The Wizardry series is one of the longest-running franchises in gaming. Originally developed by now-defunct American company Sir-Tech, it gained enormous popularity in Japan despite low-quality translations causing many of the game's popular culture references and parodies to be misinterpreted or missed altogether. As a result, it was taken far more seriously by Japanese gamers and developers than originally intended -- but it did form part of the inspiration for the Dragon Quest series, so perhaps that's not a bad thing.
Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls, one of the latest entries in the series, was originally released on PSN in 2009 in Japan and made it to North America in June of this year to somewhat mixed receptions -- we quite liked it. Now, it's coming to iOS devices too, starting from November 3.
The game goes back to the Wizardry series' roots with first-person turn-based dungeon crawling, albeit with considerably better graphics than the Apple II original. Players can take on the role of one of ten adventurers, build an unstoppable party and descend into two dungeons to deal with whatever great evil is threatening the land this time.
Following a growing trend among App Store titles, the game will be downloadable for free in a limited form, allowing players to level up to 5 and explore the first floor of the Dungeon of Trials for no cost. Players who want to continue their journey past this point will have to hand over $9.99 via in-app purchase for the full game.
"It is an honor to bring such a respected and long-lived RPG franchise to mobile devices for the first time in history," said Richie Casper, creative director at Japanese independent developer Acquire, perhaps best known for PS1 ninj 'em up Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. "We worked hard to ensure that Wizardry: Labyrinth of Souls for iOS stays completely true to the series' roots while also providing players with the same high quality graphics and challenging gameplay they've come to expect from the console version."
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Report: Apple to Release Siri-Controlled TV by 2013?
New York Times blogger Nick Bilton notes that in Steve Jobs' recently released biography, the late Apple CEO reportedly told his biographer "I've finally cracked it!" when referring to Apple's designs on the TV market. Bilton believes that Jobs was not talking about a significant change to the TV set itself, as many have assumed, but that he was referring to the incorporation of artificial intelligence software Siri into the user interface.
Siri, which has come to prominence since its inclusion with iOS 5 on new iPhone 4S devices, allows users to do a variety of things using their voice. On the iPhone, it's possible to send messages; create reminders, alarms and calendar events; get answers to logical questions; and even indulge in a bit of playful banter with the AI. But things get interesting when you consider the possibility of talking to your TV to control it -- among other benefits, it removes the need to rely on the antiquated and often unnecessary remote controls which we've been using for decades.
Using your voice to control content isn't something which is new, of course -- Kinect has been allowing users to speak to their Xbox for some time now. But were your TV itself able to respond to your voice commands as well as connect to the Internet, it opens up a wide range of possibilities which are already hinted at by technology such as that seen in TiVo boxes suggesting other shows you might enjoy or recognizing content by factors other than just its title.
"Play me videos of cats jumping into boxes," you might say, and be presented with a playlist of Maru videos. "Put on the last episode of Dexter." "Show me the local news." The possibilities are intriguing, assuming Siri is appropriately adapted to display the relevant content.
Bilton believes that it's not a case of "if" Apple will produce a TV, more a case of "when." A report by Barclays suggests that Apple could bring in an additional $19 billion a year by capturing just 5% of television buyers. And several reportedly reliable sources within Apple and its partners believed that it was a "guaranteed product" for Apple, noting that "Steve thinks the industry is totally broken."
Bilton suggests that we could see the announcement of a full-scale Apple TV set by late 2012, with the first to arrive on the market by 2013. This being Apple, though, we won't hear anything official until a week or two before it hits the market.
Siri, which has come to prominence since its inclusion with iOS 5 on new iPhone 4S devices, allows users to do a variety of things using their voice. On the iPhone, it's possible to send messages; create reminders, alarms and calendar events; get answers to logical questions; and even indulge in a bit of playful banter with the AI. But things get interesting when you consider the possibility of talking to your TV to control it -- among other benefits, it removes the need to rely on the antiquated and often unnecessary remote controls which we've been using for decades.
Using your voice to control content isn't something which is new, of course -- Kinect has been allowing users to speak to their Xbox for some time now. But were your TV itself able to respond to your voice commands as well as connect to the Internet, it opens up a wide range of possibilities which are already hinted at by technology such as that seen in TiVo boxes suggesting other shows you might enjoy or recognizing content by factors other than just its title.
"Play me videos of cats jumping into boxes," you might say, and be presented with a playlist of Maru videos. "Put on the last episode of Dexter." "Show me the local news." The possibilities are intriguing, assuming Siri is appropriately adapted to display the relevant content.
Bilton believes that it's not a case of "if" Apple will produce a TV, more a case of "when." A report by Barclays suggests that Apple could bring in an additional $19 billion a year by capturing just 5% of television buyers. And several reportedly reliable sources within Apple and its partners believed that it was a "guaranteed product" for Apple, noting that "Steve thinks the industry is totally broken."
Bilton suggests that we could see the announcement of a full-scale Apple TV set by late 2012, with the first to arrive on the market by 2013. This being Apple, though, we won't hear anything official until a week or two before it hits the market.
Wargame: European Escalation Delayed Until Early Next Year
Wargame: European Escalation, the new strategy game from the developers of the rather underrated R.U.S.E., has been delayed until the first quarter of next year. The decision to do this was a mutual one between publisher Focus Home Interactive and developer Eugen Systems, and is apparently to "ensure Wargame: European Escalation offers the best possible experience both in single player and in multiplayer."
For the unfamiliar, Wargame: European Escalation is an RTS game set in the period between 1975 and 1985 -- an underexplored era in strategy gaming. The game pits NATO, comprising the U.S. and Western Europe, against the Soviet and Eastern European countries that make up the Warsaw Pact across a series of hypothetical battles that explore what would have happened had the Cold War escalated into a full-scale conflict. Battles take place on a global scale, with Eugen Systems' impressive IrisZoom system allowing you to zoom right out to see the world map or right in to see individual units doing their thing.
There's no specific new release date as yet, but Focus and Eugen say we'll find it out in the next few weeks -- the first quarter of 2012 is as specific as you'll get for now.
For the unfamiliar, Wargame: European Escalation is an RTS game set in the period between 1975 and 1985 -- an underexplored era in strategy gaming. The game pits NATO, comprising the U.S. and Western Europe, against the Soviet and Eastern European countries that make up the Warsaw Pact across a series of hypothetical battles that explore what would have happened had the Cold War escalated into a full-scale conflict. Battles take place on a global scale, with Eugen Systems' impressive IrisZoom system allowing you to zoom right out to see the world map or right in to see individual units doing their thing.
There's no specific new release date as yet, but Focus and Eugen say we'll find it out in the next few weeks -- the first quarter of 2012 is as specific as you'll get for now.
Killing Floor Announces Halloween Sideshow Event
On paper, Killing Floor might sound like a Left 4 Dead knockoff -- a group of online players get together to hold off hordes of monsters in a cooperative, first person shooterish manner -- but in practise it's a little different. Set in arena-like levels rather than the "always pushing forward" pathways of Left 4 Dead, the game's a lot of fast-paced fun, particularly if you get a good team together. It's also notable for being on the receiving end of an absolute ton of new -- often free -- content since its original launch in May of 2010.
The game has also held a number of special events throughout its lifetime, with the last being the Summer Sideshow, which featured series of new enemies and challenges to take on. Developer Tripwire Interactive is running a similar event this Halloween, with a batch of special achievements on offer and an unlockable character available as a reward for anyone who completes all of them. Those who missed the Summer Sideshow event will also be able to take on those achievements again and unlock the special Steampunk Mr Foster character. Hurry, though -- you've only got until November 3.
The game has also held a number of special events throughout its lifetime, with the last being the Summer Sideshow, which featured series of new enemies and challenges to take on. Developer Tripwire Interactive is running a similar event this Halloween, with a batch of special achievements on offer and an unlockable character available as a reward for anyone who completes all of them. Those who missed the Summer Sideshow event will also be able to take on those achievements again and unlock the special Steampunk Mr Foster character. Hurry, though -- you've only got until November 3.
Paradox Interactive Holding 75% Off Halloween Sale
The time for cheap games is normally in mid-summer and the holiday season -- in other words, when Steam holds one of its legendary sales. This year, everyone seems to have gone a little Halloween crazy too, though, with the latest to join the fray being strategic specialists Paradox Interactive.
Three of Paradox's titles will be available for 75% off during the course of the sale, which will be running until November 1 on Steam, October 30 on Gamersgate and Green Man Gaming, and October 31 on Impulse.
First up is the Penumbra Collection, a pair of horrific adventures that task players with navigating an underground complex and discovering the truth behind your father's disappearance. Grab it from Steam, Gamersgate, Impulse or Green Man Gaming.
Next is Woody Two Legs, a top-down arcade shooter than challenges players to hold off the advancing hordes of zombie pirates by, well, shooting them. It's a fun casual blaster for fans of score attack-style gameplay. Grab it from Steam.
Finally comes Fort Zombie, an RPG that focuses on a single location -- the titular fort -- and revolves around you defending it against the zombie hordes through completing missions and acquiring materials with which to upgrade it. Paradox describes it as "Dungeon Master meets Fallout," which sounds pretty good to me. Grab this one from Gamersgate or Impulse.
Keep an eye on the Paradox website over the next few days because it sounds like there might be some other offers over the weekend, too.
Three of Paradox's titles will be available for 75% off during the course of the sale, which will be running until November 1 on Steam, October 30 on Gamersgate and Green Man Gaming, and October 31 on Impulse.
First up is the Penumbra Collection, a pair of horrific adventures that task players with navigating an underground complex and discovering the truth behind your father's disappearance. Grab it from Steam, Gamersgate, Impulse or Green Man Gaming.
Next is Woody Two Legs, a top-down arcade shooter than challenges players to hold off the advancing hordes of zombie pirates by, well, shooting them. It's a fun casual blaster for fans of score attack-style gameplay. Grab it from Steam.
Finally comes Fort Zombie, an RPG that focuses on a single location -- the titular fort -- and revolves around you defending it against the zombie hordes through completing missions and acquiring materials with which to upgrade it. Paradox describes it as "Dungeon Master meets Fallout," which sounds pretty good to me. Grab this one from Gamersgate or Impulse.
Keep an eye on the Paradox website over the next few days because it sounds like there might be some other offers over the weekend, too.
Monday, October 24, 2011
The New Shadowrun Game Is A Little Old, A Little New
Last week, Cliffhanger Productions revealed they were working on a new Shadowrun game, a franchise beloved of old-school role-playing fans (and SNES and Genesis gamers as well).
Given people’s passion for the source material, it’s a project that’s going to come under a lot of scrutiny. So it was with a little trepidation, then, that people met the news the game would be played in…a browser.
“Browser games have a come a long way with regards to visuals and gameplay – and will go further still” Cliffhanger’s Jan Wagner tells Kotaku. “They remain by far the most accessible platform (and can be extended towards Smartphone and Tablet PCs easily) and – as we intend to take a publishing role as much as we can – also make it easier for us to release directly.
“Furthermore we want to continue the storyline with permanent updates — much easier in the browser. The budget simply is nowhere near that of a regular game, so the only online solution is browser. Of course it also helps to have low expectations — we would rather be higher up a small ladder than on the lower rungs of a big one.”
Those are refreshingly practical answers. These guys aren’t blowing sunshine up anybody’s ass; they’re working on this game on the cheap, and want people to be prepared for that. In fact, it’s so cheap that to get the rights to Shadowrun, the team had to not only spend over a year just courting the relevant parties, but had to pool resources and borrow money from their relatives.
That’s about as far from the big-money world of AAA publishing you can get for a licensed game, but it’s also a move that will allow the team – many of whom are obviously big Shadowrun fans – a level of control and authenticity AAA projects could only dream of.
Instead of properties like XCOM and Syndicate, for example, which for economic reasons were forced into a first-person perspective, Shadowrun Online is going to be “using key concepts of the rules” from the original game, while also “working directly with the pen-and-paper-game publishers to build a common continuous storyline and cross from our game into theirs”.
While Wagner admits that it won’t be a literal port of the RPG – their game lacks the customisation of the original but “can handle many more complex calculations than rolling a bucket” – Cliffhanger’s goal “is to produce a game that is fun for the pen and paper players as well as for players new to the license”.
Those older fans, especially of the tabletop RPG, will be interested to know just how the game will be adapting the source material. After all, since the game’s creation things have changed in the Shadowrun universe, as technology and designs have advanced since the late1980s.
Cliffhanger will be striking a compromise between the two. While the game’s storyline will be based on one implemented only recently into the main game, the visual design of Shadowrun Online will be very much sticking to the cyberpunk look of the 1989 edition, with “visibly chromed-up augmentations and more visible grit”.
