-
This Is the World Cup of Gundam Model Making
This December, Bandai Namco is holding the “Gunpla Builders World Cup 2011”, the first international competition devoted to Gunpla, or Gundam model building. Between now and September, preliminary rounds are being held with competitors from 13 different countries: Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, America, and Italy. There…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 21, 2011 -
Old Republic Pre-Orders go Live, Three Versions Available
As expected, pre-orders for Star Wars: The Old Republic have just gone live, customers able to choose from not one, not two, but three versions of the upcoming MMO. There’s the big one we showed you the other day, the “normal” one, and an edition that falls in between them, which lacks a fancy box…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 21, 2011 -
The Uncanny Valley is Now Scientific Fact
The notion of the “Uncanny Valley”, where artificial people are more disturbing the closer they come to “reality”, has been around for ages. But now, thanks to a research team in San Diego, it’s bonafide science. As reported on Wired, The University of California confronted twenty test subjects with a variety of videos showing a…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 21, 2011 -
Skyward Sword’s New Trailer Takes Flight
On the eve of Comic-Con, Nintendo has released this new, lengthy trailer for the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword It’s got pretty much everything you could ask for in a Zelda trailer. Fighting, flying, weird characters. Even Gorons! The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first proper Zelda game since 2006’s Twilight…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 21, 2011 -
Is This the World’s Oldest Gamer?
Old people play video games. By old, maybe that means sixty years old? Seventy? How about 99 years old. Meet Umeji Narisawa. She’s 99 years-old, and according to Japanese TV program Nani Kore Chin Hyakkei, she plays nothing but Bomberman for hours everyday. And has for nearly the past 26 years. Bomberman was originally released…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 21, 2011 -
Activision Boss Says DJ Hero Helped Kill Guitar Hero
I like video games. I like turntables. I like DJ Shadow, I like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, the Scratch Perverts. Yet I’ve thought DJ Hero was a stupid idea from the moment the series was first announced. Not only did its lumping together of hip-hop, dance and electronica dilute the series’ focus, but being…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 21, 2011 -
TF2’s Rockets Explained: Pith Helmets, Ray Guns & Mutton Chops Ahoy
WETA, the special effects and design house behind movies like Lord of the Rings and District 9, has teamed up with Valve for a little cross-promotion, with some of its original designs to be featured in Team Fortress 2. For a while now WETA has peddled its own intellectual property (created by WETA’s Greg Broadmore),…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 21, 2011 -
America’s Pastime Is Japan’s Biggest Seller Right Now
High-definition, big headed baseball is currently the hottest thing in Japanese video games. Konami’s latest cartoonish baseball sim, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2011, is the country’s number one game. According to sales tracker Media Create, the weekly software sales chart is ruled by superdeformed baseball on the PlayStation 3. Hot on the heels of that…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 20, 2011 -
Pulling Action Figures Into a 3DS with Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure
Here is how you take a three-inch high plastic figurine and pull him into your 3DS, without wires, memory cards, or the device’s camera. Just set your character from Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure on that portal, and aim the 3DS at him, and wait for the beam of light. When I did it, I swear I…
By Owen Good Published July 20, 2011 -
Marvel and DC Hit the Bricks in LEGO’s Super Heroes Line
Comic book worlds collide next year, as The LEGO Group announces a pair of deals that bring DC Comics’ finest and the forces of the Marvel Universe under the banner of LEGO Super Heroes. Can new LEGO games be far behind? San Diego Comic-Con kicks into high gear tomorrow, making it the perfect time for…
By Mike Fahey Published July 20, 2011 -
Prototype 2 Makes It a Date: April 24, 2012
Prototype 2 will release for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on April 24, 2012, Activision said today at San Diego Comic-Con. A new CG trailer, the first of in a series of three, went up at the game’s official website. Shape-shifting superhero Alex Mercer and blade-armed badass Sgt. James Heller will also throw down at…
By Owen Good Published July 20, 2011 -
Is this the Motion-Controlled Swordplay You Actually Wanted?
Last week, I ran a video that showed a Nintendo rep playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword using the required Motion Plus advanced Wii Motion Control. I thought it was cool, but many readers expressed disappointment that you’re still using motion control to trigger the moves of your character in the game. You’re not…
By Stephen Totilo Published July 20, 2011 -
Madden Demo Details Coming Tuesday
With Madden NFL 12 moving its release date to Aug. 30 to be closer to the league’s opening day (assuming that happens), the game’s demo likewise skips forward a couple of weeks. Tuesday, EA Sports will reveal the demo release date, the teams it will feature, and any other details about the demo. If it…
By Owen Good Published July 20, 2011 -
There is Some Sort of Last Guardian Something or Other in the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus PlayStation 3 Port
There is “Bonus Content” in the new September 27-dated PlayStation 3 prettier versions of PlayStation 2 classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Yay! It mostly involves dynamic PS3 themes and videos. Oh. Some of the video is about the games’ spiritual sequel, the long-awaited The Last Guardian. Hopes raised, by the official PlayStation Blog!…
By Stephen Totilo Published July 20, 2011 -
The Mech-Flying Insanity of Starhawk in Motion
I was a big fan of multiplayer-only third-person shooter and vehicle combat game Warhawk It had a goofy, endearing art style. It had some wonderful, huge maps and of course it had those awesome hover-to-jet Warhawks While Starhawk certainly has its own distinct flavor, there’s a lot of the better bits of Warhawk I see…
By Brian Crecente Published July 20, 2011 -
Here’s Some Leaked Footage of Battlefield 3 In Action
Upcoming multiplayer shooter Battlefield 3 is currently in closed alpha, with participants forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement promising not to leak any footage. Like that was ever going to hold. Two clips have surfaced today, courtesy of a YouTube user, of the game’s multiplayer mode (the PC version, of course), showing some of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 20, 2011 -
Starhawk’s Monster Pistol Gets a Real World Appearance
PewPewPew – This replica Starhawk gun was being shown off under a plexiglass case at Sony’s New York event today. (Photo by Brian Crecente) Wing Commander-Inspired Space Combat Game In the Works A team of Austin developers are working on a new space combat sim inspired by the likes of Wing Commander, Star Wars: TIE…
By Brian Crecente Published July 20, 2011 -
How Blatantly Does the New Spider-Man Trailer Rip Off Mirror’s Edge?
The new Spider-Man movie trailer is cool. It’s also a bit familiar to those of us who played and enjoyed the 2008 video game Mirror’s Edge. How similar? Watch. You might notice some amazing, spectacular coincidences.
By Stephen Totilo Published July 20, 2011 -
Blowing Up The Statue of Liberty in 2011’s Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal 2’s Statue of Liberty Easter Egg returns in the Twisted Metal due out later this year. For those of you who missed out on the 1996 game’s hidden destruction, the game lets you attack the Statue of Liberty from any rooftop, eventually knocking her robe off to reveal a thin or heft version…
By Brian Crecente Published July 20, 2011 -
And Then Luigi Went on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Photographer Jeff Junio gets up-close and personal with Nintendo characters in his Super Macro Bros. set, crafting this image of Toad and Luigi that’s either delightful or very sinister, I can’t tell. See more at the 8-Bit Cubist
By Mike Fahey Published July 20, 2011