joins CEOs and teachers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
UncategorizedSony Blocks Fake Controllers, Warns Of Explosions
Fake PlayStation 3 controllers might be cheap, but that doesn’t change them from being totally phony. Sony is doing what it can to render counterfeit PS3 controllers utterly useless. On Sony’s consumer alerts page, the company states that counterfeit PS3 controllers have been “discovered in the market”. The page reads: “SCEA advises consumers to be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Report: There Is A New Wii-Remote
And it is apparently called “Wii Remote Plus”. The box art for upcoming Wii title FlingSmash seems to be bundled with a new Wii Remote. The box notes, “Bonus Wii Remote Plus Inside!” The game is compatible with Wii MotionPlus, the motion add-on peripheral for the Wii Remote. The Wii MotionPlus was released in 2009…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
UncategorizedJapanese Nintendo Pitchman Leaves Showbiz
Takashi Okamura starred in one of the greatest Japanese ads Nintendo Co., Ltd. has ever created. The ad appeared back in late 2005 and early 2006 as part of Nintendo’s “Hot Mario” campaign. It starred Osaka comedians Okamura as Mario and his comedy partner Hiroyuki Yabe as Luigi. While the vast majority of Japanese commercials…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Metal Gear Creator Explains “A Hideo Kojima Game”
If you have played any of Hideo Kojima’s games, you have probably noticed the “A Hideo Kojima Game” title card. Other game designers have started using this type of crediting. The MGS creator, however, contests that he actually means it. According to Kojima, he began using the title by his own accord. While Kojima points…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 - Uncategorized
Concentrate, Then Relax To Get A Kiss
Welcome to Japanese morning television! Morning program “Mezamashi TV” features an iPad application called “Kururin ko” that is apparently controlled by brain waves. Users try to concentrate hard enough so that a girl turns around. Once she does, they need to relax enough in order to receive a kiss. Claiming to be the first brain-wave-controlled…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010