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A Second Helping Of Phantasy Star Portable Headed Stateside
Sega’s blogs are buzzing with the news that Phantasy Star Portable 2 is heading to North America this fall, with twice the content of the previous games giving players plenty to poke at on their PlayStation Portables. Phantasy Star Portable 2 picks up three years after the events in Phantasy Star Universe, the series’ last…
By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Birth of the DS and the Wii
Kotaku is proud to present an excerpt from Nintendo Magic: Winning the Videogame Wars, by Japanese reporter Osamu Inoue. In this section, an insider’s view of how the DS and Wii came to be. “What’s keeping people from touching game machines? What’s making them run away?” Their discussions started there. Recent game systems had button-encrusted…
By Brian Crecente Published May 21, 2010 -
UncategorizedCentaurian The Game Can Never Live Up To Its Trailer
When the love between a man and his horse gives birth to a tribe of evil centaurs, only one man can save the world from being stomped under the hooves of oppression – Simon Peterson. Designer, animator, yoga instructor, ping pong extraordinaire, writer, webmaster, and creative genius Simon Peter might have out creative genius’d himself,…
By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
There Is Playable Pac-Man In Your Google Logo
Google has a proud tradition of modifying their logo image to commemorate special occasions, but for the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man, they’ve gone from image manipulation to game creation. Pac-Man was released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Back then you’d regularly find arcades packed with players eager to guide the pizza-faced hero through his…
By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Absurdity of Video Game Speech
On page 141 of Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s (excellent) Expressive Processing, there’s discussion of a citation of from Jesper Juul: Unlike most literary fictions, however, the worlds of many games are, in Juul’s terminology, “incoherent” (which is one of the things that limits Juul’s interest in discussing games in terms of narrative, as opposed to fiction). These…
By Lauren Orsini Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Fable III’s Kingly Collector’s Edition Is Xbox 360 Only
Microsoft confirms a holiday release for Fable III on both Xbox 360 and PC, but if you want a royal amount of Collector’s Edition swag, you’re going to need to go the console route. Last week’s box art wasn’t kidding when it proclaimed that Fable III was coming to the Xbox 360 and PC. Today…
By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2010 - Reviews
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review: In Praise Of Superfluous Mario
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the most unnecessary Mario game of all time. That might be why it is one of the best. Galaxy 2 has an easy mission, because, for once, it is a Mario game without a big mission. It is not launching a new gaming console, as did Super Mario Bros., Super…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Egyptian Food Sure Looks Tasty!
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: I Don’t Remember How To Write The Day Note I’ve never had Egyptian food before, but Mini-Bash got a book about Egypt (he’s interested in Egypt!) and Egyptian food looks pretty darn good. I’ve been to Campisi’s Egyptian Lounge in Dallas, but that’s not Egyptian food. Jack Ruby apparently went…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Several Unscripted Moments with Madden‘s New Announcer
I thought I was going to have a script. Come on up, said EA Sports. We’ll put you in the booth with Gus Johnson, the new play-by-play man, and let you play the part of the color analyst. Instead, when it was my turn to call a 49ers-Seahawks tilt at EA’s Redwood Shores studio, I…
By Owen Good Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Madden Taps Gus Johnson for Video Games’ Top Play-by-Play Job
In a madcap dash covering the last seconds of 2009’s first Sunday of football, the Denver Broncos won their game, Gus Johnson lost his mind, and Madden NFL 11 found its voice. Today, Johnson, the exciting and excitable CBS sportscaster, officially became the fourth play-by-play man to hold sports gaming’s top booth job. Teased at…
By Owen Good Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
And The Suicides Continue
Foxconn is the largest electronics manufacturer in the world. Its China-based plants churn out iPods, iPads, iPhones, Kindles, PS2s, PS3s, Wiis and Xbox 360s. And today, another one of its factory workers apparently committed suicide. Or the 21-year-old fell from his window from Foxconn’s many worker dormitories in Shenzhen, located in Guangdong province in southern…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
ChatRoulette: The Game
Tired of playing the old “how many dicks can I see in an hour?” game on webcam novelty Chatroulette? Might want to try something a little more structured. ChatVille is a program that takes the core concept of ChatRoulette – being introduced to random strangers via webcam – and adds a little “game” to it,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Turning Executive Mistakes Into Art
Heeeeeeeeeey, guess what. Video game executives, whether on purpose or not, fib. And they do it all the time. What’s important is not to get upset! You need to get constructive, and turn those fibs into works of art. These fake propoganda posters, put together by Brian Altano and Brian Miggels for IGN, take some…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Dr. Mario, For Real
Former Nintendo boss Hiroshi Yamauchi, who ran Nintendo from 1949 to 2002, used to be the richest man in Japan. He isn’t anymore. That doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to part with his cash. Especially for a good cause. Yamauchi has donated over US$80 million for a new cancer central in Kyoto — where Nintendo…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 -
UncategorizedVideo Game Sound Has Come A Long Way, Baby
It may seem ridiculous now, but there once was a time when it was tough work getting sound out of a PC. We’ve come a long way since then, something this clip does a good job of reminding us. Twenty years of PC audio is covered, all by showing us how the Monkey Island theme…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Solid Snake Through The Years
This is 1987 stealth game Metal Gear. The box shows protagonist Solid Snake at the age of 23. Let’s review and see how he stacks up over the years — courtesy of 2ch, the world’s largest bulletin board. Here is snake at 27 years-old in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. And at 33. And at…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
BioShock 2, Gears Of War Figures Exclusive To Comic-Con
At this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, toy company NECA will be selling a few exclusives from their video game lines. Only attendees – or savvy web shoppers – will be able to pick up these up. Three video game figures will be sold: two from BioShock 2, and one from Gears of War 2.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2010 - Uncategorized
Preowned Customers Paying Extra? GameStop Doesn’t Care
The recent trend for publishers to lock out content to customers buying pre-owned versions of games was supposed to be a swipe at GameStop, but the giant retailer reckons the move won’t hurt it one bit. “We support the creation of added downloadable content for popular franchises, as we see that as extending the life…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2010