Given people’s passion for the source material, it’s a project that’s going to come under a lot of scrutiny. So it was with a little trepidation, then, that people met the news the game would be played in…a browser.
“Browser games have a come a long way with regards to visuals and gameplay – and will go further still” Cliffhanger’s Jan Wagner tells Kotaku. “They remain by far the most accessible platform (and can be extended towards Smartphone and Tablet PCs easily) and – as we intend to take a publishing role as much as we can – also make it easier for us to release directly.
“Furthermore we want to continue the storyline with permanent updates — much easier in the browser. The budget simply is nowhere near that of a regular game, so the only online solution is browser. Of course it also helps to have low expectations — we would rather be higher up a small ladder than on the lower rungs of a big one.”
Those are refreshingly practical answers. These guys aren’t blowing sunshine up anybody’s ass; they’re working on this game on the cheap, and want people to be prepared for that. In fact, it’s so cheap that to get the rights to Shadowrun, the team had to not only spend over a year just courting the relevant parties, but had to pool resources and borrow money from their relatives.
That’s about as far from the big-money world of AAA publishing you can get for a licensed game, but it’s also a move that will allow the team – many of whom are obviously big Shadowrun fans – a level of control and authenticity AAA projects could only dream of.
Instead of properties like XCOM and Syndicate, for example, which for economic reasons were forced into a first-person perspective, Shadowrun Online is going to be “using key concepts of the rules” from the original game, while also “working directly with the pen-and-paper-game publishers to build a common continuous storyline and cross from our game into theirs”.
While Wagner admits that it won’t be a literal port of the RPG – their game lacks the customisation of the original but “can handle many more complex calculations than rolling a bucket” – Cliffhanger’s goal “is to produce a game that is fun for the pen and paper players as well as for players new to the license”.
Those older fans, especially of the tabletop RPG, will be interested to know just how the game will be adapting the source material. After all, since the game’s creation things have changed in the Shadowrun universe, as technology and designs have advanced since the late1980s.
Cliffhanger will be striking a compromise between the two. While the game’s storyline will be based on one implemented only recently into the main game, the visual design of Shadowrun Online will be very much sticking to the cyberpunk look of the 1989 edition, with “visibly chromed-up augmentations and more visible grit”.
Nintendo’s 3DS Circle Pad Coming To America In 2012
The 3DS’ circle pad, a monstrosity so far seen only in Japan, will be released in the US in early 2012.
A Capcom representative has revealed that the attachment, which gives the Nintendo handheld a second thumbstick (well, circle pad), will be “available for use” with Resident Evil: Revelations, which is out in the US on February 7, 2012.
Since this was a Capcom representative and not an official Nintendo statement, there was no word on pricing or bundle options for the peripheral. We’re checking with Nintendo on this, and will update if we hear back.
A Capcom representative has revealed that the attachment, which gives the Nintendo handheld a second thumbstick (well, circle pad), will be “available for use” with Resident Evil: Revelations, which is out in the US on February 7, 2012.
Since this was a Capcom representative and not an official Nintendo statement, there was no word on pricing or bundle options for the peripheral. We’re checking with Nintendo on this, and will update if we hear back.
Felt Mario Bombs Are Dangerously Cute
And so is Chain Chomp, the 1-Up Mushroom, and pretty much every other Mario character that crafty-seller nerdJUNK knits its crochet magic on.
Nintendo series, such as Mario and Kirby, are represented. Those interested yarning yearning to own one of these, check out nerdJUNK’s online shop in the link below.
Nintendo series, such as Mario and Kirby, are represented. Those interested yarning yearning to own one of these, check out nerdJUNK’s online shop in the link below.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
It’s Back! Scream Fortress Returns For A Third Halloween
The Horseless Headless Horsemann and Mann Manor will return for Team Fortress 2‘s annual “Scream Fortress” Halloween event. Triple H — the game’s first boss — and the Manor, a special map, were introduced in last year’s event. Valve says the update will arrive sometime next week.
If You Don’t Own Or Want A 3DS, ‘What’s Wrong With You?’
Nintendo president of America Reggie Fils-Aime is probably kidding (half-kidding) when he wonders, at the start of this video, what’s wrong with people who don’t have or want a Nintendo 3DS. Consider it a milder form of him kicking your arse and taking your name.
In this debut instalment of Nintendo Direct, Fils-Aime hypes lots of Nintendo product, from Zelda to Mario Kart to a neat-looking trio of downloadable games coming to the 3DS’s eShop. Go to the 3:30 mark for that: We get Freakyforms
In this debut instalment of Nintendo Direct, Fils-Aime hypes lots of Nintendo product, from Zelda to Mario Kart to a neat-looking trio of downloadable games coming to the 3DS’s eShop. Go to the 3:30 mark for that: We get Freakyforms
This Week In The Business: ‘Wii U Is Not Quite Next Generation’
QUOTE | “The $US60 paid game is not going away.” — EA Playfish London GM John Earner sees all games going social but he believes there will always be a market, even if limited, for triple-A console gaming.
QUOTE | “RPG AI is stalled.” — Associate professor Noah Wardrip-Fruin and other experts on AI talk about the state of AI in games and where it’s headed.
STAT | $US2 billion — The worldwide revenue that research firm EEDAR expects to be generated by DLC sales by the end of next year, as the number of HD console owners downloading content steadily rises.
QUOTE | “Steve Jobs made some great game platforms without really trying.” — Electronic Arts and Digital Chocolate founder Trip Hawkins talks about what Steve Jobs meant to the game industry.
QUOTE | “We expect Sony to be first to market.” — Responding to rumours that Microsoft will launch “Xbox Next” by the end of 2013, RW Baird analyst Colin Sebastian noted that, if anything, Sony’s more likely to bring out PS4 first.
QUOTE | “The killer console will be your mobile device.” — Kakul Srivastava of developer Tiny Speck discusses a future where gaming predominantly takes place on browsers and mobile devices.
QUOTE | “Sony does brilliant hardware.” — EA COO Peter Moore comments on the upcoming PlayStation Vita, but at the same time he questions what the role of dedicated handheld gaming is at this point.
QUOTE | “Rockstar’s only scratching the surface.” — Rockstar’s Dan Houser talks about the big potential he still sees in open-world gaming despite having developed so many games in the genre.
STAT | 500,000 — The number of copies Atlus’ Catherine managed to sell in Japan and overseas, proving to be a hit for the publisher, given the niche nature of the game.
QUOTE | “Our big audacious goal to have 1 billion fans.” — Rovio North American general manager Andrew Stalbow talks about building out way beyond Angry Birds to become a “next generation media company”.
QUOTE | “RPG AI is stalled.” — Associate professor Noah Wardrip-Fruin and other experts on AI talk about the state of AI in games and where it’s headed.
STAT | $US2 billion — The worldwide revenue that research firm EEDAR expects to be generated by DLC sales by the end of next year, as the number of HD console owners downloading content steadily rises.
QUOTE | “Steve Jobs made some great game platforms without really trying.” — Electronic Arts and Digital Chocolate founder Trip Hawkins talks about what Steve Jobs meant to the game industry.
QUOTE | “We expect Sony to be first to market.” — Responding to rumours that Microsoft will launch “Xbox Next” by the end of 2013, RW Baird analyst Colin Sebastian noted that, if anything, Sony’s more likely to bring out PS4 first.
QUOTE | “The killer console will be your mobile device.” — Kakul Srivastava of developer Tiny Speck discusses a future where gaming predominantly takes place on browsers and mobile devices.
QUOTE | “Sony does brilliant hardware.” — EA COO Peter Moore comments on the upcoming PlayStation Vita, but at the same time he questions what the role of dedicated handheld gaming is at this point.
QUOTE | “Rockstar’s only scratching the surface.” — Rockstar’s Dan Houser talks about the big potential he still sees in open-world gaming despite having developed so many games in the genre.
STAT | 500,000 — The number of copies Atlus’ Catherine managed to sell in Japan and overseas, proving to be a hit for the publisher, given the niche nature of the game.
QUOTE | “Our big audacious goal to have 1 billion fans.” — Rovio North American general manager Andrew Stalbow talks about building out way beyond Angry Birds to become a “next generation media company”.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
My 5 most anticipated games for the Nintendo 3DS
Watching as the 3DS is getting more and more games announced for it everyday, I cannot help but to get hyped up for the system. But then I look at all the announced games and I feel that something is missing, than it hit me. 5 great franchises are completely missing from the list of games. I decided what better to do than to make a list of games that I feel need to be on the 3DS (Honestly, the October Contest did motivate me but I was planning on doing this anyway). So, without further delay, Lets'a Go (Spoiler).
5 - Tetris 3DS
Tetris was one of the greatest games on the original Gameboy, and since its release it has become one of the biggest video game franchises of all time. It's a game that should be on every console, especially portable ones and having the 3D graphics would just add to the game.
4 - F-Zero 3DS
When you think of Nintendo Racing games, the first things that should come to your mind are Mario Kart, Excitebike, and F-Zero. Mario Kart has been on most Nintendo Platforms since its SNES release and Excitebike has had three games on the Wii (Though replacing the 'bikes' with things like 'trucks' and 'bots'). F-Zero, not so lucky. This stellar series hasn't had a game since the 2003 F-Zero GX, made for the Nintendo Gamecube. F-Zero's fast paced action would be perfect for an exciting 3D race, and now with the ability to add online leaderboards for time trials and have online play, which would be a first for the series, there is no reason not to make this game.
3 - 3DS Sports
3DS Sports should be made and bundled with the 3DS, it makes perfect sense. Back in 2006 when the Wii launched, the main reason they bought a Wii was for the motion control. To help push that, Nintendo released Wii Sports, a collection of 5 different sports games. It is the exact same scenario with the 3DS, and since the Sports game worked great with the Wii why not do it on the 3DS. It doesn't need to be a Sports game either, just a 5 game bundle that shows off the potential of the 3DS. Plus Adding 5 games with the system would make it easier to swallow that rumored $250 price tag (If this does happen, can we please get some online play?).
2 - New Super Mario Bros. 3DS
Definitely one of the best games on the DS, this game needs a sequel. Won't be to hard to pass since the original is the second highest selling game on the Wii, only behind Nintendogs, at a staggering 22.5 Million sales. With those sales, this game is the most likely game to be made for the 3DS that hasn't been announced yet. They could add the 4-player co-op from the Wii version with wi-fi play. Another feature that they could add that would be huge would be a Level Editor mode. Popularized in games like LBP and Halo, it is being seen more and more in games and this would be the perfect Mario game to add the feature since it is a 2D game. Level sharing would just be icing on the cake.
1 - Super Smash Bros. 3DS
This is my list remember, and Smash Bros has always been my favorite Nintendo franchise. I often ask why MS and Sony doesn't copy this great idea, but that's off topic. It is universally agreed that SSB is, if nothing more, a good game. Now, with all the shovelware being made nowadays, why is this great franchise not going handheld? It won't need much to be a success, about 20 characters and 15 levels is all I ask. Online play, level editors (it was in Brawl, why not put it in the 3DS version), and in game statues would add to the replayability and consumer want. I would be a little disappointed if they port the N64 version like they are doing with Star Fox and Legend of Zelda, but even if they did a LOT of people would buy it. The average SSB game sells over 7 million copies, so there is no way that this could fail unless Nintendo messes it up severely.
5 - Tetris 3DS
Tetris was one of the greatest games on the original Gameboy, and since its release it has become one of the biggest video game franchises of all time. It's a game that should be on every console, especially portable ones and having the 3D graphics would just add to the game.
4 - F-Zero 3DS
When you think of Nintendo Racing games, the first things that should come to your mind are Mario Kart, Excitebike, and F-Zero. Mario Kart has been on most Nintendo Platforms since its SNES release and Excitebike has had three games on the Wii (Though replacing the 'bikes' with things like 'trucks' and 'bots'). F-Zero, not so lucky. This stellar series hasn't had a game since the 2003 F-Zero GX, made for the Nintendo Gamecube. F-Zero's fast paced action would be perfect for an exciting 3D race, and now with the ability to add online leaderboards for time trials and have online play, which would be a first for the series, there is no reason not to make this game.
3 - 3DS Sports
3DS Sports should be made and bundled with the 3DS, it makes perfect sense. Back in 2006 when the Wii launched, the main reason they bought a Wii was for the motion control. To help push that, Nintendo released Wii Sports, a collection of 5 different sports games. It is the exact same scenario with the 3DS, and since the Sports game worked great with the Wii why not do it on the 3DS. It doesn't need to be a Sports game either, just a 5 game bundle that shows off the potential of the 3DS. Plus Adding 5 games with the system would make it easier to swallow that rumored $250 price tag (If this does happen, can we please get some online play?).
