Sure, there’s been some great cosplay to be seen over the weekend at the New York Comic-Con, but New York isn’t Planet Earth. There’s been plenty of great cosplay happening everywhere else over the past seven days too!
Some of which you’re about to see, in a lineup that includes cosplay of No More Heroes, Nier and, in a case of “why the hell don’t people do this more often”, Uncharted.
I mean, it’s not hard to get an Uncharted costume. Pants, boots, a gun and a half-tucked shirt. BAM. You’re Nathan Drake. Not everything has to be Final Fantasy, cosplayers!
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
Now This Is A Wii U Game We’d Like To See
We’ve seen glimpses of its potential, but here’s an idea for a Wii game that takes the unique controller’s augmented reality capabilities and just runs with them.
Note that it’s not a real game. It’s not a teaser from Metal Slug creators SNK, and it’s not a trailer for an actual product. It’s just an idea! But if someone can do something even remotely approaching this on the Wii U, that would be just grand.
Note that it’s not a real game. It’s not a teaser from Metal Slug creators SNK, and it’s not a trailer for an actual product. It’s just an idea! But if someone can do something even remotely approaching this on the Wii U, that would be just grand.
Is This Lady The Most Famous Final Fantasy Tester Ever?
Oshima is apparently a Final Fantasy fan, which is why Square Enix asked her to become the “official test player”. Square Enix went as far as creating a business card and company employee card for Oshima.
It’s the first business card she’s ever had in her life.
As official test player, Oshima will represent the opinions and desires of other FF fans–such as the map in Final Fantasy XIII being hard to read.
It’s the first business card she’s ever had in her life.
As official test player, Oshima will represent the opinions and desires of other FF fans–such as the map in Final Fantasy XIII being hard to read.
6 Minutes Of The Most Unique 3DS Game Yet
Guild 01 is not your typical 3DS game. It features four games from four different game creators. Here is some gameplay footage.
In order of appearance, the above clip shows Goichi Suda’s Kaihou Shoujo, American Zarigani’s Rental Bukiya de Omasse, Yoot Saito’s Air Porter and Yasumi Matsuno’s Crimson Shroud
In order of appearance, the above clip shows Goichi Suda’s Kaihou Shoujo, American Zarigani’s Rental Bukiya de Omasse, Yoot Saito’s Air Porter and Yasumi Matsuno’s Crimson Shroud
Stupidly Low Salary Offered To Street Fighter II’s Iconic Artist
According to Akiman’s blog, Enterbrain offered Akiman ¥8000 ($102) for six drawings for a game character. If the drawings took, say, two days, that would mean he’d get 50 dollars a day. If they took four days, then he gets 25 bucks a day. And so on.
“My rate is from ¥100,000 ($1,300) for one drawing,” Akiman blogged, adding that he would do illustrations as part of a large assignment for ¥80,000 ($1000), but that things like the character design fee were not included in the illustration fee.
Even at ¥100,000, Akiman’s rate isn’t outrageous. Enterbrain’s offer, however, was.
“My rate is from ¥100,000 ($1,300) for one drawing,” Akiman blogged, adding that he would do illustrations as part of a large assignment for ¥80,000 ($1000), but that things like the character design fee were not included in the illustration fee.
Even at ¥100,000, Akiman’s rate isn’t outrageous. Enterbrain’s offer, however, was.
Halo Map Hang ‘Em High In Action Using Halo Reach Gameplay
In this video we see my son checking the map out at New York Comic-Con over the weekend.
High Noon is a canyons and catwalks multiplayer map best suited for team-based combat in both Slayer and Objective gametypes with four to 12 players.
Microsoft also showed off the three Kinect functions that will be coming to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary over the weekend at the con:
Analyze Mode — analyse Mode is a Kinect-exclusive feature that allows players to scan items of interest within the Halo: Anniversary campaign to populate the Library, an interactive encyclopedia of Halo lore. Once in analyse mode, new articles of interest can be added to the Library by focusing the reticule on them and saying Scan.
The Library — The Library is an expansive index that provides detailed information on items of interest players have scanned through analyse Mode, such as vehicles, characters, enemies and weapons. Through the use of gesture controls, players can explore the entire Library at any time and then return to the campaign to continue unlocking more secrets within the Halo universe.
High Noon is a canyons and catwalks multiplayer map best suited for team-based combat in both Slayer and Objective gametypes with four to 12 players.
Microsoft also showed off the three Kinect functions that will be coming to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary over the weekend at the con:
Analyze Mode — analyse Mode is a Kinect-exclusive feature that allows players to scan items of interest within the Halo: Anniversary campaign to populate the Library, an interactive encyclopedia of Halo lore. Once in analyse mode, new articles of interest can be added to the Library by focusing the reticule on them and saying Scan.
The Library — The Library is an expansive index that provides detailed information on items of interest players have scanned through analyse Mode, such as vehicles, characters, enemies and weapons. Through the use of gesture controls, players can explore the entire Library at any time and then return to the campaign to continue unlocking more secrets within the Halo universe.
Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 10, 2011
Before You Start… Tips For Playing Batman Arkham City The Best Way
The excellent Batman: Arkham City is now on sale for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and we want you to have the best possible time with it. So, before you start, here are some tips from us about how to get the most out of the game, right from the start.
No spoilers here, just some friendly advice to make your trip to Arkham ideal….
No spoilers here, just some friendly advice to make your trip to Arkham ideal….
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Could Be The Most Expensive Game You Ever Buy
While at least two of us at Kotaku enjoy Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure enough to recommend a purchase, that doesn’t mean we’re oblivious to the costly downsides to a game that sells its downloadable content on toy store shelves.
To experience everything Skylanders has to offer as of this writing would cost roughly $US225.
Merging physical toys with an interactive video game, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure opens up parents and children to a new way to play, but it also opens up parents to a new way to pay for their child’s interactive entertainment.
First they must invest in the game itself, which will run them $US69.99 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, or 3DS (the PC / Mac version is $US59.99). With the three included characters, players have access to a good chunk of the game’s content and are able to play through to the game’s end without worrying about purchasing anything extra.
But the game really makes you want that something extra.
Take the video above. As you play through the console game you’re constantly unlocking special powers for characters you don’t own yet. The game lets you know which power is for what character, and then shows you a preview of that character in action specifically tailored to making young children scream at their parents until they own one.
That mechanic doesn’t specifically lock content away from the player, but others do.
For instance, each level in the game features doors that can only be opened by Skylanders of a specific element. The game comes with three. There are eight elements. Behind those doors lie short obstacle courses containing in-game prizes (power augmenting hats) that can’t be completely accessed unless you own a toy of each eight elements. With characters running $US7.99 a piece, that brings the total up to $US109.
But wait, there’s more!
Each Skylander unlocks its own heroic challenge in the game. Completing these challenges grants permanent stat and power buffs to whichever Skylander undergoes the trial, so in order to get the most power out of your characters, you’ll need all of them. Since only 12 additional characters are currently available, the total rises to $US165, and that’s before wave two even hits.
For the sake of completion, let’s add in the two adventure packs currently available, each of which add extra game levels and another character each, as well as the Toys”R”Us exclusive Legendary pack, containing three recolored versions of existing toys, including Spyro himself. That’s another $US60, bringing the grand total to $US225.
Again, not counting the next wave of toys, another dozen or so at $US7.99 apiece, tacking on an additional $US95.
So to get the total Skylanders experience you’re going to be paying at least $US320, and I’d argue that you’d need to play both console and 3DS versions (the 3DS comes with an exclusive Dark Spyro figure), since the 3DS version is a completely different game that uses the same figures.
No matter how you do the maths it adds up to a lot of money, possibly more money than you’ve ever spent on a single video game, outside of the pricier Rock Band or Guitar Hero bundles.
On one hand, I can see how that might make someone upset with Activision. They’re trying to take our money, after all. Well that’s what big companies do. Activision has just found a brand new way to do it. It seems to be working, too; the Toys”R”Us I went to on Sunday told me they sold through nearly an entire storeroom filled with Skylanders product.
At the end of the day I’m having fun, I’d like to think my kids are (or one day will be) having fun watching me play, and no other game’s downloadable content has left me with a horde of colourful, well-made statuettes lining my entertainment centre. If that sounds ridiculous to you, then you’re probably not the audience Acti is looking for.
To experience everything Skylanders has to offer as of this writing would cost roughly $US225.
Merging physical toys with an interactive video game, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure opens up parents and children to a new way to play, but it also opens up parents to a new way to pay for their child’s interactive entertainment.
First they must invest in the game itself, which will run them $US69.99 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, or 3DS (the PC / Mac version is $US59.99). With the three included characters, players have access to a good chunk of the game’s content and are able to play through to the game’s end without worrying about purchasing anything extra.
But the game really makes you want that something extra.
Take the video above. As you play through the console game you’re constantly unlocking special powers for characters you don’t own yet. The game lets you know which power is for what character, and then shows you a preview of that character in action specifically tailored to making young children scream at their parents until they own one.
That mechanic doesn’t specifically lock content away from the player, but others do.
For instance, each level in the game features doors that can only be opened by Skylanders of a specific element. The game comes with three. There are eight elements. Behind those doors lie short obstacle courses containing in-game prizes (power augmenting hats) that can’t be completely accessed unless you own a toy of each eight elements. With characters running $US7.99 a piece, that brings the total up to $US109.
But wait, there’s more!
Each Skylander unlocks its own heroic challenge in the game. Completing these challenges grants permanent stat and power buffs to whichever Skylander undergoes the trial, so in order to get the most power out of your characters, you’ll need all of them. Since only 12 additional characters are currently available, the total rises to $US165, and that’s before wave two even hits.
For the sake of completion, let’s add in the two adventure packs currently available, each of which add extra game levels and another character each, as well as the Toys”R”Us exclusive Legendary pack, containing three recolored versions of existing toys, including Spyro himself. That’s another $US60, bringing the grand total to $US225.
Again, not counting the next wave of toys, another dozen or so at $US7.99 apiece, tacking on an additional $US95.
So to get the total Skylanders experience you’re going to be paying at least $US320, and I’d argue that you’d need to play both console and 3DS versions (the 3DS comes with an exclusive Dark Spyro figure), since the 3DS version is a completely different game that uses the same figures.
