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Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants Anti-Bullying Tax on Video Games
“Violent video games,” a governmental classification of speech and expression that the Supreme Court found a smidge troubling last June, would be taxed extra under a proposed law in Oklahoma, with the collected money going toward state programs fighting bullying and child obesity. Here we go again. William Fourkiller, Democrat of Stillwell, Okla., proposed a…
By Owen Good Published February 1, 2012 -
The Ridiculous Three-Month Ban of An Innocent Xbox Gamer
Reclaiming a hacked account is always a nuisance, but Josh Hinkle’s nightmarish story of losing, reclaiming, re-losing, and then re-reclaiming his Xbox Live account takes the cake. Settle in for a hell of a yarn that reads like a world tour of the Xbox’s worst problems. We’ve got Russian hackers. We’ve got inexplicable bans. We’ve…
By Kirk Hamilton Published February 1, 2012 -
What’s Mass Effect 3 Mobile?
Every three months, game publisher EA tells the public that one of its upcoming games, Mass Effect 3 will be coming out for consoles (of course!), PC (expected) and “handheld/mobile” (huh?). Mass Effect 3 will be out in less than five weeks, so here we are wondering what it’s about. It won’t be a 3DS…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 1, 2012 -
The Amazing Cube
The Amazing Cube | Minecraft-themed Rubik’s Cube created for fun by Matt Boynton, a programmer for 5th Cell, the makers of Scribblenauts SoulCalibur V Takes a Beating From Game Reviewers With the past couple of years dominated by Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat-style 2D fighters, it’s nice to see the return of one of the…
By Owen Good Published February 1, 2012 -
I Sure Couldn’t Draw Half-Life This Well From Memory
We’ve written about the very cool blog “Mapstalgia” before, where Josh Millard is collecting drawings from users who re-create levels from their favorite video games from memory. He’s still at it, and has added a whole bunch of new maps, from Tony Hawk Pro Skater to Halo: Combat Evolved to the below map of the…
By Kirk Hamilton Published February 1, 2012 -
Ubisoft Trailer Shows Off Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc in HD Remake
Ubisoft is bringing you an HD-remastered version of Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, last generation’s 3D platforming title. Fans of the original game will enjoy a new look for the mascot, brought to life in 720p and a lush 60 frames per second. Remastered audio, 15-20 hours of gameplay, and 9 stand-alone mini-games are also in…
By Pierre Bienaimé Published February 1, 2012 -
Meet the Raspy Combatants of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Hey, it almost seems like Capcom’s using their upcoming shooter as a bullet-riddled metaphor for troublesome philosophical tension that pits private corporations vs. the Federal Government, right? Or it’s just Left 4 Dead x 2, with its own sorts of mutated humans and beasts. Either way, this trailer spotlights the individual members of the Umbrella…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 1, 2012 -
The Force is 1.7 Million Subscribers Strong with Star Wars: The Old Republic
According to EA’s third quarter financial results report, BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic has generated more than 1.7 million paying subscribers since its December launch. One wonders if that number was recorded before the game’s PVP balance issues began
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2012 -
SoulCalibur V Takes a Beating From Game Reviewers
With the past couple of years dominated by Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat-style 2D fighters, it’s nice to see the return of one of the big 3D fighting franchises. That is, unless you’re a game reviewer. Then it’s time to step into the critical ring. Picking up the story of SoulCalibur and the Soul Blade…
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2012 -
Open Your Mind to Syndicate‘s Chip-tastic Ways
In the bleak corporate future of Syndicate, an intracranial DART 6 chip brings you before the “gateway into ultimate consciousness.” This infomercial oozes Snow Crash-esque fiction, and know that in-game, you can toggle this augmented reality on and off. It coats your environment in a weird topographical aesthetic, highlights friends and foes through walls, and…
By Pierre Bienaimé Published February 1, 2012 -
Halo: Helljumper Touches Down with First Episode
“Hey, you ever feel just a little strange? That we’re hopping around all these planets and humans are the only intelligent life forms out here?” Halo: Helljumper, the fan-made web series centered on marine culture in the Halo universe, begins before contact with the Covenant. These greenhorns won’t be finishing the fight. They’ve only just…
By Pierre Bienaimé Published February 1, 2012 -
Three New Skylanders Enter the Retail Ring
Battling their way out of the post-holiday shortage, Activision and Toys for Bob have unleashed a trio of new Skylanders at retail, including one that should be familiar to hardcore Spyro fans, should such a thing exist. It’s nice to see some new faces on retail shelves, isn’t it? Three new toys are hitting store…
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2012 -
Why Dubai Is the Perfect Video Game Playground
Looking at a random aerial shot of Dubai might lead you to think you’re looking at a future New York. Or London. Or Hong Kong. But this place actually exists, newer than those places and more remote, too. The hyperreal city sits on the edge of the Arabian Desert, boasting skyscrapers and man-made islands unlike…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 1, 2012 -
Doom, Lemmings and Super Mario, Together For the First Time
Check out this student-made Flash advertisement for… an iPod skin? We’ll take it! Mario and Luigi cope with an invasion straight out of Lemmings and Space Invaders before reinforcements from everyone’s favorite Mars-bound marine. Things get 3D, and decidedly less innocent. Creator Rohan Liston’s website is still under construction, but we hope to check in…
By Pierre Bienaimé Published February 1, 2012 -
In the Official Darksiders Novel Tie-In the Hero’s Journey Doesn’t Just Symbolize Death
Death and his pal War team-up to save the day this year in Darksiders: The Abomination Vault, a series prequel that takes place a millenia before the opening credits of the first game. Death might be a new player in Darksiders II, but he’s been around as long as people have been dying, giving author…
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2012 -
Going to Miss BlizzCon in 2012? Not as Much as This World of Warcraft Guild Will
Last month Blizzard announced that it’s annual fan convention would be skipping a year, returning in 2012 so the developer can focus on things like developing games. Some fans took this well. The Elysiam World of Warcraft guild on the U.S. Shadowmoon server took to song. Guild leader and lyricist Kayhettin pass along this video…
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2012 -
Spec Ops: The Line‘s Vision of Dubai
By Kirk Hamilton Published February 1, 2012