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Senior Designer On Blizzard’s Next MMO Laid Off?
MMO specialist website Massively claims that, according to a “tipster”, Blizzard’s John Staats has been laid off. Who is John Staats? Only the senior level designer of the company’s next big MMO, the successor to World of Warcraft Staats (pictured), who has worked for Blizzard for a decade, been described as a “hero of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 8, 2011 -
Mario Sounds Make Traffic Accidents Less Horrible
“Guile’s Theme” isn’t the only thing that makes life better. So does the Super Mario Bros. theme, as evident by this video. In it, a moped rider takes tumble in, I believe, Guizhuzi, Taiwan and, well, just watch. Glitches in Real Life [Daily Picks and Flicks] You can contact Brian Ashcraft, the author of this…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 8, 2011 -
Mass Effect 3’s Story Leaks Online UPDATE
The accidental release of a beta for Mass Effect 3 over the weekend is the least of BioWare’s problems at the moment. More worrying is the fact the game’s story has leaked online. We’re not talking a few clips or scraps of info. We’re talking big chunks of the game’s plot, packed to the rafters…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 8, 2011 -
Next Xbox Codenamed “Loop”, Runs On Modified Windows 9
Insider blog MS nerd, which has been right on a few things coming out of Microsoft HQ from time to time, reckons it has some info on the next Xbox console. Currently codenamed “Loop”, the site says the console will have a single main processor that’s joined by “assistive cores” for “graphics, AI, physics, sound,…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 8, 2011 -
On the Eve of Modern Warfare 3, a Very Cool Illustration of Soap and the Gang
As we gear up to dive into Modern Warfare 3 (Top question: will you be more of a Jonah Hill or a Sam Worthington?), it’s fun to pause for a minute and take a look back. Artist Sam Gilbey sent in this illustration that Activision commissioned him to do promoting Call of Duty Elite, the…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
A Passionate IndieCade Keynote from Uncharted‘s Lead Designer
A couple of weeks ago at IndieCade, Naughty Dog’s Richard Lemarchand, lead designer on the Uncharted series, gave the keynote address. That may seem like an odd fit for an “IndieCade” keynote—after all, video games don’t get more “Big Budget” than Uncharted But Lemarchand is a longtime supporter of indie games and indie developers, and…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
It’s Pretty Much My Favorite Animal
Hello everyone, and welcome to another week of off-topic discussion. What are you playing this week? And more importantly, what are you planning on playing this week? Feels like each fall has one biggest week, and this just might be it… Here are some conversation-starters just for you. Beyonce’s music isn’t selling that well, even…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
The Week in Dangerous Games: Shooting Drugs in Modern Warfare 3 (Not Like That)
It’s the height of the fall rush, and more and more games rain down upon us every day. And with so many games, whoever will tell us which of them contains objectionable content? The Entertainment Software Rating Board, that’s who! Each week, we take a look at the newest, most salacious ESRB ratings and assemble…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
Jamil Moledina Bets on a Platform-Free Gaming Future with Funzio
Some believe the future of video games lies in the web-based streaming of triple A titles. Others feel that game consoles and PCs will one day be replaced with mobile devices. Game industry luminary Jamil Moledina sees a future dominated by social action games that people can play regardless of platform. That’s why Moledina has…
By Mike Fahey Published November 7, 2011 -
Kick Ass in Bulletstorm With Your Actual Boot, Courtesy of Kinect
I’ve yet to see convincing evidence that a first-person shooter (or indeed, any kind of non puppet-based shooter) could work on the Xbox 360’s Kinect motion controller. That said, if I had to pick an FPS that would work well with the hardware, it would probably be People Can Fly’s highly physical Bulletstorm So it’s…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
This is How Many People Are Already Playing Modern Warfare 3
Here’s a snapshot of what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 looked like four hours before the game officially hit the U.S. This tiny map shows where the game’s 118,995 online players were signing in to log a few frags. As you can see, despite having not yet launched here, the U.S. is not underrepresented.…
By Brian Crecente Published November 7, 2011 -
So Far, Super Mario 3D Land is a Breeze, But There’s Something Special Here
You can jump over the flagpole in Super Mario 3D Land. Nothing special happens. I figured that out this morning, while riding the F train in New York City and balancing myself just right so I could keep playing without falling over my fellow commuters. On that same train ride I learned that I can…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 7, 2011 -
Modern Warfare 3: The Underdog?
It’s been a season of dueling titans, to be sure. We’ve got Uncharted 3 vs. Gears of War 3, Skyrim vs. Dark Souls… and of course, Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 This time last year, the Call of Duty franchise was top dog. Medal of Honor had been vanquished, and the Battlefield 3 promotional…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
Our First Look at the New Alan Wake
A Wake –Game Informer gives us our first look at the upcoming Alan Wake addition. One of my favorite modern games better be getting a worthy new experience. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception: The Kotaku Review Telling a story is as much about what isn’t included as it is about what is included. It’s easy to…
By Brian Crecente Published November 7, 2011 -
Skyrim Director: “Substantial” DLC Already in the Works
I don’t think I’m breaking any embargos when I tell you that Skyrim is a terrifyingly massive game. In the true Bethesda tradition, it goes on and on and on, and it’s hard to imagine adding content to what is already such a gigantic piece of work. But the other Bethesda tradition involves releasing downloadable…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
Brace For Some Hardcore Skyrim Brit-Rapping
It maybe not be quite as sonorous as the game’s actual soundtrack, but no barbarian choir could hope to have flow like a guy with a British accent rapping about Skyrim The british rapper in question is Dan Bull, who has posted this enjoyable tribute to Bethesda’s upcoming game. This latest rap comes after his…
By Kirk Hamilton Published November 7, 2011 -
Transforming a Nintendo 64 Into a Portable
There aren’t instructions here, not unless you’re really good at figuring out what’s going on in a bunch of images. But it’s still fascinating to watch a Nintendo 64 get picked apart and then pieced back together again as a portable. And what’s the game in the slot when it’s done? Goldeneye of course! TRANSFORMING…
By Brian Crecente Published November 7, 2011 -
Massive Cluster of Reimagined Asteroids Headed Straight for Earth’s iPhones
Tomorrow Asteroid 2005 YU 55 will pass the Earth closer than the moon, a 1,312 foot chunk of rock slipping by a mere 201,000 miles away. For scientists it presents an excellent opportunity to study near-Earth objects. For Atari it’s an opportunity to market their new free-to-play iOS game, Asteroids Gunner Asteroids Gunner takes the…
By Mike Fahey Published November 7, 2011 -
The Man Who Wants to Re-Invent Toys Before Video Games Destroy Them
A few years ago, Paul Reiche and his team of game developers in Northern California were given a purple dragon and asked to make something cool with it. They were being asked to make a new game about Spyro the Dragon, an old PlayStation favorite created by a different group of California developers who had…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 7, 2011 -
Check Out the Smirk on the Sonic the Hedgehog Thanksgiving Day Balloon
Not only is the fleet-footed Sega mascot getting an all-new game this year, but he’s also getting a new balloon for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This video features the balloon being takien out for a test drive this past weekend in preparation for the annual Turkey Day festivities. It’s a great design that…
By Evan Narcisse Published November 7, 2011