No matter how you do the maths it adds up to a lot of money, possibly more money than you’ve ever spent on a single video game, outside of the pricier Rock Band or Guitar Hero bundles.
On one hand, I can see how that might make someone upset with Activision. They’re trying to take our money, after all. Well that’s what big companies do. Activision has just found a brand new way to do it. It seems to be working, too; the Toys”R”Us I went to on Sunday told me they sold through nearly an entire storeroom filled with Skylanders product.
At the end of the day I’m having fun, I’d like to think my kids are (or one day will be) having fun watching me play, and no other game’s downloadable content has left me with a horde of colourful, well-made statuettes lining my entertainment centre. If that sounds ridiculous to you, then you’re probably not the audience Acti is looking for.
Thứ Hai, 24 tháng 10, 2011
Why George Romero Rejected The Walking Dead To Make The Zombie Autopsies
We scored a few minutes with the Zombiefather George A. Romero at the kick-off to AMC’s Fear Fest celebration. He shared his thoughts on undead sensation Walking Dead — and his plans for his next project, adapting The Zombie Autopsies.
What do you think of Walking Dead?
I love the books, I haven’t seen any of the episodes. Listen I love Frank [Darabont], I know he’s done a good job. I love the books, I never watched any of the episodes because… my zombies are sort of my own. I didn’t want to be part of it. Producers called and said, “do you want to direct some of these,” and I said no. Because I just didn’t think it was me. I’ve been waiting to see the whole first season, which I missed because I’ve been travelling. I’ve been waiting to look at it, but I haven’t seen any of it.
You said they’re not not “my zombies.” So what’s a Romero zombie?
My zombies are purely a disaster. They are a natural disaster. God has changed the rules, and somehow this thing is happening. My stories are about the humans who deal with it stupidly, and that’s what I use them for. I use them to sort of make fun of what’s going on in a number of societal events. And that’s it, I don’t use them to just create gore. Even though I use gore, that’s not what my films are about, they’re much more political. That’s it. This whole zombie revolution, it’s unbelievable. We were in France last week, and 3,000 zombies came out for the zombie walk. We’re going to Mexico City next week and there are 5,000 zombies expected to show up. I don’t know what that’s about. I contributed to video games more than movies. If you want to look at it in a purely economic term, no zombie film has ever broken 100 million dollars [at the box office], except for Zombieland. That’s the only one. But video games, they’ve sold hundreds and thousands of copies, so I think really this whole zombie craze is about video games more than film.
You mention that your zombies were more political, how has the political message in the first Dead films changed over the years, do you think their anti-consumerism, anti-miltary messages are still applicable?
I think it changes. I did one about citizen journalism, did one that was basically about Iraq, the war. If I have something to say, if I want to write, for example, about citizen journalism, if I tried to write a serious piece about that — first of all, I don’t have the skill to write for Lapham’s Quarterly and I can have much more fun writing about it and including zombies and making it a bit silly, a bit slap stick and a bit irreverent. And it’s easier for me to do it that way. So yeah, I think that if they nuke Philadelphia, I will probably — as long as I survive the carnage — I’ll probably sit down and try to write a zombie thing about the nuking of Philadelphia. It’s my way of being sort of relevant or being able to comment on current situations, without being pretentious. And it’s my way of making a career out of it. I guess I’m maybe the Michael Moore of horror.
Are there any other societal issues floating around like now that you would like to attack for another film?
I would love to do something about the economy. But zombies are not good mathematicians — I don’t think they’re going to be out selling cheesy mortgages or anything like that. So it’s tough for me to see that. A friend of mine recently wrote a novel called The Zombie Autopsies, and it’s about an isolated group of people doing autopsies on zombies during the zombie apocalypse and trying to figure out what the hell caused this. They come upon this discovery.
[Edit Note: SPOILERS Ahead]
The scientists discover that this is not a naturally occurring virus, they deduce that it must have been created by somebody. And they later discover that it was created by people who were trying to topple the economy. So that’s a unique way in to talk about the economy, but it’s not my story. Steven C. Schlozman is the guys name, he’s a Havard Psychologist who has somehow been swept into the zombie craze and is writing zombie novels.
How have the meaning of zombies changed, are we all just zombies walking through a mall?
Oh man, 68 was my first film, I believe that maybe it was the first film that had the new order of zombies, they were the namers. Instead of exotic creatures conjured by high priests in the Caribbean, you know The Serpent and the Rainbow, doing the wet work for Lugosi. When I grew up, zombies were just those wide eyed boys in the Caribbean who were basically slaves to some master. When I made my first film, I didn’t call them zombies because I didn’t think I could, I though those were what zombies were. I just wanted some sort of extreme event to be happening, and I called them Ghouls. That was it. I didn’t presume to call them zombies. And now, they’ve become zombies. All I did was make them neighbours.
How have the zombies changed today?
Now zombies have their own rules — they’re not all uniform, but they’re popular enough that I half expect a zombie to show up on Sesame Street and hang out with The Count. Vampires became The Count on Sesame Street, a zombie might be the next guy. I don’t know, it’s crazy.
What are the chances you’ll do a sequel to Dawn of the Dead, and bring back the original characters, like a where are they now sort of thing?
I don’t think I’ll ever do that. The last zombie film I made used characters from an earlier film, it was purposeful. I made Diary of the Dead and I had this dream that my next three films would be based on the characters from Diary. I don’t think I ever want to go back to that, to Dawn of the Dead. First of all Dawn of the Dead has been remade. Sort of, I don’t know, irreverently I would say, remade. Zack Snyder is a great filmmaker, but I think his remake of Dawn really lost its reason for being, because it was of a time. You can’t remake that. When I made Dawn of The Dead, I was responding basically. I socially knew the people who developed the first indoor shopping mall in Pennsylvania. I went out to see it and I was just struck by it. I said OK, finally I might be able to make a sequel to Night of the Living Dead using this concept of the shopping mall, instead of an old farmhouse. That was it, and that was when I decided that i could do political satire in the form of a horror film. But that has no power anymore, there are shopping malls on every street corner. So that has no power, so I don’t think you can remake that film.
In Diary of the Dead you were experimenting with the found footage, the victim POV and found footage filming. Is there any sort of filming technique that you want to experiment with next?
Oh I’d love to, Survival of the Dead was a Western. I love John Ford, I love William Wyler I modelled Survival of the Dead off of a Wyler Western called The Big Country. Unabashedly I said we’re going to steal from this movie’s imagery and themes all of that. I would love to do the next one, I had planned I don’t know if it’s ever going to get made, I was planning to do something Noir. It’s just me, it’s me in addition to wanting to say something about what’s going on today. It’s fun for me to try and do a little something different stylistically as well. I hesitate to call it an homage, it’s just envy. I wish that I was John Ford. [laughs]
So an economic collapse zombie Noir film?
How do you do that, man? The Noir part might be OK — zombies all hunkered around not being able to find any food anywhere. But see their food is not our food… I don’t know how to do it. The closest I could come is the Zombie Autopsies — just the way Wall Street engineered mortgages someone has engineered a great big collapse of society. Someone said, “The world is way too populated. We’re going to kill off half the population of the world and as a result we’re going to get richer!” It’s the only way I can see doing it.
You should option that book.
We have. We have done it, and I’m working on the screenplay right now.
So are you going to do it Noir style?
I may decide to do it that way, I don’t know. This is Steve’s story, not mine. It’s more like The Andromeda Strain. It’s very tense and very medically correct. This guy’s a doctor, it’s all about being medically correct. I think about it like the first Hammer Frankenstein film, which was all about very graphic scenes of brains floating in blood and things like that. I want it to be perfectly accurate, almost shockingly so.
George Romero is part of AMC’s Fear Fest, which is a 17-day salute to all things horror. Check out their bad-ass scheduled here!
Image from The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse by Steven C. Schlozman. Illustration by Andrea Sparacio.
What do you think of Walking Dead?
I love the books, I haven’t seen any of the episodes. Listen I love Frank [Darabont], I know he’s done a good job. I love the books, I never watched any of the episodes because… my zombies are sort of my own. I didn’t want to be part of it. Producers called and said, “do you want to direct some of these,” and I said no. Because I just didn’t think it was me. I’ve been waiting to see the whole first season, which I missed because I’ve been travelling. I’ve been waiting to look at it, but I haven’t seen any of it.
You said they’re not not “my zombies.” So what’s a Romero zombie?
My zombies are purely a disaster. They are a natural disaster. God has changed the rules, and somehow this thing is happening. My stories are about the humans who deal with it stupidly, and that’s what I use them for. I use them to sort of make fun of what’s going on in a number of societal events. And that’s it, I don’t use them to just create gore. Even though I use gore, that’s not what my films are about, they’re much more political. That’s it. This whole zombie revolution, it’s unbelievable. We were in France last week, and 3,000 zombies came out for the zombie walk. We’re going to Mexico City next week and there are 5,000 zombies expected to show up. I don’t know what that’s about. I contributed to video games more than movies. If you want to look at it in a purely economic term, no zombie film has ever broken 100 million dollars [at the box office], except for Zombieland. That’s the only one. But video games, they’ve sold hundreds and thousands of copies, so I think really this whole zombie craze is about video games more than film.
You mention that your zombies were more political, how has the political message in the first Dead films changed over the years, do you think their anti-consumerism, anti-miltary messages are still applicable?
I think it changes. I did one about citizen journalism, did one that was basically about Iraq, the war. If I have something to say, if I want to write, for example, about citizen journalism, if I tried to write a serious piece about that — first of all, I don’t have the skill to write for Lapham’s Quarterly and I can have much more fun writing about it and including zombies and making it a bit silly, a bit slap stick and a bit irreverent. And it’s easier for me to do it that way. So yeah, I think that if they nuke Philadelphia, I will probably — as long as I survive the carnage — I’ll probably sit down and try to write a zombie thing about the nuking of Philadelphia. It’s my way of being sort of relevant or being able to comment on current situations, without being pretentious. And it’s my way of making a career out of it. I guess I’m maybe the Michael Moore of horror.
Are there any other societal issues floating around like now that you would like to attack for another film?
I would love to do something about the economy. But zombies are not good mathematicians — I don’t think they’re going to be out selling cheesy mortgages or anything like that. So it’s tough for me to see that. A friend of mine recently wrote a novel called The Zombie Autopsies, and it’s about an isolated group of people doing autopsies on zombies during the zombie apocalypse and trying to figure out what the hell caused this. They come upon this discovery.