2 - New Super Mario Bros. 3DS
Definitely one of the best games on the DS, this game needs a sequel. Won't be to hard to pass since the original is the second highest selling game on the Wii, only behind Nintendogs, at a staggering 22.5 Million sales. With those sales, this game is the most likely game to be made for the 3DS that hasn't been announced yet. They could add the 4-player co-op from the Wii version with wi-fi play. Another feature that they could add that would be huge would be a Level Editor mode. Popularized in games like LBP and Halo, it is being seen more and more in games and this would be the perfect Mario game to add the feature since it is a 2D game. Level sharing would just be icing on the cake.
1 - Super Smash Bros. 3DS
This is my list remember, and Smash Bros has always been my favorite Nintendo franchise. I often ask why MS and Sony doesn't copy this great idea, but that's off topic. It is universally agreed that SSB is, if nothing more, a good game. Now, with all the shovelware being made nowadays, why is this great franchise not going handheld? It won't need much to be a success, about 20 characters and 15 levels is all I ask. Online play, level editors (it was in Brawl, why not put it in the 3DS version), and in game statues would add to the replayability and consumer want. I would be a little disappointed if they port the N64 version like they are doing with Star Fox and Legend of Zelda, but even if they did a LOT of people would buy it. The average SSB game sells over 7 million copies, so there is no way that this could fail unless Nintendo messes it up severely.
What in the name of good video games happened here?
This is a list from a rather hardcore gamer about things that I have found while playing video games that I really liked. Things that I think the perfect game would incorporate. It also includes things that I don’t understand how if it happened 10 years ago they can’t make it happen now.
1. Spending more time on single player rather than multiplayer.
We all know what I’m talking about. In today’s gaming industry if a game doesn’t have multiplayer it automatically gets knocked down points by reviewers. Perfect examples of this would be Bioshock or Uncharted. The first of both these games were single player only, and both game’s single player was incredible and worth playing 100 times over. However the gaming industry said they should have multiplayer. While Uncharted 2 did this fairly well Bioshock 2 short and in turn spent too much time on multiplayer instead of single player, but not enough time on either one. Another example is COD:MW2. Infinity ward spend so much time on the single player their single player story has more holes then Swiss cheese. Not every game needs multiplayer.
2. Glitches
I’m not saying glitches are a good thing. In fact generally I believe the opposite. I’ve been playing through some older games in my collection and I’ve come across a surprising fact. A lot of old games have less glitches then some of the newer games. Take for instance Metal Gear Solid. I don’t believe I’ve found a glitch in that game. Newer games like MW2, well that’s about as much as I need to say there. If a game on the PS1 could be made without glitches why can’t a game on the 360 or PS3?
3. Accuracy
Guns. They are either super accurate (MW2) or fire everywhere except where you’re aiming (Kayne and Lynce 2). Set up high speed cameras and fire guns at a target. Then rewatch the footage to get bullet trajectory, speed, muzzle hop, ect. Guns should be more closely related to their real world counter parts. Not more accurate than a sniper rifle or incapable of hitting the broad side of a barn.
4. Health
This is just a personal opinion of mine. I don’t like playing a game where I can hide behind a trash can for 5 seconds and I am fully healed again after taking an RPG to the face. I can mildly understand body armor/shield regenerating but not your actual health. I’m actually glad that Halo changed this with Reach. That is closer to what I feel it should be like.
5. Map Editor.
Generally I try to not use the same game twice but in this list are games that either shine for their innovation, or shine because they make good examples of bad examples. Halo is the prior of the two. I love forge. Am I any good at it is another story. But I think it is an incredibly brilliant idea. Give the players the freedom to create a map the way they want to. Why can’t I do that with every game? I only wish Halo allowed you to put as much as you want instead of giving a limit to how many of any specific item can be added as well as how much can be added all together. I’ve only really noticed two other games that do this, Farcry 2 (pc) and Uncharted 2 has a Machinima mode.
6. Game viewer (Theater)
Again another Halo creation. It was a stroke of genius to give player the ability to rewatch their games over and over again. They can take pictures, record clips, watch from other player’s perspectives, free roam, ect. This was an excellent idea and probably my favorite idea they came up with. Again Uncharted 2 has something similar but you can’t do as many things with it. The only improvement I can see to make is to add the ability to upload straight to YouTube or upload to a website where you can download them onto your computer later. Thankfully I have heard that Black Ops will be doing this.
7. Co-op
I am talking actually single player when I say co-op. I like the ability to play the main game with friends. It adds to the fun. I do believe that adding extra ops to the game for people to play co-op is a great idea, but I want to play the main game co-op.
8. Split screen multiplayer
This is a biggy and I know a lot of people are demanding for this back. If my fiend comes over and we want to play some co-op he shouldn’t have to bring over his system so we can play. Honestly how hard it is to add split screen. It makes the game more fun and enjoyable. I have hear rumors the Killzone3 will be doing this again but nothing is confirmed yet.
*Extra* The lightsaber
I know. I’ve done this whole list without touching Starwars. I am a Starwars fanboy, as I’m sure many of you are (Whether you want to admit it or not). A big thing that angers me is when I’m playing a Starwars game and it takes more than one swing from a lightsaber to kill someone. I mildly understand other Jedi but there is some excuse for why it takes 5 or 6 connects with the lightsaber to kill one droid or storm trooper. There is only one game series I have seen that does this right. Starwars: Jedi Knight, and among them probably the most famous is Starwars: Jedi Knight 2 Jedi Outcast, for its code g_saberrealisticcombat 1 which allowed players to actually cut off limbs, decapitate, remove hands, cut people in half, ect. Now if only they could make another good Starwars game where this was standard.
9. Being able to be revived.
This is something that really annoys me. How come I can heal my teammates and my team mates can heal each other, but no one can heal me? If a teammate becomes incapacitated while fighting they can be revived. But if I die while fighting it’s game over. How come I can’t be revived? What makes them so much more special than me?
10. Intelligent Squad mates.
Let me ask you a question. Do you remember a game where you are fighting the bad guys and you have an AI controlled teammate that just stands there? Or when that same teammate does move he runs straight into harm’s way and gets clobbered. Of course you remember it. It just happened, MW2, Reach, Halo 3, Killzone2, ect (I know that they can’t die in MW2, and Killzone2 but they get shot by so many bullets that they can’t get back up to shoot back). The AI seems to be anything but intelligent. A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away a game was released. This game was called Starwars: Republic Commando. This game had some of the best AI I have ever seen. They killed better than me, they fought better than me, and they actually worked in a military fashion. They were like real soldiers. You told them to go to cover and they fought their way there. If you told them to take up a sniping position they would fight their way to the position and pull out their sniper rifle. If an enemy got close they would switch weapons. They didn’t stand around and try and kill the enemies before they went to cover. They were killing the enemies on their way to cover and then killed once they got there. If you moved to far away they would follow. They followed their orders and did so precisely. They were like another player fighting with you and working as a perfect team. If this could be done on the original Xbox why can’t it be done now?
These are just some of the things that I have noticed over about a decade of playing games. This isn’t all of the things I would like to see changed, but it is the major points. I hope that within the next gaming year some major companies can start getting these things right. It will cause more people to buy the game. They will get higher reviews. And less people will be trading them in for other games.
1. Spending more time on single player rather than multiplayer.
We all know what I’m talking about. In today’s gaming industry if a game doesn’t have multiplayer it automatically gets knocked down points by reviewers. Perfect examples of this would be Bioshock or Uncharted. The first of both these games were single player only, and both game’s single player was incredible and worth playing 100 times over. However the gaming industry said they should have multiplayer. While Uncharted 2 did this fairly well Bioshock 2 short and in turn spent too much time on multiplayer instead of single player, but not enough time on either one. Another example is COD:MW2. Infinity ward spend so much time on the single player their single player story has more holes then Swiss cheese. Not every game needs multiplayer.
2. Glitches
I’m not saying glitches are a good thing. In fact generally I believe the opposite. I’ve been playing through some older games in my collection and I’ve come across a surprising fact. A lot of old games have less glitches then some of the newer games. Take for instance Metal Gear Solid. I don’t believe I’ve found a glitch in that game. Newer games like MW2, well that’s about as much as I need to say there. If a game on the PS1 could be made without glitches why can’t a game on the 360 or PS3?
3. Accuracy
Guns. They are either super accurate (MW2) or fire everywhere except where you’re aiming (Kayne and Lynce 2). Set up high speed cameras and fire guns at a target. Then rewatch the footage to get bullet trajectory, speed, muzzle hop, ect. Guns should be more closely related to their real world counter parts. Not more accurate than a sniper rifle or incapable of hitting the broad side of a barn.
4. Health
This is just a personal opinion of mine. I don’t like playing a game where I can hide behind a trash can for 5 seconds and I am fully healed again after taking an RPG to the face. I can mildly understand body armor/shield regenerating but not your actual health. I’m actually glad that Halo changed this with Reach. That is closer to what I feel it should be like.
5. Map Editor.
Generally I try to not use the same game twice but in this list are games that either shine for their innovation, or shine because they make good examples of bad examples. Halo is the prior of the two. I love forge. Am I any good at it is another story. But I think it is an incredibly brilliant idea. Give the players the freedom to create a map the way they want to. Why can’t I do that with every game? I only wish Halo allowed you to put as much as you want instead of giving a limit to how many of any specific item can be added as well as how much can be added all together. I’ve only really noticed two other games that do this, Farcry 2 (pc) and Uncharted 2 has a Machinima mode.
6. Game viewer (Theater)
Again another Halo creation. It was a stroke of genius to give player the ability to rewatch their games over and over again. They can take pictures, record clips, watch from other player’s perspectives, free roam, ect. This was an excellent idea and probably my favorite idea they came up with. Again Uncharted 2 has something similar but you can’t do as many things with it. The only improvement I can see to make is to add the ability to upload straight to YouTube or upload to a website where you can download them onto your computer later. Thankfully I have heard that Black Ops will be doing this.
7. Co-op
I am talking actually single player when I say co-op. I like the ability to play the main game with friends. It adds to the fun. I do believe that adding extra ops to the game for people to play co-op is a great idea, but I want to play the main game co-op.
8. Split screen multiplayer
This is a biggy and I know a lot of people are demanding for this back. If my fiend comes over and we want to play some co-op he shouldn’t have to bring over his system so we can play. Honestly how hard it is to add split screen. It makes the game more fun and enjoyable. I have hear rumors the Killzone3 will be doing this again but nothing is confirmed yet.
*Extra* The lightsaber
I know. I’ve done this whole list without touching Starwars. I am a Starwars fanboy, as I’m sure many of you are (Whether you want to admit it or not). A big thing that angers me is when I’m playing a Starwars game and it takes more than one swing from a lightsaber to kill someone. I mildly understand other Jedi but there is some excuse for why it takes 5 or 6 connects with the lightsaber to kill one droid or storm trooper. There is only one game series I have seen that does this right. Starwars: Jedi Knight, and among them probably the most famous is Starwars: Jedi Knight 2 Jedi Outcast, for its code g_saberrealisticcombat 1 which allowed players to actually cut off limbs, decapitate, remove hands, cut people in half, ect. Now if only they could make another good Starwars game where this was standard.
9. Being able to be revived.
This is something that really annoys me. How come I can heal my teammates and my team mates can heal each other, but no one can heal me? If a teammate becomes incapacitated while fighting they can be revived. But if I die while fighting it’s game over. How come I can’t be revived? What makes them so much more special than me?
10. Intelligent Squad mates.
Let me ask you a question. Do you remember a game where you are fighting the bad guys and you have an AI controlled teammate that just stands there? Or when that same teammate does move he runs straight into harm’s way and gets clobbered. Of course you remember it. It just happened, MW2, Reach, Halo 3, Killzone2, ect (I know that they can’t die in MW2, and Killzone2 but they get shot by so many bullets that they can’t get back up to shoot back). The AI seems to be anything but intelligent. A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away a game was released. This game was called Starwars: Republic Commando. This game had some of the best AI I have ever seen. They killed better than me, they fought better than me, and they actually worked in a military fashion. They were like real soldiers. You told them to go to cover and they fought their way there. If you told them to take up a sniping position they would fight their way to the position and pull out their sniper rifle. If an enemy got close they would switch weapons. They didn’t stand around and try and kill the enemies before they went to cover. They were killing the enemies on their way to cover and then killed once they got there. If you moved to far away they would follow. They followed their orders and did so precisely. They were like another player fighting with you and working as a perfect team. If this could be done on the original Xbox why can’t it be done now?
These are just some of the things that I have noticed over about a decade of playing games. This isn’t all of the things I would like to see changed, but it is the major points. I hope that within the next gaming year some major companies can start getting these things right. It will cause more people to buy the game. They will get higher reviews. And less people will be trading them in for other games.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
What's with all the bad reviews?
**This blog was inspired by many reviews of games that've come out recently, though reading the reviews of Killzone 3 got me started.
