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Blue Dragon Chinese Coincidence Or Not?
Mistwalker’s Blue Dragon has a blue dragon in it. Chinese developed online title Kou dai xi yuu has a blue dragon in it, too. Kou dai xi yuu isn’t an officially licensed Blue Dragon game, and is what its developers would call a “kwinky dink.” (Mistwalker would call it a rip-off!) Check out the trailer…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tony Hawk Creators No Longer Making Tony Hawk Games
Few months back, there was a rumour Neversoft – creators and sole developers of the core Tony Hawk series – had been taken off the franchise by Activision and replaced by startup Robomodo. Turns out that was…well, mostly correct. Speaking with the Great Falls Tribune, Neversoft founder Joel Jewett says that the next Tony Hawk…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
These Are The Three Versions Of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete
This March, there isn’t just one version of upcoming Blu-ray release Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete going on sale in Japan, but three. Here’s how they are different: First Edition Final Fantasy XIII demo, Final Fantasy Agito XIII trailer, and Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer included on special edition disc. PLAYSTATION 3 First Edition…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 12, 2009 - Uncategorized
CES 09: Novint Falcon + Pistol Grip + Left 4 Dead = ?
Novint’s Falcon doesn’t currently support Valve’s Left 4 Dead or The Orange Box, but the curious looking controller supported both at CES. How useful is it and the pistol grip in games like these? While it, like much of the wares at the Consumer Electronics Show, answers a technology question that very few asked, the…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
[Updated] COD5 Beta Invites are Fake, Says Infinity Ward
Interesting tweet went out from Infinity Ward — if you get a beta invite from [email protected], delete it. It’s B.S. Not sure if it’s phishing, but the studio says it is not legit. [Update] Robert Bowling has a post about the fakery. Says it’s an exact copy of the beta invite he sent for Call…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nice Underpants
To: Luke From: Owen Re: Rockier Trail Deductive reasoning reveals a number of disturbing things about this pic (it’s not mine. Found it rooting around teh interwebs today). For starters, you have two dudes creating a Mii with their droodies down about the ankles. Next, Mr. Dark Socks is showcasing panties, and worse, they look…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Week in Games: Mirror Sledge
Mirror’s Edge for the PC arrives this week, and one wonders if the vision behind its gameplay will be more easily realized with keyboard and mouse. Lord of the Rings: Conquest joins it in a Tuesday release on four platforms. The rest of the lineup seems rather thin. The count: Five titles for the Wii,…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Looking at “The MMO Crash of 2008”
Hellforge posits that 2008 was the worst year on record for MMOs. But the “collapse” had nothing to do with the genre’s viability, and everything to do with hubris and poor decisions by game-makers. The wreckage includes three titles whose names are either punchlines by now or dangerously close: Hellgate: London, Age of Conan, and…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Rumor: Bioshock OTW for Mac
Oh yeah, there was another big tech expo this past week: Macworld. And the magazine is reporting Bioshock will be out for the Mac in the first half of 2009. At online retailer Feral Interactive’s booth, exhibitors wore shirts with Bioshock’s Big Daddy on the back. Writer Chris Holt checked with Feral reps, who confirmed…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Great Dane Gaming Mobilizes SWAT Team
We’ve heard of this in the States before, but if you game super loud in Denmark, especially in shooters with loud bang-bang noises, someone might sic a police strike force on you too. Working off a Google translation of this news story, it appears the po-po in the Land o’ Legos rolled up with machine…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 -
UncategorizedSuper Stage Production of Super Mario
Japanese variety show Kinchan no Kasoh Taisho pulls off what’s probably the best live-action literal interpretation of Super Mario Brothers I’ve ever seen. Readers FarmboyInJapan and Zuri F. sent this along overnight. I’ve already watched it about five times. This is a huge, complicated production, as you can see by all the people dressed in…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Following the Game Industry via Twitter
If you’re on Twitter and have nothing useful to say or, worse, have no friends, here’s a listing of dozens of accounts used by the game industry — some official, others personal accounts. The list runs the gamut of industry presences, from large publishers and well-known studios to indie firms and community managers. The maintainer…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Miyamoto-Autographed Pure White DS for $5.50
Well, that’s its price on eBay as of now. Better believe the reserve’s nowhere near met for this sucker. The seller got Nintendo’s cult figure to sign it at E3 2005. You might remember the Shigeru Miyamoto-scrawled GameBoy Advance that went for more than two grand back in 2007. With nine days left on the…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Eidos CFO Says Lara Croft Overhaul in the Works
Sacking 30 from the studio responsible for a disappointing Tomb Raider: Underworld apparently is not enough; Eidos’ Robert Brent says a complete remake of the Lara Croft character is necessary. In The Times of London, Brent is quoted as modeling the Croft overhaul after the one the cinematic Batman went through – from yet another…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Ratings: ESRB on Punch-Out, BBFC on Chinatown Wars
The British Board of Film Classification have given Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, an 18-rating. No surprise there, but the classification also mentions that there’s 168 minutes of cutscenes in the game. More than two hours of cinematics gives Chinatown Wars some heft and strengthens the perception this is going to be a very serious…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
A Teacher’s Take on Nintendo’s “Kind Code”
This week Nintendo’s in-game hint system patent came to light, and gamers and developers alike had their reactions. Here’s one from a teacher, who examines what “Kind Code” offers as a teaching tool. “Kind Code,” to bring everyone else up to speed, would ride shotgun in a game experience and, when activated, would animate the…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
IRS Official Recommends Policy on Virtual World Transactions
The IRS’ taxpayer advocate has suggested the agency take a proactive posture toward real money transactions (RMT) in virtual worlds. “Proactive posture,” in IRS speak, means “tax it.” In her annual report, Nina Olson, whose job is to recommend to the IRS “how to improve the average consumer’s tax-paying process,” noted that more than $1…
By Owen Good Published January 11, 2009 - Uncategorized
Second-Life Hooker Bares All
“We have street prostitution here in Italy, and I have always wanted to be one of them,” says “Palela Anderson,” who is a high priced escort in Second Life. “As a teenager I would watch these sexy women walking the streets, waiting for the cars to stop, teasing the guys, and then hopping in and…
By Owen Good Published January 10, 2009 - Uncategorized
CES 09: Hands On With Mad Catz’s SFIV FightStick & FightPad
If a $150 arcade stick is too rich for your blood, accessory maker Mad Catz has a few other options for the fighting game fan not content with the standard Xbox 360 or PS3 controller. Frankly, neither option is as quite as magical as the Street Fighter IV-branded Tournament Edition Arcade FightStick controller, but for…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 10, 2009 - Uncategorized
Baltimore Pol Indicted Over PS2 Controller
In part. One of 12 counts against Charm City’s Mayor accuses her of soliciting donations of gift cards for the needy over the holidays, then using them to buy a PSP and a PS2 controller. Sheila Dixon’s facing a 12-count indictment handed down by a Baltimore grand jury, alleging perjury, official misconduct, fraud and theft,…
By Owen Good Published January 10, 2009