[Edit Note: SPOILERS Ahead]
The scientists discover that this is not a naturally occurring virus, they deduce that it must have been created by somebody. And they later discover that it was created by people who were trying to topple the economy. So that’s a unique way in to talk about the economy, but it’s not my story. Steven C. Schlozman is the guys name, he’s a Havard Psychologist who has somehow been swept into the zombie craze and is writing zombie novels.
How have the meaning of zombies changed, are we all just zombies walking through a mall?
Oh man, 68 was my first film, I believe that maybe it was the first film that had the new order of zombies, they were the namers. Instead of exotic creatures conjured by high priests in the Caribbean, you know The Serpent and the Rainbow, doing the wet work for Lugosi. When I grew up, zombies were just those wide eyed boys in the Caribbean who were basically slaves to some master. When I made my first film, I didn’t call them zombies because I didn’t think I could, I though those were what zombies were. I just wanted some sort of extreme event to be happening, and I called them Ghouls. That was it. I didn’t presume to call them zombies. And now, they’ve become zombies. All I did was make them neighbours.
How have the zombies changed today?
Now zombies have their own rules — they’re not all uniform, but they’re popular enough that I half expect a zombie to show up on Sesame Street and hang out with The Count. Vampires became The Count on Sesame Street, a zombie might be the next guy. I don’t know, it’s crazy.
What are the chances you’ll do a sequel to Dawn of the Dead, and bring back the original characters, like a where are they now sort of thing?
I don’t think I’ll ever do that. The last zombie film I made used characters from an earlier film, it was purposeful. I made Diary of the Dead and I had this dream that my next three films would be based on the characters from Diary. I don’t think I ever want to go back to that, to Dawn of the Dead. First of all Dawn of the Dead has been remade. Sort of, I don’t know, irreverently I would say, remade. Zack Snyder is a great filmmaker, but I think his remake of Dawn really lost its reason for being, because it was of a time. You can’t remake that. When I made Dawn of The Dead, I was responding basically. I socially knew the people who developed the first indoor shopping mall in Pennsylvania. I went out to see it and I was just struck by it. I said OK, finally I might be able to make a sequel to Night of the Living Dead using this concept of the shopping mall, instead of an old farmhouse. That was it, and that was when I decided that i could do political satire in the form of a horror film. But that has no power anymore, there are shopping malls on every street corner. So that has no power, so I don’t think you can remake that film.
In Diary of the Dead you were experimenting with the found footage, the victim POV and found footage filming. Is there any sort of filming technique that you want to experiment with next?
Oh I’d love to, Survival of the Dead was a Western. I love John Ford, I love William Wyler I modelled Survival of the Dead off of a Wyler Western called The Big Country. Unabashedly I said we’re going to steal from this movie’s imagery and themes all of that. I would love to do the next one, I had planned I don’t know if it’s ever going to get made, I was planning to do something Noir. It’s just me, it’s me in addition to wanting to say something about what’s going on today. It’s fun for me to try and do a little something different stylistically as well. I hesitate to call it an homage, it’s just envy. I wish that I was John Ford. [laughs]
So an economic collapse zombie Noir film?
How do you do that, man? The Noir part might be OK — zombies all hunkered around not being able to find any food anywhere. But see their food is not our food… I don’t know how to do it. The closest I could come is the Zombie Autopsies — just the way Wall Street engineered mortgages someone has engineered a great big collapse of society. Someone said, “The world is way too populated. We’re going to kill off half the population of the world and as a result we’re going to get richer!” It’s the only way I can see doing it.
You should option that book.
We have. We have done it, and I’m working on the screenplay right now.
So are you going to do it Noir style?
I may decide to do it that way, I don’t know. This is Steve’s story, not mine. It’s more like The Andromeda Strain. It’s very tense and very medically correct. This guy’s a doctor, it’s all about being medically correct. I think about it like the first Hammer Frankenstein film, which was all about very graphic scenes of brains floating in blood and things like that. I want it to be perfectly accurate, almost shockingly so.
George Romero is part of AMC’s Fear Fest, which is a 17-day salute to all things horror. Check out their bad-ass scheduled here!
Image from The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse by Steven C. Schlozman. Illustration by Andrea Sparacio.
Should You Buy Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One? Yes.
Let’s get this out the way first: going through the PlayStation 3 exclusive Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One in singleplayer isn’t much fun at all. The one AI partner you get while playing solo tends to move slow and All 4 One has clearly been built as a multiplayer-first experience, from the menus to the level design. So is it worthwhile for anyone to play? Let’s take a gut check.
Evan Narcisse, the guy who will be reviewing R&C for Kotaku: R&C I’ve enjoyed nearly all of the Ratchet & Clank games, especially loving how they’ve given me bright, colourful wonderlands to romp through with crazy weapons. I’ve never quite wanted to play through them with friends, but that might just be because the possibility wasn’t there in a robust way. Well, that possibility is what All 4 One‘s all about and it forces fans to make a hard decision, because most of the previous games featuring the sci-fi odd couple have been solo affairs. Is the chance to play as both Ratchet and Clank, along with Qwark and Dr. Nefarious, enough to get a game reconfigured to fit a different model of play?
Stephen Totilo, who has played allll the Ratchets, even the one that put him in a suit of armour (what a bad idea). Friends, I have not finished this game, but my gut — and my several sessions with All 4 One–gurgle an affirmative. What great fun I had tethering to the shoes of another player’s character as we collectively swung to another platform (someone else was tethered to my shoes!). What a good, simple idea it is to make everyone’s weapon power amplify disproportionately when every player shoots at the same space slug at the same time.
Insomniac is pulling a Nintendo in using a bright colour palette to present some complicated gameplay scenarios with expert clarity. My home WiFi connection doesn’t love this game, but otherwise, things are copacetic. If you have the bandwidth, this is a yes.
A definite yes. I’d argue that Insomniac’s trademark inventive weaponry feels even better here since much of it buffs up when used in conjunction with another player-but the world feels smaller and less whiz-bang alive than previous R&C games. Not having any camera control made me feel handcuffed, too.
Just getting around the levels can be fun, though, with a crew of heroes swinging off of each other across giant gaps or everyone running to one side of a giant vehicle to make it turn in a certain direction. And the mini-competitions that pop up during the game will power some friendly trash talk amongst whoever’s playing.
Even if the vibrancy of the usual R&C experience feels a little dimmed, the kind of co-operative fun on offer in All 4 One is still too rare in video games. I logged time online with a complete stranger during my time with the game and within minutes I felt like he had my back. That’s a rare thing. Compared to something like New Super Mario Brothers Wii, where the game got in its own way, the key is to think of Insomniac’s latest as a new evolutionary branch of the same R&C DNA that you already love. Don’t go in expecting the same thing that you’ve already experienced. This is something different.
Evan Narcisse, the guy who will be reviewing R&C for Kotaku: R&C I’ve enjoyed nearly all of the Ratchet & Clank games, especially loving how they’ve given me bright, colourful wonderlands to romp through with crazy weapons. I’ve never quite wanted to play through them with friends, but that might just be because the possibility wasn’t there in a robust way. Well, that possibility is what All 4 One‘s all about and it forces fans to make a hard decision, because most of the previous games featuring the sci-fi odd couple have been solo affairs. Is the chance to play as both Ratchet and Clank, along with Qwark and Dr. Nefarious, enough to get a game reconfigured to fit a different model of play?
Stephen Totilo, who has played allll the Ratchets, even the one that put him in a suit of armour (what a bad idea). Friends, I have not finished this game, but my gut — and my several sessions with All 4 One–gurgle an affirmative. What great fun I had tethering to the shoes of another player’s character as we collectively swung to another platform (someone else was tethered to my shoes!). What a good, simple idea it is to make everyone’s weapon power amplify disproportionately when every player shoots at the same space slug at the same time.
Insomniac is pulling a Nintendo in using a bright colour palette to present some complicated gameplay scenarios with expert clarity. My home WiFi connection doesn’t love this game, but otherwise, things are copacetic. If you have the bandwidth, this is a yes.
A definite yes. I’d argue that Insomniac’s trademark inventive weaponry feels even better here since much of it buffs up when used in conjunction with another player-but the world feels smaller and less whiz-bang alive than previous R&C games. Not having any camera control made me feel handcuffed, too.
Just getting around the levels can be fun, though, with a crew of heroes swinging off of each other across giant gaps or everyone running to one side of a giant vehicle to make it turn in a certain direction. And the mini-competitions that pop up during the game will power some friendly trash talk amongst whoever’s playing.
Even if the vibrancy of the usual R&C experience feels a little dimmed, the kind of co-operative fun on offer in All 4 One is still too rare in video games. I logged time online with a complete stranger during my time with the game and within minutes I felt like he had my back. That’s a rare thing. Compared to something like New Super Mario Brothers Wii, where the game got in its own way, the key is to think of Insomniac’s latest as a new evolutionary branch of the same R&C DNA that you already love. Don’t go in expecting the same thing that you’ve already experienced. This is something different.
Tell Us Dammit
Every Wednesday, on Ask Me Stuff, I get asked a question so interesting that I feel the need to throw it out to you guys. This week the question was this – if you could play a game with the quality level of Batman: Arkham City, featuring any licensed character, which character would it be and why? I’d love to play a really high quality Indiana Jones game, but what about you.
I guess we do have that ‘Indiana Jones’ style play with Uncharted, but I’m sort of jealous of all those crazy hardcore Batman fans who just get a huge kick out of playing the game of their dreams with Batman: Arkham City. There’s something special about playing as a character you grew up with, and as someone who was never really into western comic books, I don’t really get to experience that with Arkham City – I just get the great game.
Anyway, enough of my rambling – what licensed character would you like to see get the Batman: Arkham City treatment? Let us know in the comments below.
I guess we do have that ‘Indiana Jones’ style play with Uncharted, but I’m sort of jealous of all those crazy hardcore Batman fans who just get a huge kick out of playing the game of their dreams with Batman: Arkham City. There’s something special about playing as a character you grew up with, and as someone who was never really into western comic books, I don’t really get to experience that with Arkham City – I just get the great game.
Anyway, enough of my rambling – what licensed character would you like to see get the Batman: Arkham City treatment? Let us know in the comments below.