Call of Duty Black Ops is not really a good game. The campaign is decent and the multiplayer is more boring than MW2's, which is hacker-filled and annoying. Still, the game's better than MW2 even if multiplayer isn't as fun. However, what scores do you see for it? The most butchered version of the game on PS3 has an 88 average on Metacritic with the 360 right behind with an 87. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, though, probably a tie for the worst CoD game in the series with Call of Duty 3, has a 84 on both Ps3 and 360. Oh, but I'm not done! Call of Duty 4, arguably the best game in the series, has the same score on 360.
WHAT THE FU-
So let's get this straight for a moment: Call of Duty 4 is one of the most loved games of all time and it has a 94. It's sequel, which failed miserably, gets the same score. Black Ops, which is only slightly better than MW2, gets a worse score.
Well, that doesn't make any sense. However, the reviewers seemingly disregarded the campaign of MW2 and Black Ops as a whole, reviewing the boring multi in Black Ops and hacked MP in MW2 and giving the game great scores for mediocre games.
Today, there's been a ton of Killzone 3 reviews out, most of which are between 8.5 and 9.5. After reading a good bit of them, I realized two things. 1) They compare Killzone 3 to Call of Duty A LOT. WHY?? THEY'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAMES! That's like comparing Halo to Counter-Strike. You just don't do that! 2) They're placing a TON of criticism on the single-player, with a lot of the reviews having the single-player portion of the review slightly bigger than the multiplayer. What the hell? The same people didn't do that for Call of Duty, but what's the excuse? "Well, you buy Call of Duty for the multiplayer".
I don't! After MW2, I bought Black Ops for a better single-player, since Treyarch is seemingly better at that than multi. It just makes no sense. They're comparing two totally different games and giving the better a less fair review.
I'm just using those 2 games as an example, but there's been TONS upon TONS of just as biased reviews for the past years. Shellshock 2 was actually a good game, though not without it's flaws. But just like AvP, it was bashed down to hell for not being the next Call of Duty or Halo or this or that.
As a reviewer myself, it just annoys me so much to see how much bias these so-called "professionals" suck at doing their job. After reading all of the people's comments on many reviews, I can truly understand why people don't like many mainstream reviews.
Call of Duty Black Ops is not really a good game. The campaign is decent and the multiplayer is more boring than MW2's, which is hacker-filled and annoying. Still, the game's better than MW2 even if multiplayer isn't as fun. However, what scores do you see for it? The most butchered version of the game on PS3 has an 88 average on Metacritic with the 360 right behind with an 87. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, though, probably a tie for the worst CoD game in the series with Call of Duty 3, has a 84 on both Ps3 and 360. Oh, but I'm not done! Call of Duty 4, arguably the best game in the series, has the same score on 360.
WHAT THE FU-
So let's get this straight for a moment: Call of Duty 4 is one of the most loved games of all time and it has a 94. It's sequel, which failed miserably, gets the same score. Black Ops, which is only slightly better than MW2, gets a worse score.
Well, that doesn't make any sense. However, the reviewers seemingly disregarded the campaign of MW2 and Black Ops as a whole, reviewing the boring multi in Black Ops and hacked MP in MW2 and giving the game great scores for mediocre games.
Today, there's been a ton of Killzone 3 reviews out, most of which are between 8.5 and 9.5. After reading a good bit of them, I realized two things. 1) They compare Killzone 3 to Call of Duty A LOT. WHY?? THEY'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAMES! That's like comparing Halo to Counter-Strike. You just don't do that! 2) They're placing a TON of criticism on the single-player, with a lot of the reviews having the single-player portion of the review slightly bigger than the multiplayer. What the hell? The same people didn't do that for Call of Duty, but what's the excuse? "Well, you buy Call of Duty for the multiplayer".
I don't! After MW2, I bought Black Ops for a better single-player, since Treyarch is seemingly better at that than multi. It just makes no sense. They're comparing two totally different games and giving the better a less fair review.
I'm just using those 2 games as an example, but there's been TONS upon TONS of just as biased reviews for the past years. Shellshock 2 was actually a good game, though not without it's flaws. But just like AvP, it was bashed down to hell for not being the next Call of Duty or Halo or this or that.
As a reviewer myself, it just annoys me so much to see how much bias these so-called "professionals" suck at doing their job. After reading all of the people's comments on many reviews, I can truly understand why people don't like many mainstream reviews.
Lets clear this whole thing up. My Destructoid comment.
As you can see in the picture, Jim Sterling himself took the liberty to intellegently and constructively reply with great handwriting to my comment on twitter, the best damn website in the world. While my comment does make a lot of sense, the swearing and flamming in it does lower the quality of the comment so he was able to use that to his advantage to make it look bad. But since I have been touched (albiet inappropriately) by fame, I will now have to explain why I made that comment and why Destructoid remains one of the worst websites for gaming ever.
Take a look at Destructoid's history in reviewing games. You will notice every single PS3 game on that website has been given an incredibly low score. Everything from Uncharted to Resistance to LBP has always been given a 6 at the greatest. One could argue that Jim Sterling's mind is unable to comprehend too much awesome at once so he assumes that game is terrible. But I think the more obvious explanation is that Jim Sterling is a raging fanboy who just wants to ensure that no PS3 games ever has a score higher than a 70 on Metacritic. So he does what he does best, make a little website to give his little opinion on games in order to put a dent in PS3 exclusives. Does Metacritic actually matter? No. Not when they accept such biased reviews as Jim Sterlings. But to fanboys, Metacritic will always matter and those who have the choice to shape it will do so.
So it came as a surprise to me when Destructoid actually released a positive PS3 review for once. Killzone 3 managed to get a perfect 10 . Why would they do this? Jim Sterling is an obvious fanboy who hates every PS3 game ever right? Then I looked at other reviews and realised that the meta score for Killzone 3 is going to be pretty mediocre even if Destructoid were to actually give it a pefect review. So this would be the perfect time for Jim Sterling to prove he is "not a fanboy" and give it a perfect score. After all, the meta score is screwed anyway so this is the perfect backhanded compliment as well as a cover up of his own agenda. Everyone wins, except for PS3 of course.
Im pretty surprised at the amount of negative feedback I got for my comment. Especially considering all the negative feedback that is usually directed at destructoid. Just because they have one "positive" score for a ps3 game doesnt mean that all of a sudden they are on your side and I find is incredibly hard to believe that the majority of N4G fell for that review. Learn to read between the lines and see that this was just Jim Sterling covering his own ass to make it seem like he is not a fanboy. Destructoid is still the same corrupt, biased, unprofessional website it has always been and that will never change. I can only hope Destuctoid will one day be banned from Metacritic because that would be the best slap in the face for them.
Take a look at Destructoid's history in reviewing games. You will notice every single PS3 game on that website has been given an incredibly low score. Everything from Uncharted to Resistance to LBP has always been given a 6 at the greatest. One could argue that Jim Sterling's mind is unable to comprehend too much awesome at once so he assumes that game is terrible. But I think the more obvious explanation is that Jim Sterling is a raging fanboy who just wants to ensure that no PS3 games ever has a score higher than a 70 on Metacritic. So he does what he does best, make a little website to give his little opinion on games in order to put a dent in PS3 exclusives. Does Metacritic actually matter? No. Not when they accept such biased reviews as Jim Sterlings. But to fanboys, Metacritic will always matter and those who have the choice to shape it will do so.
So it came as a surprise to me when Destructoid actually released a positive PS3 review for once. Killzone 3 managed to get a perfect 10 . Why would they do this? Jim Sterling is an obvious fanboy who hates every PS3 game ever right? Then I looked at other reviews and realised that the meta score for Killzone 3 is going to be pretty mediocre even if Destructoid were to actually give it a pefect review. So this would be the perfect time for Jim Sterling to prove he is "not a fanboy" and give it a perfect score. After all, the meta score is screwed anyway so this is the perfect backhanded compliment as well as a cover up of his own agenda. Everyone wins, except for PS3 of course.
Im pretty surprised at the amount of negative feedback I got for my comment. Especially considering all the negative feedback that is usually directed at destructoid. Just because they have one "positive" score for a ps3 game doesnt mean that all of a sudden they are on your side and I find is incredibly hard to believe that the majority of N4G fell for that review. Learn to read between the lines and see that this was just Jim Sterling covering his own ass to make it seem like he is not a fanboy. Destructoid is still the same corrupt, biased, unprofessional website it has always been and that will never change. I can only hope Destuctoid will one day be banned from Metacritic because that would be the best slap in the face for them.
Disney XD News
DISNEY XD TO PREMIERE “FORT BOYARD – ULTIMATE CHALLENGE,” A REALITY ADVENTURE SERIES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
Angry Birds for PC
Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
angry birds for pc
activate free angry birds for pc
angry birds FLASH SCAM
angry-birds-online scam
free angry birds games full version for window xp
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
angry birds for pc
activate free angry birds for pc
angry birds FLASH SCAM
angry-birds-online scam
free angry birds games full version for window xp
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
5 Ridiculous Things Gamers Do That Make Me Ashamed to be a Gamer
Ive been a gamer all of my life, but it was only when the internet really kicked off that I realized how outright ridiculous people can be. You can go to youtube and read comments until your keyboard breaks on your head, but you will never find a more spoiled, picky, self righteous, and downright rude person as the average gamer. This thread is dedicated to those type of people that almost make you want to quit being a gamer altogether just to avoid being placed into the same category as them.
5.Raiding user scores.
There is a preference for a game and then there is this (see link below). Tensions were high as Gears 2 and Resistance 2 would be released and fanboys were arguing over which would be better. Why were they doing this? Because they were exclusive to competing consoles of course. They were two different games with completly different gameplay elements, but what the hell. As soon as Resistance 3 came out, it was hit on Metacritic with a bunch of low user submitted review scores. Most of them didnt even have coherent explanations on why and the game had only been out for about 5 minutes at the time. Fanboys were up to no good. They wouldnt accept that Resistance was actually getting some decent review scores and they took action to debase it in any way they possibly could. Did it stop there? Of course not. Once Gears 2 came out, Sony fanboys were quick to do the same thing. http://n4g.com/news/221071/... ... red-to-4-1
I shouldnt even have to explain why this is pathetic. Instead of playing the game they seem to love so much, gamers are going out of their way in mass numbers to make another game look bad. Ill admit that I have my bias when it comes to games, but I dont see the point in this. No one really takes user reviews seriously, especially when you see such a huge difference in the user score and the official score. All that effort basically was for nothing.
4.Buying games based on sex appeal.
Im no prude, but when Bayonetta came out I was a little angry that it was being recieved so well by critics and gamers alike. For those of you who dont know of Bayonetta, it is a hack and slash game about a Palin-esque witch lady with really long legs, skin tight clothing that is actually hair, and a constant model strut to her movements. You spend all of the game fighting monsters by pulling off combos that strip off Bayonetta's clothing and zoom in on her lady parts as often as possible. The story is pretty much non existant and the gameplay is a ripoff of Devil May Cry. The flaws are obvious here. This is a game selling off sex and sex alone. But for some reason, critics were hailing it as fighting game of the century. Edge even gave it a 10, saying that it "Slapped God of War 3 back to the drawing board" even though God of War was not out yet.
Every gamer I came across seemed to agree as well. When I called out the obvious flaws in this game and how everyone was completly insane for thinking it was good when real good games have been nailed to the cross for far less, I was met with hostile opposition to say the least, with some people even questioning my sexuality and the integrity of my mother.
Like I said, im no prude. But the success of this game and other games like it such as Tomb Raider and Soul Calibur pretty much gives weight to the stereotype that gamers are all lonely virgins and that games are nothing but a cesspool of blood and boobs for said people. There were some great games in that same year that proved gaming could be mature about sex, one of them being Heavy Rain, but it got much less attention in the sales department of course. People always complain that video games are immature and mindless and the fact that gamers support them only proves it to be true.
3.Pixel Counting/Graphics comparison.
Go back to 2009. We see 2 great games coming out, Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption. Both were pretty good games in thier own rights, but something was getting gamers angry. Was it a cheap ending? Game crashing bug? Nope. Someone took to trouble to zoom in 500 times to see that both games were not 720p, but a slightly lower resolution. Keep in mind that there is no possible way to even see this with the naked eye, but gamers were raging and cancelling pre orders because it was "sub-hd".
Then of course you have the inevitable multiplat comparisons of graphics to find out which looks better. This would be useful if the PS3 and 360 were not near equal in hardware, but 9 times out of 10, the differences are so miniscule that you cant even call it unless you put them side by side and glare at it for a few minutes. There are sites dedicated to comparisons of multiplat games and they always come out the same as long as the developer is competent. A minimal difference at best. http://www.lensoftruth.com/... ... omparison/
So why do gamers get hung up over such a small thing, even going as far as to count pixels to ensure they are getting the best that technology can offer? I could understand if there was some sort of game breaking element here but were are talking about a few pixels missing and gamers act like they have been screwed. It like that video where a rich girl gets a convertible for her birthday but is mad because it isnt red, making you look like a spoiled brat.