Screw You Link And Your Diva Demands
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert tour isn’t making a stop in Australia, which sucks, but it may be for the best when you consider what frickin’ diva is turning out to be. You think Mariah Carey is bad? Wait till you see Link’s list of backstage demands…
Thứ Bảy, 22 tháng 10, 2011
Disney XD Games
Disney Friends for Change Games
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
Do review scores determine which games are good, and which are not?
As an avid gamer, I'm also an avid reader of gaming media. I regularly check N4G for material to satisfy my insatiable hunger for gaming media. I also regularly visit sites like IGN, Gamespot, Kotaku and more.
This lends itself to being a game review junkie. I love reading game reviews and finding out which games are worth my money, and which games aren't. I regularly base purchasing decisions on reading reviews. Some people might say 'how retarded- game reviews don't mean squat'. Believe me, I know. I often purchase games only to find out this point. I've been slowly learning this lesson too. For example, some major gripes a reviewer has won't annoy me too much or some elements they consider a weakness I consider a strength, and so on.
So naturally with the release of GT5 recently, I was a little perturbed at the scores it was getting. This was one of the most hyped games of the decade, with one of the longest production schedules and it got mostly 8's. In context, that seems like a let down. I have to admit here, that I have what I consider to be a fair sized PS3 library at 23 games (most of my friends don't have close to 10 games), and most of them I've purchased based on reading reviews.
Gran Turismo 5 I purchased without reading its review, as I pre-oredered it- not something I do often. A pre-order locks in your decision to purchase a game, and once it arrives at your door there's no turning back. So a game I figured I'd hold out on, I ended up getting. Reviews I read the night previous had me believing I'd be more than a little disappointed with GT5. But how wrong I've been.
I personally am loving GT5 right now. I'm really into just about every aspect of the game. The standard/premium car divide isn't bothering me that much at all (one of my favourite cars to drive right now is a 'standard' Mugen/Motul Honda Civic), I think the graphics are stunning and the driving experience is just unrivalled. I personally like the course editor and the way it creates tracks, I really dig photo mode and I think the way online is set out is actually a good thing. I can see where a lot of the criticisms lie, but the point is- I really don't care about them. I'm not bothered by loading screens, jagged shadows. In a day and age where every big release game seems centered around killing or maiming people, aliens or monsters in some way or another, GT5 has been a breath of fresh air for me.
Then it got me thinking. Those review scores. Did they matter? Not in the slightest. What matters is how much I like the game. Not how much some guy does, who is paid to play games and write good and bad things about it.
Then how about all the other games I own? Well many that have had great review scores didn't turn out so good. Heavy Rain for example. The reviews I read labeled it as revolutionary and a great game. I played it and found it was just poorly executed and I never finished it. I just didn't like it. One day I might try at it again- but that's just my opinion of it.
Another game I previously owned, NBA2K10, was reviewed very highly at the time. But I found it to be horrible, and wished I had not traded NBA2K9 for it (sports games are the only ones I trade). It was full of glitches and issues and really pissed me off. Luckily 2K11 saved the franchise.
Black Ops is another classic example. Gamespot's review in particular is that it's a tremendous game worth every accolade, and many sites gave this game a glowing endorsement. Yet to me its the most disappointing release of the year. It's buggy, it has worse graphics than its predecessors and its campaign is confusing and at times very boring. This isn't to mention its near unplayable (on PS3 at least) multiplayer, which is plagued with issues, glitches and bugs. I loved Modern Warfare 2 (online at least, I didn't touch the campaign), and in comparison Black Ops is just a let down to me.
The point is, reviews in many cases don't matter. For someone who bases a lot of decisions on reviews, I often come to a different conclusion to the reviewers. It's not to say I don't agree with all reviews either. Many encapsulate exactly how I feel about a game too. Yet what needs to be remembered is they're just opinions, and opinions will always differ.
This lends itself to being a game review junkie. I love reading game reviews and finding out which games are worth my money, and which games aren't. I regularly base purchasing decisions on reading reviews. Some people might say 'how retarded- game reviews don't mean squat'. Believe me, I know. I often purchase games only to find out this point. I've been slowly learning this lesson too. For example, some major gripes a reviewer has won't annoy me too much or some elements they consider a weakness I consider a strength, and so on.
So naturally with the release of GT5 recently, I was a little perturbed at the scores it was getting. This was one of the most hyped games of the decade, with one of the longest production schedules and it got mostly 8's. In context, that seems like a let down. I have to admit here, that I have what I consider to be a fair sized PS3 library at 23 games (most of my friends don't have close to 10 games), and most of them I've purchased based on reading reviews.
Gran Turismo 5 I purchased without reading its review, as I pre-oredered it- not something I do often. A pre-order locks in your decision to purchase a game, and once it arrives at your door there's no turning back. So a game I figured I'd hold out on, I ended up getting. Reviews I read the night previous had me believing I'd be more than a little disappointed with GT5. But how wrong I've been.
I personally am loving GT5 right now. I'm really into just about every aspect of the game. The standard/premium car divide isn't bothering me that much at all (one of my favourite cars to drive right now is a 'standard' Mugen/Motul Honda Civic), I think the graphics are stunning and the driving experience is just unrivalled. I personally like the course editor and the way it creates tracks, I really dig photo mode and I think the way online is set out is actually a good thing. I can see where a lot of the criticisms lie, but the point is- I really don't care about them. I'm not bothered by loading screens, jagged shadows. In a day and age where every big release game seems centered around killing or maiming people, aliens or monsters in some way or another, GT5 has been a breath of fresh air for me.
Then it got me thinking. Those review scores. Did they matter? Not in the slightest. What matters is how much I like the game. Not how much some guy does, who is paid to play games and write good and bad things about it.
Then how about all the other games I own? Well many that have had great review scores didn't turn out so good. Heavy Rain for example. The reviews I read labeled it as revolutionary and a great game. I played it and found it was just poorly executed and I never finished it. I just didn't like it. One day I might try at it again- but that's just my opinion of it.
Another game I previously owned, NBA2K10, was reviewed very highly at the time. But I found it to be horrible, and wished I had not traded NBA2K9 for it (sports games are the only ones I trade). It was full of glitches and issues and really pissed me off. Luckily 2K11 saved the franchise.
Black Ops is another classic example. Gamespot's review in particular is that it's a tremendous game worth every accolade, and many sites gave this game a glowing endorsement. Yet to me its the most disappointing release of the year. It's buggy, it has worse graphics than its predecessors and its campaign is confusing and at times very boring. This isn't to mention its near unplayable (on PS3 at least) multiplayer, which is plagued with issues, glitches and bugs. I loved Modern Warfare 2 (online at least, I didn't touch the campaign), and in comparison Black Ops is just a let down to me.
The point is, reviews in many cases don't matter. For someone who bases a lot of decisions on reviews, I often come to a different conclusion to the reviewers. It's not to say I don't agree with all reviews either. Many encapsulate exactly how I feel about a game too. Yet what needs to be remembered is they're just opinions, and opinions will always differ.
Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 10, 2011
The Truth About Killzone 2 & 3 controls (Education inside)
I don't know what it is, but for some reason I want to gouge my own eyes out when this topic comes up because of the blind fanboys. Why there is some kind of civil war within the FPS genre I have no idea and can only hold back the FPS genre from evolving like it has been.
The popular argument I'm speaking of, which most of you already know, is the "twitch" shooter vs the "heavy"(?) shooter. I'm fine with personal preference, and people having opinions on what they think is better and what have you, but when it comes to people actually praising a control flaw is what really ruffles my feathers--Yes, I said ruffles my feathers =D
Even if KZ2 or KZ3 for that matter had "twitch" controls, does not automatically make it COD, for obvious reasons. I want to take a quick history lesson and make a few points. The Call of Duty IP did not invent, nor is it the only IP with "twitch" controls.
So why always compare "twitch" controls to COD? Why not refer it to the "Standard shooter", because this is simply more accurate. People tend to do this though out of hate for the series, you can think of "twitch" as a prejuduce slur, because it's almost always used to put down COD's controls, when in fact, twitch controls did not originate with COD.
I can understand people not liking the floaty controls, but like it or not, they're RESPONSIVE. And responsive usually equals praise. Now this is where it may get more confusing so please try to stay with me.
Killzone 2 introduced a very heavy feeling type of controls, which was praised by the die-hard fans and people craving change within the FPS genre. The only problem, is there was a design choice to have a large dead zone (aka input lag). The heavy feeling was NOT, I repeat, NOT due to this. What created the heavy feeling was the acceleration while turning or momentum.
As in it took you awhile to start turning, then once you got going, it took a second or two to slow down or stop. People confuse this with realism and the heavy feel to the game. They think the large dead zone is what created the heavy feeling, when this is simply not the case.
Here's some examples:
It was virtually impossible to make minor adjustments in KZ2 pre-precision controls patch, because it took more than a 1/4 of movement of the analog sticks for it to register on screen. This does not in any way or form represent weight. What it does represent, is a hesitation of neurons sending messages from the brain to your body. So why people defend the dead zone to death is way beyond me.
Again, the momentum is what succeeded in representing a heaviness to the game. The second part of the argument is "realism". This where I find most of the humor (Sorry if it's at your expense). Momentum IS realistic, delayed messages from your brain to your arms/fingers/body is NOT realistic unless you're mentally challenged or have some kind of nerve and/or brain damage.
With COD, you had weight changes depending on your equipped weapon which = realism. KZ2 had the same weight for every single weapon which does not = realism. In COD, you could not sprint for long distances (Not including perks), in KZ2 you could basically sprint forever which again does not = realism. So while you guys swear about the heavy feel and realism, this is a huge contradiction to your argument.
Onto Killzone 3, it appears they got rid of the dead zone issue but kept the momentum. Which is a win/win for everyone, you have responsive (Which does not = twitch) controls with a heavy feeling. So why is everyone hating the "new" controls although they're not new, they're fixed.
BF:BC also have heavier controls, but no one complained about them, why? Because although they were heavier, they were responsive. You could give me a 300 pound obese character walking through molasses, as long as the controls are responsive, you won't hear a complaint out of me. Give me a twitch shooter with a large dead zone and feel the wraith of my bitching. Point is, I could care less about the weight of the game, it's the responsiveness is what I'm worried about, this should be a necessity in any game on any given day, anything else is asking to take steps back within the gaming industry.
Final notes:
I am only a fan of COD4, I am also a fan of KZ2, but more importantly I am a fan of FPS. And it will only hinder the FPS genre if we as a community defend bad design choices or defend something blindly for the simple purpose of being different regardless of whether it's a good thing or not.
To the non-believers, you know who you are, the ones saying "Stop complaining and get better noob!" or "You get use to the controls" etc. I played the hell out of KZ2, I had a 2.0+ k/d ratio (Better than usual for me), and could kill easily but it still doesn't mean the controls were responsive or you could make minor adjustments (This is mainly felt with ADS), or even good for that matter.
The popular argument I'm speaking of, which most of you already know, is the "twitch" shooter vs the "heavy"(?) shooter. I'm fine with personal preference, and people having opinions on what they think is better and what have you, but when it comes to people actually praising a control flaw is what really ruffles my feathers--Yes, I said ruffles my feathers =D
Even if KZ2 or KZ3 for that matter had "twitch" controls, does not automatically make it COD, for obvious reasons. I want to take a quick history lesson and make a few points. The Call of Duty IP did not invent, nor is it the only IP with "twitch" controls.
So why always compare "twitch" controls to COD? Why not refer it to the "Standard shooter", because this is simply more accurate. People tend to do this though out of hate for the series, you can think of "twitch" as a prejuduce slur, because it's almost always used to put down COD's controls, when in fact, twitch controls did not originate with COD.
I can understand people not liking the floaty controls, but like it or not, they're RESPONSIVE. And responsive usually equals praise. Now this is where it may get more confusing so please try to stay with me.
Killzone 2 introduced a very heavy feeling type of controls, which was praised by the die-hard fans and people craving change within the FPS genre. The only problem, is there was a design choice to have a large dead zone (aka input lag). The heavy feeling was NOT, I repeat, NOT due to this. What created the heavy feeling was the acceleration while turning or momentum.
As in it took you awhile to start turning, then once you got going, it took a second or two to slow down or stop. People confuse this with realism and the heavy feel to the game. They think the large dead zone is what created the heavy feeling, when this is simply not the case.
Here's some examples:
It was virtually impossible to make minor adjustments in KZ2 pre-precision controls patch, because it took more than a 1/4 of movement of the analog sticks for it to register on screen. This does not in any way or form represent weight. What it does represent, is a hesitation of neurons sending messages from the brain to your body. So why people defend the dead zone to death is way beyond me.
Again, the momentum is what succeeded in representing a heaviness to the game. The second part of the argument is "realism". This where I find most of the humor (Sorry if it's at your expense). Momentum IS realistic, delayed messages from your brain to your arms/fingers/body is NOT realistic unless you're mentally challenged or have some kind of nerve and/or brain damage.
With COD, you had weight changes depending on your equipped weapon which = realism. KZ2 had the same weight for every single weapon which does not = realism. In COD, you could not sprint for long distances (Not including perks), in KZ2 you could basically sprint forever which again does not = realism. So while you guys swear about the heavy feel and realism, this is a huge contradiction to your argument.
Onto Killzone 3, it appears they got rid of the dead zone issue but kept the momentum. Which is a win/win for everyone, you have responsive (Which does not = twitch) controls with a heavy feeling. So why is everyone hating the "new" controls although they're not new, they're fixed.
BF:BC also have heavier controls, but no one complained about them, why? Because although they were heavier, they were responsive. You could give me a 300 pound obese character walking through molasses, as long as the controls are responsive, you won't hear a complaint out of me. Give me a twitch shooter with a large dead zone and feel the wraith of my bitching. Point is, I could care less about the weight of the game, it's the responsiveness is what I'm worried about, this should be a necessity in any game on any given day, anything else is asking to take steps back within the gaming industry.
Final notes:
I am only a fan of COD4, I am also a fan of KZ2, but more importantly I am a fan of FPS. And it will only hinder the FPS genre if we as a community defend bad design choices or defend something blindly for the simple purpose of being different regardless of whether it's a good thing or not.
To the non-believers, you know who you are, the ones saying "Stop complaining and get better noob!" or "You get use to the controls" etc. I played the hell out of KZ2, I had a 2.0+ k/d ratio (Better than usual for me), and could kill easily but it still doesn't mean the controls were responsive or you could make minor adjustments (This is mainly felt with ADS), or even good for that matter.
15 of PS3's Dirty Secrets: Shhhh... don't tell.
The PS3 is a GREAT console. Great processor, strong exclusives, bluray, free online gaming, and more. But with all it's strengths, the road for the PS3 has been a rough one this generation. Here are some facts that Sony would rather consumers not know...
#1: Sony lost A LOT of market share from last gen to this gen. The PS2 used to be king... by a long shot. But with a slow start, the PS3 is fighting to keep within grasp of the second place 360. Sony still dominates Asia, and holds a slight lead in much of the world, but it has lost significant influence in the largest market of all: the USA. As total numbers of consoles go, the PS3 sits in 3rd place worldwide.
#2: Historically, most multiplatform games are better on the 360. They tend to be more stable and have better graphics, even if the differences are slight. Just about any game running on the Unreal 3 engine are great examples. Games like Mass Effect 2 show that parity is coming, but even then the one year old version running on an older engine is arguably just as good (each has it's ups and downs).
#3: Sony lost big money selling PS3 consoles. Ignoring software sales, Sony lost an estimated 300$ per console at release, 50$ per console in 2008, 40$ per console in 2009 when the Slim came out, and 18$ per console sold in Feb 2010. The PS3 was reported by Shuhei Yoshida to be finally breaking even for each console sold in June 2010. In contrast, Wii always sold consoles at a profit. The 360 sold at a loss of 126$ per console when it was released, and was breaking even after 1.5 years (compared to Sony's 4 years). To rub salt in the wounds, the 360 "slim" further increased profits per console sold and Kinect was sold at a reported 50$ profit per unit on release.
#4: Sony loses big money with its online PSN. One of Sony's big selling points is also hemorrhaging money. Nothing in life is free, but at least your gain is Sony's loss. Such losses make the money lost per console sold far higher than money lost due to selling consoles for less than the hardware costs. As such, the 360 becomes even more profitable than the PS3.
#5: Sony sells less software per console than the 360. Royalty fees from software sales is what finally allowed the PS3 to become profitable, but even there the PS3 has lagged behind the 360. VCGhartz estimates put the 360 at 9.4 units software sold per console. The PS3 trails at 7.2 units software per PS3 sold.
#6: PS3 failure rates are higher than Sony will admit, and 360 failure rates are lower than the "interwebz" would have you believe. 360 fail rates are undoubtedly higher than the PS3, but at least they do a better job standing behind their failed consoles with a solid warranty and prompt replacement.
#7: PS3 online gaming is being corrupted by hackers right now. You have to look no further than the COD series than to realize that with the recent compromise with PS3 security, PSN gaming has taken a hit with glitches and cheaters. One can only expect this to get worse if Steam services continue to expand and increase ties with the PC world... known for a strong hacking/glitching community.
#8: Blu-ray is slow. What the blue-ray does well is play movies and hold lots of storage space. What it does not do well is go fast. Copy speeds are slower than the 360 drive. Yes, games will fit on only one disk, but few games actually require more than one disk on the 360. And given the popularity of large hard-drives on new consoles, most games are best played when downloaded to your console, making multiple disks a moot point. Sadly, copying just takes longer on the PS3.
#9: Digital downloaded content is the way of the future, not blu-ray. A lot of people bashed Microsoft for sticking with it's DVD drive and not adopting Blu-ray. Microsoft countered by saying that digitally distributed content was the way of the future. These days Sony is linking with Steam, and even Mass Effect 2 was a day one digital download. At least Sony is doing a good job with their adoption of the digital model.
#10: Move is lagging behind Kinect. Moving into the casual market was a smart move for Sony and Microsoft. The problem is that the Move was too close to the Wii to really capture the imagination of the casual market (who probably had a Wii anyway). Kinect was unique, and better or worse, it stood out... and sold far better than the Move, in far lass time. The fact that Sony is quiet about actual sales to end customers like you and me is very telling... in a bad way for Move.
#11: Move has a weak game line-up. At the moment Kinect actually has a few decent games. All the good Move games are "coming soon". Move is all hype and no content at the moment. And on the subject of hype...
#12: PS3 exclusives are not living up to "fanboy hype." The PS3's largest strength at the moment is in it's large exclusive lineup (another very large cost to Sony...). Any Sony fanboy can send you a list of upcoming PS3 exclusives, and a much shorter 360 list. And to date, the exclusives that have been released are solid, and arguably the best showcase of what the PS3 can do. However, Uncharted 2 aside, PS3 exclusives have just not been living up to the hype of the PS3 fanboys. GT5 was not a game-changer. GOW was beautiful, but not revolutionary. LBP2 was solid, but more of the same. To be fair, these were all great games, but they were over-hyped, and gamers were left expecting more, and not appreciating what they had. When the reviews are finished at the end of 2011, don't be surprised to find out that games like Killzone 3 are just more of the same. Fans will scream bloody murder, and "play games not reviews," but at the end of the day the content will not match the hype. It never does.
#13: Sony is terrified of the next gen consoles. As outlined above, Sony has invested a lot of money in the PS3 and has adsorbed a large amount of loss to get the PS3 to where it is today. As such, for the PS3 to be a financial success for Sony, they need to extend the life of the PS3 as long as possible. The next Wii, and the next 360 will be out sooner since their consoles were far more profitable, and can thus afford to move to the next gen. They smell blood.
#14: Sony is already designing the PS4: Sony knows that the next gen Wii and 360 will be announced within a year or so (Wii desperately needs it, and the 360 will follow). As such they are surely smart enough to already have a team that is designing the PS4. Sadly for PS3 gamers, the losses Sony takes this gen will force Sony to sell the PS4 at less of a loss than the PS3. As such, to get a good price-point, Sony will have to cut back on hardware quality.
#15: PSN will eventually charge for multiplayer. Xbox Live is a proven cash cow, and Sony wants in. PlayStation Plus is testing the waters this gen. Expect paid PSN mutliplayer to begin with the next gen, and don't expect PS3 multiplayer to stay free at that point either. Sadly, hackers will be used as an excuse to charge for multi-player... because the increased patches and security will cost money. No more free online folks.