2.Being an Internet Tough Guy.
Weve all played a game of Modern Warfare and seen people yelling, swearing, or just being a douche. Maybe you get mad and drop and F bomb out of anger. I can understand that, but there are gamers on the internet who just seem to want to kill your gameplay experience by cussing people out and even using racial slurs. Those are the kind of people that keep me away from FPS games most of the time and why the mute button has become a game mechanic. Just because you are behind a mic doesnt make you a tough guy or give you the right to ruin my game. It makes all gamers look bad when you are yelling "White power" and other ethnic slurs just to piss people off. Its not funny, its not "ironic", its annoying and offensive. Keep it to yourself and quit making gamers look worse than you already are.
5.Raiding user scores.
There is a preference for a game and then there is this (see link below). Tensions were high as Gears 2 and Resistance 2 would be released and fanboys were arguing over which would be better. Why were they doing this? Because they were exclusive to competing consoles of course. They were two different games with completly different gameplay elements, but what the hell. As soon as Resistance 3 came out, it was hit on Metacritic with a bunch of low user submitted review scores. Most of them didnt even have coherent explanations on why and the game had only been out for about 5 minutes at the time. Fanboys were up to no good. They wouldnt accept that Resistance was actually getting some decent review scores and they took action to debase it in any way they possibly could. Did it stop there? Of course not. Once Gears 2 came out, Sony fanboys were quick to do the same thing. http://n4g.com/news/221071/... ... red-to-4-1
I shouldnt even have to explain why this is pathetic. Instead of playing the game they seem to love so much, gamers are going out of their way in mass numbers to make another game look bad. Ill admit that I have my bias when it comes to games, but I dont see the point in this. No one really takes user reviews seriously, especially when you see such a huge difference in the user score and the official score. All that effort basically was for nothing.
4.Buying games based on sex appeal.
Im no prude, but when Bayonetta came out I was a little angry that it was being recieved so well by critics and gamers alike. For those of you who dont know of Bayonetta, it is a hack and slash game about a Palin-esque witch lady with really long legs, skin tight clothing that is actually hair, and a constant model strut to her movements. You spend all of the game fighting monsters by pulling off combos that strip off Bayonetta's clothing and zoom in on her lady parts as often as possible. The story is pretty much non existant and the gameplay is a ripoff of Devil May Cry. The flaws are obvious here. This is a game selling off sex and sex alone. But for some reason, critics were hailing it as fighting game of the century. Edge even gave it a 10, saying that it "Slapped God of War 3 back to the drawing board" even though God of War was not out yet.
Every gamer I came across seemed to agree as well. When I called out the obvious flaws in this game and how everyone was completly insane for thinking it was good when real good games have been nailed to the cross for far less, I was met with hostile opposition to say the least, with some people even questioning my sexuality and the integrity of my mother.
Like I said, im no prude. But the success of this game and other games like it such as Tomb Raider and Soul Calibur pretty much gives weight to the stereotype that gamers are all lonely virgins and that games are nothing but a cesspool of blood and boobs for said people. There were some great games in that same year that proved gaming could be mature about sex, one of them being Heavy Rain, but it got much less attention in the sales department of course. People always complain that video games are immature and mindless and the fact that gamers support them only proves it to be true.
3.Pixel Counting/Graphics comparison.
Go back to 2009. We see 2 great games coming out, Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption. Both were pretty good games in thier own rights, but something was getting gamers angry. Was it a cheap ending? Game crashing bug? Nope. Someone took to trouble to zoom in 500 times to see that both games were not 720p, but a slightly lower resolution. Keep in mind that there is no possible way to even see this with the naked eye, but gamers were raging and cancelling pre orders because it was "sub-hd".
Then of course you have the inevitable multiplat comparisons of graphics to find out which looks better. This would be useful if the PS3 and 360 were not near equal in hardware, but 9 times out of 10, the differences are so miniscule that you cant even call it unless you put them side by side and glare at it for a few minutes. There are sites dedicated to comparisons of multiplat games and they always come out the same as long as the developer is competent. A minimal difference at best. http://www.lensoftruth.com/... ... omparison/
So why do gamers get hung up over such a small thing, even going as far as to count pixels to ensure they are getting the best that technology can offer? I could understand if there was some sort of game breaking element here but were are talking about a few pixels missing and gamers act like they have been screwed. It like that video where a rich girl gets a convertible for her birthday but is mad because it isnt red, making you look like a spoiled brat.
2.Being an Internet Tough Guy.
Weve all played a game of Modern Warfare and seen people yelling, swearing, or just being a douche. Maybe you get mad and drop and F bomb out of anger. I can understand that, but there are gamers on the internet who just seem to want to kill your gameplay experience by cussing people out and even using racial slurs. Those are the kind of people that keep me away from FPS games most of the time and why the mute button has become a game mechanic. Just because you are behind a mic doesnt make you a tough guy or give you the right to ruin my game. It makes all gamers look bad when you are yelling "White power" and other ethnic slurs just to piss people off. Its not funny, its not "ironic", its annoying and offensive. Keep it to yourself and quit making gamers look worse than you already are.
Why Catherine's marketing team did a disservice to video games as an art form
User blog
I'll start by saying this: I have yet to play Catherine. As a broke college student, I don't always have $63.59 lying around to pick up the latest releases, awesome or not. However, I have done my research in the form of ravenously devouring every review of this game I have come across to get an idea what it was about. My presumptions were proven wrong and I must say that this forward thinking title will soon be part of my collection. Once I compared the reviews to the advertisements I have seen everywhere, though, I must say, I'm insulted.
To quote an adage that has been around for quite some time: sex sells. I have countless friends that went to see the Transformers movies simply because Megan Fox was in it and then were hesitant to see the third one because she wasn't. Many in the hip-hop world argue Nicki Minaj wouldn't have been as successful without her bodacious booty (I'm not one of them). Pornography is one of the biggest industries in the world. You get the picture: sex sells.
What makes video games different from these fields, however, is that they are still looked down upon as a child's play thing despite the copious amounts of statistical data that runs contrary to these presumptuous critics' view of video games. Roger Ebert refuses to look at them as art, just a few weeks ago a popular morning talk show laughed at the notion of any man in his 30's playing a video game and I have been given sideways looks every time I passionately get into a discussion about my favorite video game with someone.
Now for my point: what in the hell was the marketing team behind Catherine thinking? To whom did they think this game was being marketed and what did they think it was about? I’ll feed you the information in the order it was given to me; advertisements first and reviews excerpts second to see if you are thrown for as big of a loop as I was.
There’s the cover art:
http://www.theicecave.org/d...
http://upload.wikimedia.org...
Now for some advertisements:
http://cathy.atlus.co.jp/bl...
http://images.bluegartr.com...
So, give me a few wild guesses on what you think this game is about given what you have seen here. A porn simulator for some kid discovering his first boner on the playground? A game providing a big box of ammunition for some CNN or Fox News pundit to jump to conclusions about? Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball: The Some-Random-Chick-With-Her-Leg s-Spread-Named-Catherine Edition? And hey! You can even head over to the official site for some more misleading photos! Score! Sure, further reading gave me a better idea concerning the meaty content the game had to offer and changed my mind a bit, but why did they have to plaster up-the-skirt shots all over the site? How do you think that would look on the 5 o'clock news?
Before I get to the review excerpts, I’ll shoot some honesty your way: I dismissed this game almost as soon as my eyes fell on it. Sure, I saw the pictures in previews that depicted some puzzle solving and some jibber jabber about a story but what was sitting at the forefront of my mind the whole time were those photos. I wrote the game off as some low brow trash targeting what some marketing team thought would be a desperate never-had-a-girlfriend type (oh, wait, we’re gamers! I forgot that we’re all like that. My bad!) longing for something pretty to look at.
But imagine the shock I went through almost as soon as I saw the review scores pouring in this week:
At 1up (who rewarded the game an “A”):
Catherine surprised me. Plastered with scantily clad ladies and come-hither artwork, Atlus' marketing materials make it look like yet another sleazy, pandering gal game from Japan. The reality of the game is far different, and considerably more nuanced. It's sometimes sexy, and it's often sexual, but it uses its "adults only" tone in a genuinely adult way.
-Jeremy Parish
At Gamespot (who rewarded the game an 8.5/10):
This story-heavy puzzler is mature and occasionally profound, exploring themes like sexual fidelity, personal responsibility, and trust. Catherine doesn't just challenge your hand/eye coordination: It challenges your intellect and your emotions.
-Kevin VanOrd
At IGN (who rewarded the game a 9/10):
…but it's the fact that the game deals with two issues in particular that gaming pretty much never broaches -- a fear of commitment and cheating on your loved one -- that lends to its uniqueness.
-Colin Moriarty
Doesn’t seem like much of a juvenile walk through the more perverted corners of your mind so much anymore, does it? This is a game that is challenging the conventions of our medium with thought provoking themes and questions about human nature and what does it get presented as? Some sleazy, pandering, exploitation of women that just exemplifies one of the many stereotypes that us gamers are tagged with every day by the rest of society.
I'll start by saying this: I have yet to play Catherine. As a broke college student, I don't always have $63.59 lying around to pick up the latest releases, awesome or not. However, I have done my research in the form of ravenously devouring every review of this game I have come across to get an idea what it was about. My presumptions were proven wrong and I must say that this forward thinking title will soon be part of my collection. Once I compared the reviews to the advertisements I have seen everywhere, though, I must say, I'm insulted.
To quote an adage that has been around for quite some time: sex sells. I have countless friends that went to see the Transformers movies simply because Megan Fox was in it and then were hesitant to see the third one because she wasn't. Many in the hip-hop world argue Nicki Minaj wouldn't have been as successful without her bodacious booty (I'm not one of them). Pornography is one of the biggest industries in the world. You get the picture: sex sells.
What makes video games different from these fields, however, is that they are still looked down upon as a child's play thing despite the copious amounts of statistical data that runs contrary to these presumptuous critics' view of video games. Roger Ebert refuses to look at them as art, just a few weeks ago a popular morning talk show laughed at the notion of any man in his 30's playing a video game and I have been given sideways looks every time I passionately get into a discussion about my favorite video game with someone.
Now for my point: what in the hell was the marketing team behind Catherine thinking? To whom did they think this game was being marketed and what did they think it was about? I’ll feed you the information in the order it was given to me; advertisements first and reviews excerpts second to see if you are thrown for as big of a loop as I was.
There’s the cover art:
http://www.theicecave.org/d...
http://upload.wikimedia.org...
Now for some advertisements:
http://cathy.atlus.co.jp/bl...
http://images.bluegartr.com...
So, give me a few wild guesses on what you think this game is about given what you have seen here. A porn simulator for some kid discovering his first boner on the playground? A game providing a big box of ammunition for some CNN or Fox News pundit to jump to conclusions about? Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball: The Some-Random-Chick-With-Her-Leg s-Spread-Named-Catherine Edition? And hey! You can even head over to the official site for some more misleading photos! Score! Sure, further reading gave me a better idea concerning the meaty content the game had to offer and changed my mind a bit, but why did they have to plaster up-the-skirt shots all over the site? How do you think that would look on the 5 o'clock news?
Before I get to the review excerpts, I’ll shoot some honesty your way: I dismissed this game almost as soon as my eyes fell on it. Sure, I saw the pictures in previews that depicted some puzzle solving and some jibber jabber about a story but what was sitting at the forefront of my mind the whole time were those photos. I wrote the game off as some low brow trash targeting what some marketing team thought would be a desperate never-had-a-girlfriend type (oh, wait, we’re gamers! I forgot that we’re all like that. My bad!) longing for something pretty to look at.
But imagine the shock I went through almost as soon as I saw the review scores pouring in this week:
At 1up (who rewarded the game an “A”):
Catherine surprised me. Plastered with scantily clad ladies and come-hither artwork, Atlus' marketing materials make it look like yet another sleazy, pandering gal game from Japan. The reality of the game is far different, and considerably more nuanced. It's sometimes sexy, and it's often sexual, but it uses its "adults only" tone in a genuinely adult way.
-Jeremy Parish
At Gamespot (who rewarded the game an 8.5/10):
This story-heavy puzzler is mature and occasionally profound, exploring themes like sexual fidelity, personal responsibility, and trust. Catherine doesn't just challenge your hand/eye coordination: It challenges your intellect and your emotions.
-Kevin VanOrd
At IGN (who rewarded the game a 9/10):
…but it's the fact that the game deals with two issues in particular that gaming pretty much never broaches -- a fear of commitment and cheating on your loved one -- that lends to its uniqueness.
-Colin Moriarty
Doesn’t seem like much of a juvenile walk through the more perverted corners of your mind so much anymore, does it? This is a game that is challenging the conventions of our medium with thought provoking themes and questions about human nature and what does it get presented as? Some sleazy, pandering, exploitation of women that just exemplifies one of the many stereotypes that us gamers are tagged with every day by the rest of society.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Angry Birds for PC
Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Disney-branded Facebook games coming in 2012, Playdom head says
Can we all just say, “finally?” During a panel named “The Rise of Social Games” at the f8 Facebook Developers Conference in San Francisco, Disney Interactive and Playdom head John Pleasants revealed that two to four Facebook games surrounding Disney xd brands will hit Facebook in 2012. The general topic of the panel was the fact that branded social games are taking off.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Phineas And Ferb 3D Game – Disney XD Games 63
New Disney Game – Phineas and Ferb
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Have Fun!
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Have Fun!
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
News Report: Assassin's Creed Revelations Delayed for PC
PC gamers tend to draw the short straw when it comes to the release of multi-platform games (particularly if those games are developed by Ubisoft). Well, PC brethren, you now have yet another reason to feel neglected, because reports suggest that you will be playing Assassin's Creed Revelations two weeks later than your console peers.
Eurogamer reports that the Czech arm of Ubisoft announced the delay via a Facebook status update. Assassin's Creed Revelations will now be available for the PC on December 2nd. The game will still launch for PS3 and Xbox on November 15.
Ubisoft has a history of doing this. The PC versions of From Dust and Driver: San Francisco were also released after the launch of their console counterparts.
However, it's not all bad news. Ubisoft has also released a new trailer for the game, showing the deadly "hook blade" weapon:
Eurogamer reports that the Czech arm of Ubisoft announced the delay via a Facebook status update. Assassin's Creed Revelations will now be available for the PC on December 2nd. The game will still launch for PS3 and Xbox on November 15.
Ubisoft has a history of doing this. The PC versions of From Dust and Driver: San Francisco were also released after the launch of their console counterparts.
However, it's not all bad news. Ubisoft has also released a new trailer for the game, showing the deadly "hook blade" weapon:
News Assassin's Creed: Revelations Story Trailer
The Assassins are in the killing business, and in the latest trailer for Revelations, business is good. Officially labeled the AC:R Story Trailer, the latest glimpse of the upcoming action game could just as easily be named the AC:R Combat Trailer. Get a peak at the brutal action below.
More Assassins Creed Revelations Videos
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is in development for Windows PCs, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The console versions of the game are set to ship on November 15. Originally, the game was set to launch on all platforms simultaneously. Last week, however, Ubisoft delayed the PC release until November 29.
More Assassins Creed Revelations Videos
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is in development for Windows PCs, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The console versions of the game are set to ship on November 15. Originally, the game was set to launch on all platforms simultaneously. Last week, however, Ubisoft delayed the PC release until November 29.
Tools of the Trade: New Weapons and Gadgets of Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Much of Assassin's Creed: Revelations has us rejoining the formerly fresh-faced Ezio a couple of decades after we last saw him. He's rocking a worldly beard and a much darker costume when he arrives in Istanbul (occasionally known as Constantinople, or so a song told me,) where the local Assassins are only too eager to introduce him to some of their more entertaining innovations. We recently had a chance to play about a third of the game, but rather than spoiling the hell out of the plot I thought it'd be more fun to talk about some of these additions to the Assassin's toy box.
"...the hookblade allows for much more rapid scaling of buildings..."
First among these is the hookblade, which does exactly what it says on the tin. A wrist mounted grapple, the hookblade allows for much more rapid scaling of buildings and, even better, enables Ezio to utilize ziplines that have been strung between rooftops all over town. Not only does this make traversal of the city about 30% faster, but opens up new combat options like dropping off the line to assassinate a target below. This new mobility is brilliantly showcased in several set-piece sequences, including a subterranean ravine full of inconveniently collapsing scaffolds, or a race down a canal to catch up to a boat full of fleeing Templars. Actually, the hookblade is an instrument of such shocking utility that it's almost baffling that word of the thing has never made its way to Rome. I realize in the ancient world the Istanbul Assassins couldn't just shoot off a text message telling their buddies to try duct taping a hook to their arm, but they could have at least sent a note.
"...the hookblade allows for much more rapid scaling of buildings..."
First among these is the hookblade, which does exactly what it says on the tin. A wrist mounted grapple, the hookblade allows for much more rapid scaling of buildings and, even better, enables Ezio to utilize ziplines that have been strung between rooftops all over town. Not only does this make traversal of the city about 30% faster, but opens up new combat options like dropping off the line to assassinate a target below. This new mobility is brilliantly showcased in several set-piece sequences, including a subterranean ravine full of inconveniently collapsing scaffolds, or a race down a canal to catch up to a boat full of fleeing Templars. Actually, the hookblade is an instrument of such shocking utility that it's almost baffling that word of the thing has never made its way to Rome. I realize in the ancient world the Istanbul Assassins couldn't just shoot off a text message telling their buddies to try duct taping a hook to their arm, but they could have at least sent a note.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed Revelations presents the most immersive experience available in the series to date and the culmination of Ezio's adventure. In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.
In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, the acclaimed online multiplayer experience from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood returns, refined and expanded, with more modes, more maps and more characters that allow players to test their assassin skills against others from around the world. The latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga also includes revolutionary gameplay, allowing players to manipulate the construct of Desmond’s memories and the Animus to decipher the mysteries of his past and gain insight into the future.
In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, the acclaimed online multiplayer experience from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood returns, refined and expanded, with more modes, more maps and more characters that allow players to test their assassin skills against others from around the world. The latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga also includes revolutionary gameplay, allowing players to manipulate the construct of Desmond’s memories and the Animus to decipher the mysteries of his past and gain insight into the future.
Minecraft 1.8 Adventure Update "Leaked"
Here's a rundown on some of the features the Adventure Update will be packing:
-- NPC villages
-- Randomly generated dungeons
-- New biome code
-- Fully working Creative Mode (and individual admins can enter Creative Mode on a Survival Mode server if they choose)
-- Critical hits
-- Sprinting and sprint jump
-- More farming options
-- Improved sunsets
-- Vines
-- New pig models
-- More dynamic mob-to-mob interactions
-- Animals will flee when attacked
-- Hunger Bar to manage how food heals
-- New lighting
-- Mineshafts and cobwebs
-- Experience orbs (earned when monsters are defeated)
-- Rivers and oceans
-- New mob: Endermen
-- NPC villages
-- Randomly generated dungeons
-- New biome code
-- Fully working Creative Mode (and individual admins can enter Creative Mode on a Survival Mode server if they choose)
-- Critical hits
-- Sprinting and sprint jump
-- More farming options
-- Improved sunsets
-- Vines
-- New pig models
-- More dynamic mob-to-mob interactions
-- Animals will flee when attacked
-- Hunger Bar to manage how food heals
-- New lighting
-- Mineshafts and cobwebs
-- Experience orbs (earned when monsters are defeated)
-- Rivers and oceans
-- New mob: Endermen
News Mojang Launches Minecraft 1.8 Adventure Update
For a game that's already sold well over 3 million copies while still in beta, you would think that the official launch of its latest game-changing update would be a major announcement. But that's just not how Mojang rolls. With a tweet and a Facebook update the studio announced that Minecraft 1.8, the long-awaited Adventure Update, is now live.
After intentionally leaking the update on Monday, Mojang's Markus "Notch" Persson announced late last night that the studio has uploaded the real, official, ready for prime time Adventure Update and it is now ready for download on Minecraft.net. Check the trailer:
After intentionally leaking the update on Monday, Mojang's Markus "Notch" Persson announced late last night that the studio has uploaded the real, official, ready for prime time Adventure Update and it is now ready for download on Minecraft.net. Check the trailer:
Creativity and Beyond
Outside of Survival, there's also the new Creative mode. With the ability to fly, place an infinite number of blocks of any type, and destroy any block in a single hit, this low-stress building mode lets you dabble to your heart's content. The creative freedom is fun, but I still found myself spending the most of my time in Survival mode, which feels a very new experience. Major changes to the game's beautiful blocky landscapes and biomes alone make exploring feel fresh, and the underground realm is vastly improved by 1.8's subtle tweaks. There's a little more waiting in-store before 1.9 delivers the next round of thrilling adventure-oriented content, but this latest update offers plenty of reasons to lure you back into Minecraft's expansive depths.
Ghosts of Civilization
Deep underground, I was surprised to encounter a stretch of cave, lit by torches I hadn't placed. This led to me to a vast subterranean complex complete with mine shafts, cart tracks, treasure, flooded areas, and rooms crafted by human hands. Everything was in disrepair; I'd uncovered the remnants of what appeared to be a lost civilization, deep beneath the surface. However, the place was infested with skeletons, zombies, and worse. Throwing caution to the wind, I eventually found a room filled with cobwebs... and met a bitter end at the jaws of many cave spiders. The little buggers swarmed, nibbling me to death with their poison-dripping fangs.
When I respawned back on the surface, I geared up again, and embarked on a several-day trek to hunt down some fabled non-player villages. After a lot of exploring, I finally found one of these rare settlements, which will eventually act as hubs of bustling activity, and sources of supplies and quests. But for now, they're ghost towns.
The current lack of human life in Minecraft isn't quite as eerie as the Adventure Update's main new mob addition: the Enderman. These tall black critters come out at night, and keep busy moving blocks around the map. It's not until you look directly at them that they hone in you with their creepy, glowing eyes. The second you look away, they come chasing after you -- teleporting closer if you flee. I found it best to avoid them, but these potentially dangerous mob are fascinating to watch (and fun to fiddle with).
When I respawned back on the surface, I geared up again, and embarked on a several-day trek to hunt down some fabled non-player villages. After a lot of exploring, I finally found one of these rare settlements, which will eventually act as hubs of bustling activity, and sources of supplies and quests. But for now, they're ghost towns.
The current lack of human life in Minecraft isn't quite as eerie as the Adventure Update's main new mob addition: the Enderman. These tall black critters come out at night, and keep busy moving blocks around the map. It's not until you look directly at them that they hone in you with their creepy, glowing eyes. The second you look away, they come chasing after you -- teleporting closer if you flee. I found it best to avoid them, but these potentially dangerous mob are fascinating to watch (and fun to fiddle with).
Monday, October 10, 2011
Zynga Mobile Chief: Mobile is a 'new social gaming frontier'
Everyone else is right there with ya, big red. During an interview with The Guardian, Zynga Mobile SVP David Ko said, "We believe that mobile represents a new social gaming frontier. We've always said we want Zynga to be the best content creators in the world, and we are platform agnostic." More and more Zynga fans expect to play its games on their phones and tablets, which wasn't exactly where CEO Mark Pincus's heart was many moons ago.
Regardless of whether Zynga has been creating mobile games since Zynga Poker hit iOS devices in 2008, it was only the advent of Facebook Connect that motivated the company to dig deeper into the platform. From that we got games like FarmVille and CityVille Hometown, neither of which are feature-complete versions of their Facebook counterparts. (The latter of which is a different game entirely.)
Now, The Guardian reports that Zynga is looking to take advantage of mobile devices' key features like cameras and accelerometers in future games. And tablets appear to be a big deal in Zynga HQ--Ko told The Guardian the company was "very bullish" on the idea. And HTML5, the emergent web coding language that's been touted as the proverbial messiah for cross-platform social gaming, is something Ko admits the company is interested in.
"HTML5 is interesting, although I do feel it is early," Ko told The Guardian. "With those acquisitions, you can see into our thinking in this area a little bit." (Ko there is referring to companies like Newtoy and Dextrose.) Zynga already released one game through HTML5: Mafia Wars Atlantic City.
However, HTML5 games have yet to achieve the complexity of, say, Hanging With Friends, which Zynga just released on Android devices. Regardless, all eyes--including Zynga's--are on those 4-inch screens that rarely leave your side. And with companies as unlikely as Capcom making buku bucks on mobile games, you can bet Zynga is a' hustlin'.
Are you waiting for more mobile games from Zynga? What would you like to see the developer do next on smartphones? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Regardless of whether Zynga has been creating mobile games since Zynga Poker hit iOS devices in 2008, it was only the advent of Facebook Connect that motivated the company to dig deeper into the platform. From that we got games like FarmVille and CityVille Hometown, neither of which are feature-complete versions of their Facebook counterparts. (The latter of which is a different game entirely.)
Now, The Guardian reports that Zynga is looking to take advantage of mobile devices' key features like cameras and accelerometers in future games. And tablets appear to be a big deal in Zynga HQ--Ko told The Guardian the company was "very bullish" on the idea. And HTML5, the emergent web coding language that's been touted as the proverbial messiah for cross-platform social gaming, is something Ko admits the company is interested in.