#1: Sony lost A LOT of market share from last gen to this gen. The PS2 used to be king... by a long shot. But with a slow start, the PS3 is fighting to keep within grasp of the second place 360. Sony still dominates Asia, and holds a slight lead in much of the world, but it has lost significant influence in the largest market of all: the USA. As total numbers of consoles go, the PS3 sits in 3rd place worldwide.
#2: Historically, most multiplatform games are better on the 360. They tend to be more stable and have better graphics, even if the differences are slight. Just about any game running on the Unreal 3 engine are great examples. Games like Mass Effect 2 show that parity is coming, but even then the one year old version running on an older engine is arguably just as good (each has it's ups and downs).
#3: Sony lost big money selling PS3 consoles. Ignoring software sales, Sony lost an estimated 300$ per console at release, 50$ per console in 2008, 40$ per console in 2009 when the Slim came out, and 18$ per console sold in Feb 2010. The PS3 was reported by Shuhei Yoshida to be finally breaking even for each console sold in June 2010. In contrast, Wii always sold consoles at a profit. The 360 sold at a loss of 126$ per console when it was released, and was breaking even after 1.5 years (compared to Sony's 4 years). To rub salt in the wounds, the 360 "slim" further increased profits per console sold and Kinect was sold at a reported 50$ profit per unit on release.
#4: Sony loses big money with its online PSN. One of Sony's big selling points is also hemorrhaging money. Nothing in life is free, but at least your gain is Sony's loss. Such losses make the money lost per console sold far higher than money lost due to selling consoles for less than the hardware costs. As such, the 360 becomes even more profitable than the PS3.
#5: Sony sells less software per console than the 360. Royalty fees from software sales is what finally allowed the PS3 to become profitable, but even there the PS3 has lagged behind the 360. VCGhartz estimates put the 360 at 9.4 units software sold per console. The PS3 trails at 7.2 units software per PS3 sold.
#6: PS3 failure rates are higher than Sony will admit, and 360 failure rates are lower than the "interwebz" would have you believe. 360 fail rates are undoubtedly higher than the PS3, but at least they do a better job standing behind their failed consoles with a solid warranty and prompt replacement.
#7: PS3 online gaming is being corrupted by hackers right now. You have to look no further than the COD series than to realize that with the recent compromise with PS3 security, PSN gaming has taken a hit with glitches and cheaters. One can only expect this to get worse if Steam services continue to expand and increase ties with the PC world... known for a strong hacking/glitching community.
#8: Blu-ray is slow. What the blue-ray does well is play movies and hold lots of storage space. What it does not do well is go fast. Copy speeds are slower than the 360 drive. Yes, games will fit on only one disk, but few games actually require more than one disk on the 360. And given the popularity of large hard-drives on new consoles, most games are best played when downloaded to your console, making multiple disks a moot point. Sadly, copying just takes longer on the PS3.
#9: Digital downloaded content is the way of the future, not blu-ray. A lot of people bashed Microsoft for sticking with it's DVD drive and not adopting Blu-ray. Microsoft countered by saying that digitally distributed content was the way of the future. These days Sony is linking with Steam, and even Mass Effect 2 was a day one digital download. At least Sony is doing a good job with their adoption of the digital model.
#10: Move is lagging behind Kinect. Moving into the casual market was a smart move for Sony and Microsoft. The problem is that the Move was too close to the Wii to really capture the imagination of the casual market (who probably had a Wii anyway). Kinect was unique, and better or worse, it stood out... and sold far better than the Move, in far lass time. The fact that Sony is quiet about actual sales to end customers like you and me is very telling... in a bad way for Move.
#11: Move has a weak game line-up. At the moment Kinect actually has a few decent games. All the good Move games are "coming soon". Move is all hype and no content at the moment. And on the subject of hype...
#12: PS3 exclusives are not living up to "fanboy hype." The PS3's largest strength at the moment is in it's large exclusive lineup (another very large cost to Sony...). Any Sony fanboy can send you a list of upcoming PS3 exclusives, and a much shorter 360 list. And to date, the exclusives that have been released are solid, and arguably the best showcase of what the PS3 can do. However, Uncharted 2 aside, PS3 exclusives have just not been living up to the hype of the PS3 fanboys. GT5 was not a game-changer. GOW was beautiful, but not revolutionary. LBP2 was solid, but more of the same. To be fair, these were all great games, but they were over-hyped, and gamers were left expecting more, and not appreciating what they had. When the reviews are finished at the end of 2011, don't be surprised to find out that games like Killzone 3 are just more of the same. Fans will scream bloody murder, and "play games not reviews," but at the end of the day the content will not match the hype. It never does.
#13: Sony is terrified of the next gen consoles. As outlined above, Sony has invested a lot of money in the PS3 and has adsorbed a large amount of loss to get the PS3 to where it is today. As such, for the PS3 to be a financial success for Sony, they need to extend the life of the PS3 as long as possible. The next Wii, and the next 360 will be out sooner since their consoles were far more profitable, and can thus afford to move to the next gen. They smell blood.
#14: Sony is already designing the PS4: Sony knows that the next gen Wii and 360 will be announced within a year or so (Wii desperately needs it, and the 360 will follow). As such they are surely smart enough to already have a team that is designing the PS4. Sadly for PS3 gamers, the losses Sony takes this gen will force Sony to sell the PS4 at less of a loss than the PS3. As such, to get a good price-point, Sony will have to cut back on hardware quality.
#15: PSN will eventually charge for multiplayer. Xbox Live is a proven cash cow, and Sony wants in. PlayStation Plus is testing the waters this gen. Expect paid PSN mutliplayer to begin with the next gen, and don't expect PS3 multiplayer to stay free at that point either. Sadly, hackers will be used as an excuse to charge for multi-player... because the increased patches and security will cost money. No more free online folks.
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 – T
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 – T
agame, children, Kids, Nick jr games, Online Games, Play Online
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.
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.
Disney XD Games
Disney Friends for Change Games
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
Thứ Bảy, 15 tháng 10, 2011
Ten Announcements To Make E3 2011 A Classic
E3 is fast approaching and we all have our own personal desires as to what we want to see announced at the biggest gaming press event of the year. After doing some research on various websites and forums here is a list of possible announcements that could send various websites into meltdowns of excitement.
1. Cross Game Chat PSN
One of the most requested additions to the Playstation Network from the community is Cross Game Chat/Party Chat. A successful addition to Xbox Live, CGC is seen as getting one over on Xbox players by Playstation fans. What better way to help erase the current hacking farce by giving the Sony faithful something they very much desire.
2. Star Wars Battlefront 3
LucasArts' strategy this generation has been a frustrating one for many gamers. Despite the success of the original Force Unleashed, it's sequel left a bad taste in many people's mouth's. With a community set up about as useful as a pair of sunglasses on a person with one ear, LucasArts has failed to provide gamers with what they want. The Battlefront series has been very successful yet a sequel on current platforms has been flushed down the toilet, or has it? Spark Unlimited has been strongly rumoured to be bringing this project back from the dead and e-mails to fans enquiring about the rumour have not exactly denied anything. A countdown to Comic Con 2011 has been placed onto the official developers website. You can see for yourself and enquire about the rumour here:
http://www.sparkunlimited.c...
3. Old Republic Heading to Consoles
High quality MMO's have been a huge success on PC, yet the current HD consoles have been given scraps in comparison. True MMO's are best suited to PC but that is not to say it cannot be done on either Xbox 360 or PS3. If developer Bioware along with EA and LucasArts can make it possible without affecting the PC version I'm sure a lot more Star Wars fans would be very happy.
1. Cross Game Chat PSN
One of the most requested additions to the Playstation Network from the community is Cross Game Chat/Party Chat. A successful addition to Xbox Live, CGC is seen as getting one over on Xbox players by Playstation fans. What better way to help erase the current hacking farce by giving the Sony faithful something they very much desire.
2. Star Wars Battlefront 3
LucasArts' strategy this generation has been a frustrating one for many gamers. Despite the success of the original Force Unleashed, it's sequel left a bad taste in many people's mouth's. With a community set up about as useful as a pair of sunglasses on a person with one ear, LucasArts has failed to provide gamers with what they want. The Battlefront series has been very successful yet a sequel on current platforms has been flushed down the toilet, or has it? Spark Unlimited has been strongly rumoured to be bringing this project back from the dead and e-mails to fans enquiring about the rumour have not exactly denied anything. A countdown to Comic Con 2011 has been placed onto the official developers website. You can see for yourself and enquire about the rumour here:
http://www.sparkunlimited.c...
3. Old Republic Heading to Consoles
High quality MMO's have been a huge success on PC, yet the current HD consoles have been given scraps in comparison. True MMO's are best suited to PC but that is not to say it cannot be done on either Xbox 360 or PS3. If developer Bioware along with EA and LucasArts can make it possible without affecting the PC version I'm sure a lot more Star Wars fans would be very happy.
Subconscious Gaming
I have always been fascinated at the concept of virtual reality games, dreams, games in general and how they can all be connected together.
Throughout my years spent gaming i have noticed, from time to time, when talking to a friend, or chatting on the phone while playing a game i play even better then i normally do.And when i say talking to a friend, i don't mean just nodding and saying "yeah" periodically.I'm referring to being deeply vested in an interesting conversation, while your sub-conscious takes over your game playing abilities.At no other time was this more apparent to me then when playing Portal 2 the other day.
Stuck on a challenging puzzle, i was stumped.No idea what to do or where to even begin.My friend walks in the front door and starts talking about going to a strip club this Friday for our mutual friends birthday and, obviously, at this point my attention is on the details of this strip club! As he's talking, and i'm replying with questions, all the while still messing around in the game, not intentionally trying to do anything...just, messing around.Sure enough, glancing at the screen from time to time i notice myself shooting portals, getting the light-walkways into position and making my way around the level.
It wasn't until my friend went outside to smoke his cigarette that i realized i was done.Level complete, with no idea how i did it.Things like that happened throughout the years but none more glaringly obvious as that.So, i have been doing a little reading on some studies done on the subject and the results are truly remarkable.
""If you're spending hours a day in a virtual reality, if nothing else it's practice," said Jayne Gackenbach, a psychologist at Grant MacEwan University in Canada. "Gamers are used to controlling their game environments, so that can translate into dreams.""