"HTML5 is interesting, although I do feel it is early," Ko told The Guardian. "With those acquisitions, you can see into our thinking in this area a little bit." (Ko there is referring to companies like Newtoy and Dextrose.) Zynga already released one game through HTML5: Mafia Wars Atlantic City.
However, HTML5 games have yet to achieve the complexity of, say, Hanging With Friends, which Zynga just released on Android devices. Regardless, all eyes--including Zynga's--are on those 4-inch screens that rarely leave your side. And with companies as unlikely as Capcom making buku bucks on mobile games, you can bet Zynga is a' hustlin'.
Are you waiting for more mobile games from Zynga? What would you like to see the developer do next on smartphones? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Half of all U.S. social gamers own a game console, RockYou study says
As if we already didn't know: Some social gamers are more "hardcore" than we thought. But the next study released that attempts to drive this point home is courtesy of Zoo World creator RockYou and conducted by Interpret, a media research firm. Titled the "Social Gamer Thought Leadership Research Study," it finds that 50 percent of U.S. social gamers own a traditional gaming console.
The study, which polled over 2,00 social game fans living in the U.S. aged 18 and older with a 60-40 women to men split, also found that social gamers are more "sophisticated." To back up the claim, the study reports a quarter of social gamers prefer games with quests, and that 22 percent admit that score-sharing drives their urge to play more. Oh, and these players also spend quite a bit of time with the games.
Of the over 2,000 people polled, RockYou and Interpret found that the average social gamer spends an average of 9.5 hours playing out of the 13 average hours they spend on networks like Facebook. The average social game player, according to the study, has just over 16 real-life frieds playing these games with them and has made 20 new friends through social games. Of course, the study doesn't get into how deep said friendships are, but how could you?
The study also reports that 42 percent of social gamers would play a social game more, if offered real world rewards like coupons or gift cards. (But isn't the idea to get them to pay up?) It was just recently that Raptr discovered that a number of Zynga fans may be Halo and Grand Theft Auto fans, too. And before that, Kabam found in its own study that the hardcore crowd on Facebook is growing.
What should you take away from this influx of studies and reports? Regardless of whether you still dig tending to virtual crops or running a shanty town, many developers--even the "casual" ones--seem all but done with your farms and cities of yore.
What do you think of the numerous reports on the growing hardcore crowd in social games? How do you think this will change the industry in the long run? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The study, which polled over 2,00 social game fans living in the U.S. aged 18 and older with a 60-40 women to men split, also found that social gamers are more "sophisticated." To back up the claim, the study reports a quarter of social gamers prefer games with quests, and that 22 percent admit that score-sharing drives their urge to play more. Oh, and these players also spend quite a bit of time with the games.
Of the over 2,000 people polled, RockYou and Interpret found that the average social gamer spends an average of 9.5 hours playing out of the 13 average hours they spend on networks like Facebook. The average social game player, according to the study, has just over 16 real-life frieds playing these games with them and has made 20 new friends through social games. Of course, the study doesn't get into how deep said friendships are, but how could you?
The study also reports that 42 percent of social gamers would play a social game more, if offered real world rewards like coupons or gift cards. (But isn't the idea to get them to pay up?) It was just recently that Raptr discovered that a number of Zynga fans may be Halo and Grand Theft Auto fans, too. And before that, Kabam found in its own study that the hardcore crowd on Facebook is growing.
What should you take away from this influx of studies and reports? Regardless of whether you still dig tending to virtual crops or running a shanty town, many developers--even the "casual" ones--seem all but done with your farms and cities of yore.
What do you think of the numerous reports on the growing hardcore crowd in social games? How do you think this will change the industry in the long run? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Google+ Games Stream now real time, updates mimic Facebook
Google+ Games just got a little bit better ... or just more like Facebook games. (Zing!) Google+ Product Manager Satyajeet Salgar just announced that the Google+ Games Stream has gone real time. This means that, rather than having to refresh the Stream to see gaming updates from your friends, they'll appear before you as they happen. For speedier reading, keyboard shortcuts work when perusing the Games Stream, too.
Frankly, this sounds an awful lot like the recent Games Ticker addition to the Facebook games Canvas. The second update to Google+ Games is the brand new ability to add your own personalized comments to updates you share with friends. Again, this is something players could in Facebook games for awhile now.
Finally, game notifications will appear in the Google+ Bar lining the top of users' web pages just below the address bar. Bonus: If they're annoying, you can just mute them. (Double Bonus: Google added Kabam's Global Warfare to Google+ Games in addition to Zynga's CityVille earlier this week.)
Granted, these changes are likely welcome by Google+ gamers with open arms, but their Facebook counterparts either have existed for quite some time or were recently added. In defense of Google+, however, Facebook arguably made a lot of its recent changes to the games Canvas in response to its new arch nemesis. And something tell us this slap battle is far from over. Check out Salgar detail the changes below.
[Via The Next Web]
What do you think of the recent changes to Google+ Games? Where do you see the fight between Facebook and Google in the games space going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Frankly, this sounds an awful lot like the recent Games Ticker addition to the Facebook games Canvas. The second update to Google+ Games is the brand new ability to add your own personalized comments to updates you share with friends. Again, this is something players could in Facebook games for awhile now.
Finally, game notifications will appear in the Google+ Bar lining the top of users' web pages just below the address bar. Bonus: If they're annoying, you can just mute them. (Double Bonus: Google added Kabam's Global Warfare to Google+ Games in addition to Zynga's CityVille earlier this week.)
Granted, these changes are likely welcome by Google+ gamers with open arms, but their Facebook counterparts either have existed for quite some time or were recently added. In defense of Google+, however, Facebook arguably made a lot of its recent changes to the games Canvas in response to its new arch nemesis. And something tell us this slap battle is far from over. Check out Salgar detail the changes below.
[Via The Next Web]
What do you think of the recent changes to Google+ Games? Where do you see the fight between Facebook and Google in the games space going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
PopCap feels the power of 'free,' more freemium games incoming
Perhaps "PopCap feels the power of Facebook" is more like it. During an interview with PocketGamer.biz, PopCap senior director of mobile product and business strategy Giordano Contestabile revealed that the Bejeweled Blitz creator has plenty more plans for freemium mobile games. That's especially since its recent Plants vs Zombies freemium-inspired update.
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Enrique Iglesias says, 'I Like How It Feels' in CityVille, visits next week
Man, why can't an act like Metallica crash CityVille? Oh, excuse my inner metal head, but you ladies out there are gonna' love this one: Zynga has announced that Grammy-winning pop star Enrique Iglesias is coming to its top Facebook game. Starting next week on Oct. 4, players will get the chance to help Mr. Iglesias kick off his recently-launched Euphoria Tour in-game.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
CityVille Hometown is here, your miniature mobile metropolis awaits
Well, it's about time. After going live on the Canadian App Store weeks ago, CityVille Hometown is finally here in the US and globally for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The game marks a list of firsts for Zynga in that it's the company's first game to release on all iOS platforms simultaneously, not to mention its first mobile game to release in five languages.
The game allows players to import their existing Facebook and CityVille friends into a new, but separate mobile experience in the franchise. (Note: This is not a mobile extension of your CityVille web game, but a brand new one.)
However, the game will allow CityVille Hometown players to exchange gifts and resources to one another to lend a helping hand. And don't worry, you can visit their towns, too. For lucky iPhone 4 users out there, the game has fancy Retina Display graphics to boot. See for yourself in the trailer below.
Click here to download CityVille Hometown on the Apple App Store Now >
Are you psyched to see Zynga release more mobile games? What do you think of CityVille Hometown, and what do you hope the company releases next? Sound off in the comments. 17 Comments
The game marks a list of firsts for Zynga in that it's the company's first game to release on all iOS platforms simultaneously, not to mention its first mobile game to release in five languages.
The game allows players to import their existing Facebook and CityVille friends into a new, but separate mobile experience in the franchise. (Note: This is not a mobile extension of your CityVille web game, but a brand new one.)
However, the game will allow CityVille Hometown players to exchange gifts and resources to one another to lend a helping hand. And don't worry, you can visit their towns, too. For lucky iPhone 4 users out there, the game has fancy Retina Display graphics to boot. See for yourself in the trailer below.
Click here to download CityVille Hometown on the Apple App Store Now >
Are you psyched to see Zynga release more mobile games? What do you think of CityVille Hometown, and what do you hope the company releases next? Sound off in the comments. 17 Comments
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Heritage Days Goals: Everything you need to know
While we haven't been introduced to many characters that call FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove home (perhaps they haven't heard about your restoration efforts after the storm), we do know that those that exist love to celebrate living near the Cove by throwing Heritage Days. Heritage Days appears to be a sort of carnival or fair, including animals and tons of food, and via a new three-part goal series, you'll be along for the celebration. If we're being specific, these Heritage Day goals mark the third chapter in the overall Lighthouse Cove storyline.
Hay Beautiful!
* Get 3 Horse Combs
* Harvest 70 Hay
* Harvest 3 Horses
If you don't already have a Horse Paddock on your Lighthouse Cove farm, now would be the time to build one, as it's the only way you'll get through this goal without wasting some serious time. As the entire goal series expires in a week's time, you simply can't afford to waste that much! As an aside, yes, you could also luck into having Horses already available to Harvest, but for other folks, the Horse Paddock will allow you to skip the three-day waiting game and harvest the very next day. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a Fall Color Cow, 2,500 coins and a Steel Beam.
Horsing Around
* Get 3 Horse Tiaras
* Improve the Cove to Level 3
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
Many farmers will likely have passed Level 3 in the Cove's repairs long enough, but if you haven't, check out our guide to how the restoration process works. Meanwhile, you'll need to post a general news item to your wall asking your friends for the Tiaras. Finishing this second goal gives you 200 XP, a Fall Tree and 2,500 coins.
Set the Table
* Get 6 Romantic Centerpieces
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
* Harvest 70 Red Clovers
The Romantic Centerpieces are earned through another wall post, while Blueberry Pie is made inside your Restaurant. It's made using two Chandler Blueberry, three Wheat and two Rhubarb bushels. For making it this far, you'll receive 300 XP, 2,500 coins, a Pet Run Mystery Animal and 10 Animal Feeds as your prizes.
As has become tradition now in Lighthouse Cove, this particular goal series has been shortened in order to give users a chance to tackle some bonus (ie: much harder) goals later on to finish off the chapter. We'll bring you a complete look at Chapter 3's bonus goals just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
What do you think of these three Heritage Day goals? Will you be able to finish all three in time? Sound off in the comments.
Hay Beautiful!
* Get 3 Horse Combs
* Harvest 70 Hay
* Harvest 3 Horses
If you don't already have a Horse Paddock on your Lighthouse Cove farm, now would be the time to build one, as it's the only way you'll get through this goal without wasting some serious time. As the entire goal series expires in a week's time, you simply can't afford to waste that much! As an aside, yes, you could also luck into having Horses already available to Harvest, but for other folks, the Horse Paddock will allow you to skip the three-day waiting game and harvest the very next day. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a Fall Color Cow, 2,500 coins and a Steel Beam.
Horsing Around
* Get 3 Horse Tiaras
* Improve the Cove to Level 3
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
Many farmers will likely have passed Level 3 in the Cove's repairs long enough, but if you haven't, check out our guide to how the restoration process works. Meanwhile, you'll need to post a general news item to your wall asking your friends for the Tiaras. Finishing this second goal gives you 200 XP, a Fall Tree and 2,500 coins.
Set the Table
* Get 6 Romantic Centerpieces
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
* Harvest 70 Red Clovers
The Romantic Centerpieces are earned through another wall post, while Blueberry Pie is made inside your Restaurant. It's made using two Chandler Blueberry, three Wheat and two Rhubarb bushels. For making it this far, you'll receive 300 XP, 2,500 coins, a Pet Run Mystery Animal and 10 Animal Feeds as your prizes.
As has become tradition now in Lighthouse Cove, this particular goal series has been shortened in order to give users a chance to tackle some bonus (ie: much harder) goals later on to finish off the chapter. We'll bring you a complete look at Chapter 3's bonus goals just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
What do you think of these three Heritage Day goals? Will you be able to finish all three in time? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Chapter 3 Bonus Goals: Everything you need to know
After celebrating Heritage Days in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove, you'll be ready (but perhaps not willing) to tackle the next series of Bonus Challenges on your new farm. Past Bonus Challenge goal sets have been incredibly expensive to say the least, but depending on which sets of data with these newest goals is correct, you just might be in for a break here. We'll get to the discrepancy in a minute, but for now, let's take a look at the first goal out of three.
Bonus Challenge 1!