Which brings me into another topic i experience sometimes.Dream-games, of sorts.Some studies suggest that due to the overwhelming practice we, as gamers, get.We have a unique ability to control aspects of our dreams.More so then the average dreamer who, for example could be dreaming about a room where a ladder might be the only exit out but there's nothing they can control.We, however, have a spectral controller of sorts, and could choose to exist through the ladder.Like we do in oh so many games.
Another point brought up in a study is, what might be a nightmare to most, could be seen as a fun, challenging dream to us, the gamers.
In other words, a scary nightmare scenario turned into something "fun" for a gamer.To quote the good DR again..
"What happens with gamers is that something inexplicable happens," Gackenbach explained. "They don't run away, they turn and fight back. They're more aggressive than the norms.
So it's been proven by studies that Playing games, enhances your subconscious self-awareness in dreams to the point where a dream can become a Virtual reality game of sorts.Which begs the question, why exactly is it video games that provoke such results? Aside from constant VR training in a full scale simulator, video games are the next best thing to diving into a virtual world and, since most of us play them so much, it's constant training for our inner "self".What could this intensive training offer in terms of physical or mental pros & cons? Who knows, the effects it has on the subconscious are still quite a mystery to most, but it remains clear, It's one hell of an interesting subject.
As i end this blog, because, frankly i didn't want it to be this long at all, i can't help but wonder if the future of video games will tie in with this? Imagine, 30 or 40 years from now, a Virtual reality game system played by your subconscious? It would become the real Matrix.
Throughout my years spent gaming i have noticed, from time to time, when talking to a friend, or chatting on the phone while playing a game i play even better then i normally do.And when i say talking to a friend, i don't mean just nodding and saying "yeah" periodically.I'm referring to being deeply vested in an interesting conversation, while your sub-conscious takes over your game playing abilities.At no other time was this more apparent to me then when playing Portal 2 the other day.
Stuck on a challenging puzzle, i was stumped.No idea what to do or where to even begin.My friend walks in the front door and starts talking about going to a strip club this Friday for our mutual friends birthday and, obviously, at this point my attention is on the details of this strip club! As he's talking, and i'm replying with questions, all the while still messing around in the game, not intentionally trying to do anything...just, messing around.Sure enough, glancing at the screen from time to time i notice myself shooting portals, getting the light-walkways into position and making my way around the level.
It wasn't until my friend went outside to smoke his cigarette that i realized i was done.Level complete, with no idea how i did it.Things like that happened throughout the years but none more glaringly obvious as that.So, i have been doing a little reading on some studies done on the subject and the results are truly remarkable.
""If you're spending hours a day in a virtual reality, if nothing else it's practice," said Jayne Gackenbach, a psychologist at Grant MacEwan University in Canada. "Gamers are used to controlling their game environments, so that can translate into dreams.""
Which brings me into another topic i experience sometimes.Dream-games, of sorts.Some studies suggest that due to the overwhelming practice we, as gamers, get.We have a unique ability to control aspects of our dreams.More so then the average dreamer who, for example could be dreaming about a room where a ladder might be the only exit out but there's nothing they can control.We, however, have a spectral controller of sorts, and could choose to exist through the ladder.Like we do in oh so many games.
Another point brought up in a study is, what might be a nightmare to most, could be seen as a fun, challenging dream to us, the gamers.
In other words, a scary nightmare scenario turned into something "fun" for a gamer.To quote the good DR again..
"What happens with gamers is that something inexplicable happens," Gackenbach explained. "They don't run away, they turn and fight back. They're more aggressive than the norms.
So it's been proven by studies that Playing games, enhances your subconscious self-awareness in dreams to the point where a dream can become a Virtual reality game of sorts.Which begs the question, why exactly is it video games that provoke such results? Aside from constant VR training in a full scale simulator, video games are the next best thing to diving into a virtual world and, since most of us play them so much, it's constant training for our inner "self".What could this intensive training offer in terms of physical or mental pros & cons? Who knows, the effects it has on the subconscious are still quite a mystery to most, but it remains clear, It's one hell of an interesting subject.
As i end this blog, because, frankly i didn't want it to be this long at all, i can't help but wonder if the future of video games will tie in with this? Imagine, 30 or 40 years from now, a Virtual reality game system played by your subconscious? It would become the real Matrix.
Thứ Sáu, 14 tháng 10, 2011
Why the division?
Its pretty late in California right now. 1:30A.M., I'm doing my late night web runs (Since I've been jobless for the last 2 weeks what else is there to do?) and one question pops into my head.
Why is it that we are divide as a nation? Looking back through the glass of time, I can remember NES vs. Master system, SNES vs Genesis, Saturn Vs Playstation VS N64, Dreamcast vs........ so on and so on.
But going through my 25+ years of gaming I can't remember ever arguing about system A is way better than that system B because....of games?.....Graphics?, nope! today's points are based solely on sales and the money generated by said system and said games on system. WHAAAAAAAAAT! I know at this point its like digging up a dead horse just to add a few more bullets to the poor animals skull but why are we as a nation so divided by something that is so separate from us to begin with.
If this game sells a billion and this game only sells a few hundred thousand, why does it matter so much? I mean we aren't seeing any of this money and its quite the opposite, we actually make these games the successes that they are buy giving up our money and yet we will argue to the point of being racist, ignorant jerks to prove why we bothered to make this game a billion dollar success and call those who did not put in things that will make our forefathers spin in their grave. Why has this happen to us? I remember growing up with Nintendo a good friend of mine was all about Sega, we still interacted like normal, played together and when it came down to our videogames we asked, what are we playing that day? Are we going to my house or your house? That trend pretty much continued up until X360 released. All of a sudden if you weren't online with a 360 we couldn't be friends in real life?!?!? WHAAAAAATTTTT! Then the PS3 released and if you owned one you just threw away $600 because as far as "Gamers" were considered it was D.O.A.. What happen to us? we used to share our experiences as a people, used to talk about games that we could play that our friends couldn't and vice-versa. But now it seems that system ownership is a lot stricter than religion. "Buy what I have so we can talk about it or F*** YOU!!" Why and How?
I'll admit early on I was just as rabid as the next person but I've been able to let that go, but it seems the problem has only gotten worst and not better, despite there being many ways to enjoy our freetime, it seems that you can only have one way to enjoy it or else you're an outcast. Sad really but I guess thats the way the world is going.
P.S. This was just a random thought but feel free to comment if you like.
Why is it that we are divide as a nation? Looking back through the glass of time, I can remember NES vs. Master system, SNES vs Genesis, Saturn Vs Playstation VS N64, Dreamcast vs........ so on and so on.
But going through my 25+ years of gaming I can't remember ever arguing about system A is way better than that system B because....of games?.....Graphics?, nope! today's points are based solely on sales and the money generated by said system and said games on system. WHAAAAAAAAAT! I know at this point its like digging up a dead horse just to add a few more bullets to the poor animals skull but why are we as a nation so divided by something that is so separate from us to begin with.
If this game sells a billion and this game only sells a few hundred thousand, why does it matter so much? I mean we aren't seeing any of this money and its quite the opposite, we actually make these games the successes that they are buy giving up our money and yet we will argue to the point of being racist, ignorant jerks to prove why we bothered to make this game a billion dollar success and call those who did not put in things that will make our forefathers spin in their grave. Why has this happen to us? I remember growing up with Nintendo a good friend of mine was all about Sega, we still interacted like normal, played together and when it came down to our videogames we asked, what are we playing that day? Are we going to my house or your house? That trend pretty much continued up until X360 released. All of a sudden if you weren't online with a 360 we couldn't be friends in real life?!?!? WHAAAAAATTTTT! Then the PS3 released and if you owned one you just threw away $600 because as far as "Gamers" were considered it was D.O.A.. What happen to us? we used to share our experiences as a people, used to talk about games that we could play that our friends couldn't and vice-versa. But now it seems that system ownership is a lot stricter than religion. "Buy what I have so we can talk about it or F*** YOU!!" Why and How?
I'll admit early on I was just as rabid as the next person but I've been able to let that go, but it seems the problem has only gotten worst and not better, despite there being many ways to enjoy our freetime, it seems that you can only have one way to enjoy it or else you're an outcast. Sad really but I guess thats the way the world is going.
P.S. This was just a random thought but feel free to comment if you like.
Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge: $10,000 in prizing
Pairing nicely with the Gears 3 fever around here, 360Voice is hosting a Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge kicking off September 20th and running through October 20, 2011.
Players unlocking achievements and recruiting friends to the cause are scoring points toward their Brotherhood's total score - and the top two Brotherhoods get prizes. More of a persuasive type? The top three Recruiters also win big.
http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
If the N4G Brotherhood ( http://360voice.gamerdna.co... ) led by our own Eiffel finishes in the top two we're adding to the prize pool: The top five scorers in the N4G Brotherhood get a Gears of War 3 controller and all surviving Cogs get a brand spanking newly designed N4G t-shirt.
Go! http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
Image Credit: Eiffel
Players unlocking achievements and recruiting friends to the cause are scoring points toward their Brotherhood's total score - and the top two Brotherhoods get prizes. More of a persuasive type? The top three Recruiters also win big.
http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
If the N4G Brotherhood ( http://360voice.gamerdna.co... ) led by our own Eiffel finishes in the top two we're adding to the prize pool: The top five scorers in the N4G Brotherhood get a Gears of War 3 controller and all surviving Cogs get a brand spanking newly designed N4G t-shirt.
Go! http://360voice.gamerdna.co...
Image Credit: Eiffel
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.
Thứ Ba, 11 tháng 10, 2011
Scott Steinberg: Facebook could be in music games' future [Interview]
"It was too many games in too short a time, playing to too niche of an audience at too high a price--in the middle of the worst recession possible." According to technology analyst and public speaker Scott Steinberg, this was what essentially killed the enormous music gaming franchises, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The age of sitting around your living room with three friends, plucking and fiddling with plastic instruments to Rush's Tom Sawyer is all but over ... for now.
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Wow, I think it's time for you to call the patent office. Thanks for taking the time to chat, Scott.
What do you think of the prospects of a wildly successful music game hitting Facebook? Who do you think could be the first to create the ultimate music game on Facebook? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Wow, I think it's time for you to call the patent office. Thanks for taking the time to chat, Scott.
What do you think of the prospects of a wildly successful music game hitting Facebook? Who do you think could be the first to create the ultimate music game on Facebook? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
Will Elvis Presley become 'The King' of Facebook gaming, too?