* Get 3 Hobby Horse Rakes
* Harvest 70 Cove Cranberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 4
To earn the Hobby Horse Rakes, you'll simply need to post a general request to your news feed asking all friends for help at once. For finishing this first, fairly simple goal (admittedly), you'll receive 500 XP, a Fall Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 2!
* Harvest 90 Chandler Blueberries
* Harvest 1 Orchard??
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
Here's where things get a bit hairy. According to in-game images that Zynga has provided, this second task is technically "Harvest 1 {item}," with a picture of an Orchard. This leads us to believe that you'll simply need to harvest a ready Orchard, which is incredibly simple. However, when speaking of the goals on the game's official forums, we're told that this task is really supposed to be "Expand to a Harbor Homestead," which would cost at least 50 Farm Cash, depending on if you had already expanded twice before to the 16x16 level. We'll let you know when we discover which one is correct. Either way, if you finish this goal entirely, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Red Cedar Tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Challenge 3!
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Make Black Raspberry Wine Twice
* Harvest the Zoo
Raspberry Wine can be crafted inside your Restaurant using three Raspberry, two White Grape and three Chandler Blueberry bushels. As for the Zoo, you'll need to build one of these on your own (check out our guide for more), as you weren't given one when landing in the Cove proper. Only after it's been completed, and it's had a chance to become "ready" after 24 hours will you be able to finish this goal, and the overall Bonus Challenge series, off for good. Finishing this final goal in the trio gives you 500 XP, a Gorilla, 2,500 coins and 10 Animal Feeds.
This entire goal series will need to be completed in under a week, or else they'll expire and take your chance at these rewards with them. Since you still have quite a bit of time before these goals even activate on your land, however, why not plan ahead by building your Zoo, or even making these crafting recipes and then letting them sit completed inside your Restaurant? You'll need to save all of the time you can to finish these three goals in time, so every little bit of planning helps! Good luck!
What do you think of these Chapter 3 Bonus Challenge goals? Sound off in the comments.
Bonus Challenge 1!
* Get 3 Hobby Horse Rakes
* Harvest 70 Cove Cranberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 4
To earn the Hobby Horse Rakes, you'll simply need to post a general request to your news feed asking all friends for help at once. For finishing this first, fairly simple goal (admittedly), you'll receive 500 XP, a Fall Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 2!
* Harvest 90 Chandler Blueberries
* Harvest 1 Orchard??
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
Here's where things get a bit hairy. According to in-game images that Zynga has provided, this second task is technically "Harvest 1 {item}," with a picture of an Orchard. This leads us to believe that you'll simply need to harvest a ready Orchard, which is incredibly simple. However, when speaking of the goals on the game's official forums, we're told that this task is really supposed to be "Expand to a Harbor Homestead," which would cost at least 50 Farm Cash, depending on if you had already expanded twice before to the 16x16 level. We'll let you know when we discover which one is correct. Either way, if you finish this goal entirely, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Red Cedar Tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Challenge 3!
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Make Black Raspberry Wine Twice
* Harvest the Zoo
Raspberry Wine can be crafted inside your Restaurant using three Raspberry, two White Grape and three Chandler Blueberry bushels. As for the Zoo, you'll need to build one of these on your own (check out our guide for more), as you weren't given one when landing in the Cove proper. Only after it's been completed, and it's had a chance to become "ready" after 24 hours will you be able to finish this goal, and the overall Bonus Challenge series, off for good. Finishing this final goal in the trio gives you 500 XP, a Gorilla, 2,500 coins and 10 Animal Feeds.
This entire goal series will need to be completed in under a week, or else they'll expire and take your chance at these rewards with them. Since you still have quite a bit of time before these goals even activate on your land, however, why not plan ahead by building your Zoo, or even making these crafting recipes and then letting them sit completed inside your Restaurant? You'll need to save all of the time you can to finish these three goals in time, so every little bit of planning helps! Good luck!
What do you think of these Chapter 3 Bonus Challenge goals? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Puppies leaving the store "soon"
And we'll file this one under "Flop." While plenty of FarmVille farmers may have adopted puppies, clearly they were in the minority. Let's face it - the puppy feature was far from perfect. With many puppies going for expensive Farm Cash prices, and then the possibility of them running away hanging over your head if you can't grow them fast enough, the entire feature apparently turned into more than we could take.
Apparently, Zynga feels the same way, as it's decided to end the feature entirely, announcing that it will remove all puppies from the store "soon." Now, if you happen to be a puppy owner, you don't have to worry about losing them, as you'll still be able to grow and train the puppies you've already purchased. On the other hand, if you were just waiting for a better breed, but do actively want a puppy, you can still purchase them. Here's its full announcement:
"Howdy Farmers, we've found plenty of homes for puppies, so you won't be able to find any more in the market soon. Not to worry though, you can still grow and train the ones you already have."
It's unfortunate that we don't know exactly when the pups will be taking their leave from the store, but I suppose this is one case where you'll want to make your last-minute purchases sooner, rather than later, just to be safe. As of this writing, you can still purchase one of six puppies. Here's the rundown of their prices (I wouldn't expect these to change):
Heeler - 65 Farm Cash
Border Collie - 300,000 coins
Border Collie (can't run away) - 65 Farm Cash
Golden Retriever - 65 Farm Cash
Sheepdog - 65 Farm Cash
St. Bernard - 65 Farm Cash
Terrier - 5,000 coins
Terrier (can't run away) - 65 Farm Cash
Again, there's no exact date for the puppies to leave the store, but I wouldn't delay if I were you (and I were interested in purchasing one or more of these pups). After all, it's likely that Pubble Kibble will disappear eventually as well (regardless of what the big Z says above), leaving you without a free way to grow your new purchase. We'll make sure to let you know if Zynga announces the final day of puppy availability, so keep checking back.
Are you disappointed to see puppies leaving the game, or did you ever bother with adopting / growing one? Sound off in the comments.
Apparently, Zynga feels the same way, as it's decided to end the feature entirely, announcing that it will remove all puppies from the store "soon." Now, if you happen to be a puppy owner, you don't have to worry about losing them, as you'll still be able to grow and train the puppies you've already purchased. On the other hand, if you were just waiting for a better breed, but do actively want a puppy, you can still purchase them. Here's its full announcement:
"Howdy Farmers, we've found plenty of homes for puppies, so you won't be able to find any more in the market soon. Not to worry though, you can still grow and train the ones you already have."
It's unfortunate that we don't know exactly when the pups will be taking their leave from the store, but I suppose this is one case where you'll want to make your last-minute purchases sooner, rather than later, just to be safe. As of this writing, you can still purchase one of six puppies. Here's the rundown of their prices (I wouldn't expect these to change):
Heeler - 65 Farm Cash
Border Collie - 300,000 coins
Border Collie (can't run away) - 65 Farm Cash
Golden Retriever - 65 Farm Cash
Sheepdog - 65 Farm Cash
St. Bernard - 65 Farm Cash
Terrier - 5,000 coins
Terrier (can't run away) - 65 Farm Cash
Again, there's no exact date for the puppies to leave the store, but I wouldn't delay if I were you (and I were interested in purchasing one or more of these pups). After all, it's likely that Pubble Kibble will disappear eventually as well (regardless of what the big Z says above), leaving you without a free way to grow your new purchase. We'll make sure to let you know if Zynga announces the final day of puppy availability, so keep checking back.
Are you disappointed to see puppies leaving the game, or did you ever bother with adopting / growing one? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Farmer Appreciation Week starts with Double Mastery
If you're one of the many players that's still dedicated to FarmVille, you'll be happy to know that Zynga appreciates your support. Or, at least they appreciate it enough to launch a full "Farmer Appreciation Week" in the game. While we have very little details at this point as to what the entirety of this event will contain, the biggest news comes via a new loading screen that has just gone into circulation.
This particular loading screen advertises Double Mastery, but don't worry - you don't have to wait until the weekend to receive it. It's already starting to hit players' farms as of this writing, and the double mastery will stay on all week. We've tested it out, and so far it does appear this Double Mastery event applies to animals as well, so now is definitely the time to be as diligent a FarmVille player as ever before. Just note that if you have any sort of statue on your land for Double Mastery of trees and crops, it's likely that this won't stack. Everyone that plays this week will simply receive 2x the mastery points on all crops, trees (and yes, apparently even animals) harvested.
Again, Zynga hasn't officially announced any other bonuses that will be released during this Fan Appreciation Event, but we'll make sure to keep an eye out for any freebies or announcements and will share them with you as soon as we know more. Personally? This sounds like a great time to release Calf and Foal mastery - c'mon Zynga! Don't let us down!
Will you play FarmVille more often than normal this week just to take advantage of double mastery? Which trees or crops will you try to master first during this period? Sound off in the comments.
This particular loading screen advertises Double Mastery, but don't worry - you don't have to wait until the weekend to receive it. It's already starting to hit players' farms as of this writing, and the double mastery will stay on all week. We've tested it out, and so far it does appear this Double Mastery event applies to animals as well, so now is definitely the time to be as diligent a FarmVille player as ever before. Just note that if you have any sort of statue on your land for Double Mastery of trees and crops, it's likely that this won't stack. Everyone that plays this week will simply receive 2x the mastery points on all crops, trees (and yes, apparently even animals) harvested.
Again, Zynga hasn't officially announced any other bonuses that will be released during this Fan Appreciation Event, but we'll make sure to keep an eye out for any freebies or announcements and will share them with you as soon as we know more. Personally? This sounds like a great time to release Calf and Foal mastery - c'mon Zynga! Don't let us down!
Will you play FarmVille more often than normal this week just to take advantage of double mastery? Which trees or crops will you try to master first during this period? Sound off in the comments.
CityVille Popular Science Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
Do you like timed goals in CityVille? How about the idea of increasing the payout of your businesses and homes by 100%? I thought that might get your attention. It turns out, Zynga has combined both of those ideas into one, with a new timed goal - Popular Science - being available that will reward you with a Solar Panel if you earn the top trophy. Before we get ahead of ourselves though, let's take a look at what this new goal requires in the first place.
* Collect from an Observatory Twice
* Increase your Population by 5,000
* Have 10,000 Goods
Now, I don't know about you, but these seem to be the hardest tasks we've seen in a timed goal yet. While the Observatory is a Community Building that simply must be built in your town (and as it's been around since February, you might already have one), the population increase is massive, especially considering the amount of room (on average) you'll need to waste with homes to raise your population that much. Furthermore, if you don't have a storage cap of upwards of 10,000, there's literally no way you could be holding that many Goods at once. Extra Goods storage buildings take up even more space, limiting the amount of other buildings you can construct.
Unless you're one of the veteran or power players that already has the requirements filled for all three of these tasks, you'll at least have a longer time frame - three days - to finish them all for the Gold Trophy. If you can do so, you'll receive just the Solar Panel (no Goods or coins this time), which, as I said above, gives you a 100% payout bonus to any buildings you place the Solar Panel next to.
Meanwhile, if you can't finish within three days, your rewards will decrease significantly, with the Silver Trophy rewarding you with 50,000 coins and the Bronze Trophy with 20,000 coins. Now, I already warned you that these tasks were hard, so perhaps now is the best time to tell you that finishing these timed goals is voluntary. There's nothing forcing you to complete them, although you will have to settle with seeing their goal icons in your goal manager until Zynga decides to remove them entirely.
What do you think of this Popular Science timed goal? Do you like CityVille's timed goals in general? Sound off in the comments.
* Collect from an Observatory Twice
* Increase your Population by 5,000
* Have 10,000 Goods
Now, I don't know about you, but these seem to be the hardest tasks we've seen in a timed goal yet. While the Observatory is a Community Building that simply must be built in your town (and as it's been around since February, you might already have one), the population increase is massive, especially considering the amount of room (on average) you'll need to waste with homes to raise your population that much. Furthermore, if you don't have a storage cap of upwards of 10,000, there's literally no way you could be holding that many Goods at once. Extra Goods storage buildings take up even more space, limiting the amount of other buildings you can construct.
Unless you're one of the veteran or power players that already has the requirements filled for all three of these tasks, you'll at least have a longer time frame - three days - to finish them all for the Gold Trophy. If you can do so, you'll receive just the Solar Panel (no Goods or coins this time), which, as I said above, gives you a 100% payout bonus to any buildings you place the Solar Panel next to.
Meanwhile, if you can't finish within three days, your rewards will decrease significantly, with the Silver Trophy rewarding you with 50,000 coins and the Bronze Trophy with 20,000 coins. Now, I already warned you that these tasks were hard, so perhaps now is the best time to tell you that finishing these timed goals is voluntary. There's nothing forcing you to complete them, although you will have to settle with seeing their goal icons in your goal manager until Zynga decides to remove them entirely.
What do you think of this Popular Science timed goal? Do you like CityVille's timed goals in general? Sound off in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)