Who knows, but it looks like Pennsylvania-based Entertainment Games will everything it can to make that happen. (Screaming happily and bouncing at this news might be totally appropriate.) The social game creator and casual games portal announced that it has reached a licensing agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE). The King himself will be featured as a main character in an upcoming game for Facebook, Google+ , mobile devices and open web.
Entertainment Games has yet to announce a release date, but did say that many celebrities along with Presley will be featured in the "soon-to-be launched, story-driven online game" in a release. The developer's Heyday platform will be the basis for the game's creation, and photographs from the archives at Graceland will be featured in the Facebook game. And, of course, Entertainment Games will include a copious amount of Elvis-themed virtual goods for purchase.
"Entertainment Games' mission is to create a totally unique social game experience in which players engage in rich, interactive stories and games that evoke the spirit of past decades and are brought to life by authentic photos and nostalgic celebrity imagery," Entertainment Games CCO F.J. Lennon said in a release.
The news follows the hire of soap opera guru Michael Fairman, and before that a deal that Entertainment Games struck with intellectual rights firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for a "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web." Sound familiar? We thought so. Based on these recent reports it looks as if Entertainment Games is building one giant nostalgia bomb for Facebook gamers, and we can't wait to see it explode.
[Image Credit: Elvis Presley Enterprises]
What do you think Entertainment Games is up to with this mystery game? Are you ready for what sounds like an imminent nostalgia explosion on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Entertainment Games has yet to announce a release date, but did say that many celebrities along with Presley will be featured in the "soon-to-be launched, story-driven online game" in a release. The developer's Heyday platform will be the basis for the game's creation, and photographs from the archives at Graceland will be featured in the Facebook game. And, of course, Entertainment Games will include a copious amount of Elvis-themed virtual goods for purchase.
"Entertainment Games' mission is to create a totally unique social game experience in which players engage in rich, interactive stories and games that evoke the spirit of past decades and are brought to life by authentic photos and nostalgic celebrity imagery," Entertainment Games CCO F.J. Lennon said in a release.
The news follows the hire of soap opera guru Michael Fairman, and before that a deal that Entertainment Games struck with intellectual rights firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for a "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web." Sound familiar? We thought so. Based on these recent reports it looks as if Entertainment Games is building one giant nostalgia bomb for Facebook gamers, and we can't wait to see it explode.
[Image Credit: Elvis Presley Enterprises]
What do you think Entertainment Games is up to with this mystery game? Are you ready for what sounds like an imminent nostalgia explosion on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thứ Tư, 5 tháng 10, 2011
Frima Studio brings flatulence to Facebook in Pocket God Episode 9
Has Robot Unicorn Attack met its match? In the most recent update to Frima Studio's Facebook take on Pocket God, Episode 9: My Little Pygmy, the Canadian developer has introduced a new pygmy-pulverizing power to the game. We'll just come out and say it: The new power is a unicorn that, when clicked twice, farts rainbows that dissolve pygmies instantly.
If you're not laughing yet, then you have no soul. Come on, flatulent humor never gets old in small doses. Oh, and the gaseous mythical horse can also impale pygmies and send them flying with a rainbow flourish. The fart-filled unicorn is available to players Level 11 and above, and comes with a hidden quest that tasks them with defeating the Night Mare. Players that enlist the help of their friends in besting the beast will have a better shot at unlocking another god idol.
The update introduced a Daily Bonus mechanic to Pocket God, something that most Facebook games have enjoyed for some time now. But we're sure Frima Studio is far more excited at introducing such a chuckle-worthy character.
As of this writing, Pocket God enjoys just over 222,000 monthly players and over 27,000 daily players, according to AppData. Frankly, a game with this much humor (and this little shame) deserves far more players than that. Well, it at least deserves points for originality.
Have you played around with this gassy unicorn yet in Pocket God? What do you think of the game's Facebook rendition so far? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you're not laughing yet, then you have no soul. Come on, flatulent humor never gets old in small doses. Oh, and the gaseous mythical horse can also impale pygmies and send them flying with a rainbow flourish. The fart-filled unicorn is available to players Level 11 and above, and comes with a hidden quest that tasks them with defeating the Night Mare. Players that enlist the help of their friends in besting the beast will have a better shot at unlocking another god idol.
The update introduced a Daily Bonus mechanic to Pocket God, something that most Facebook games have enjoyed for some time now. But we're sure Frima Studio is far more excited at introducing such a chuckle-worthy character.
As of this writing, Pocket God enjoys just over 222,000 monthly players and over 27,000 daily players, according to AppData. Frankly, a game with this much humor (and this little shame) deserves far more players than that. Well, it at least deserves points for originality.
Have you played around with this gassy unicorn yet in Pocket God? What do you think of the game's Facebook rendition so far? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
UK online safety expert proposes Pet Society feature as dangerous to children
Playfish might want to take a break from its London headquarters and head to Wrexham for a chat with Charles Conway. Conway, a self-touted "online safety expert," has been making rounds in North Wales and North West England telling people that Pet Society is encouraging "stranger danger" in kids.
He alleges that the game exposes them to real-world contact with "murderers, rapists and pedophiles." While those passionate about Facebook games might want to write off Conway as a professional fearmonger, Conway may have a point, because he's actually played the game.
A professional web designer by trade, Conway runs the Clear as Crystal web firm. He then started the Scam Detectives website with his wife Christine in Jan. 2010, claiming "over a quarter of a million visitors around the world" since its inception. In March 2011, he released an ebook titled, "Scammers, Spammers & Social Engineers: A Scam Detectives guide to keeping your business safe online", available on the Amazon Kindle for $9.99. A month later, he wrote a tech column in Euro Weekly News. Lastly, Scam Detectives was also shortlisted for the 2011 Nominet Internet Awards in the category of "Making the internet safer", although it didn't win.
While Conway also names FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and CityVille in his lecture on Facebook games, he uses Pet Society's social features to build his strongest case. We've all known about the "Cafe" in Pet Society, a location in the game where everyone can go to show off their pets and their pets' homes.
Charles Conway Pet Society BunnyPig
Pet Society Go to ProfileBy being in the Cafe, you're bound to meet strangers. Even though all you can do once you get to another pet's home is some pre-set actions (e.g. hug, kiss, dance, laugh, and punch), there's also the option to visit the real Facebook profile of a someone you might not know at all. Conway demonstrated this by creating an avatar named "BunnyPig" to demonstrate to a group of foster care and social workers.
Because Facebook games require players to have lots of friends to earn virtual money and goods, Conway concludes that kids will be tempted to friend strangers. And in turn, he estimates that malevolent strangers can scope out kids who play the game. This "Go to profile" option is clearly a valid concern and does exist in the game.
So far, I could find no options within Pet Society to turn off this feature. However, Pet Society players can secure their Facebook profiles within the "Privacy Settings" menu beneath the "Account" tab on the Facebook home page. Just because a stranger can visit a kid's profile, doesn't mean a stranger will see much if their profiles are locked in Friends Only mode.
It's also entirely possible that this feature is only available for the adults who play the game. But as we've proven before, even if that is the case, kids under 13 years-old could still lie to Facebook about their age just to have a Facebook account.
In an ironic twist, Conway actually hosts several online games on his Scam Detectives website. However, these are simple Flash-based web games designed to teach and quiz players about online security. So there are no social elements involved in these games and they could be played anonymously.
(Editor's Note: This article and its headline was edited for clarity, and now clarifies how users can secure their Facebook profiles.)
[Hat-tip: PR Fire]
Is Charles Conway just another fearmonger? Do you think Pet Society players should be able to disable the Cafe? Share with us in the comments. 19 Comments
He alleges that the game exposes them to real-world contact with "murderers, rapists and pedophiles." While those passionate about Facebook games might want to write off Conway as a professional fearmonger, Conway may have a point, because he's actually played the game.
A professional web designer by trade, Conway runs the Clear as Crystal web firm. He then started the Scam Detectives website with his wife Christine in Jan. 2010, claiming "over a quarter of a million visitors around the world" since its inception. In March 2011, he released an ebook titled, "Scammers, Spammers & Social Engineers: A Scam Detectives guide to keeping your business safe online", available on the Amazon Kindle for $9.99. A month later, he wrote a tech column in Euro Weekly News. Lastly, Scam Detectives was also shortlisted for the 2011 Nominet Internet Awards in the category of "Making the internet safer", although it didn't win.
While Conway also names FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and CityVille in his lecture on Facebook games, he uses Pet Society's social features to build his strongest case. We've all known about the "Cafe" in Pet Society, a location in the game where everyone can go to show off their pets and their pets' homes.
Charles Conway Pet Society BunnyPig
Pet Society Go to ProfileBy being in the Cafe, you're bound to meet strangers. Even though all you can do once you get to another pet's home is some pre-set actions (e.g. hug, kiss, dance, laugh, and punch), there's also the option to visit the real Facebook profile of a someone you might not know at all. Conway demonstrated this by creating an avatar named "BunnyPig" to demonstrate to a group of foster care and social workers.
Because Facebook games require players to have lots of friends to earn virtual money and goods, Conway concludes that kids will be tempted to friend strangers. And in turn, he estimates that malevolent strangers can scope out kids who play the game. This "Go to profile" option is clearly a valid concern and does exist in the game.
So far, I could find no options within Pet Society to turn off this feature. However, Pet Society players can secure their Facebook profiles within the "Privacy Settings" menu beneath the "Account" tab on the Facebook home page. Just because a stranger can visit a kid's profile, doesn't mean a stranger will see much if their profiles are locked in Friends Only mode.
It's also entirely possible that this feature is only available for the adults who play the game. But as we've proven before, even if that is the case, kids under 13 years-old could still lie to Facebook about their age just to have a Facebook account.
In an ironic twist, Conway actually hosts several online games on his Scam Detectives website. However, these are simple Flash-based web games designed to teach and quiz players about online security. So there are no social elements involved in these games and they could be played anonymously.
(Editor's Note: This article and its headline was edited for clarity, and now clarifies how users can secure their Facebook profiles.)
[Hat-tip: PR Fire]
Is Charles Conway just another fearmonger? Do you think Pet Society players should be able to disable the Cafe? Share with us in the comments. 19 Comments
Games And Prizes brings casual games, real prizes to Facebook
Titan Gaming Inc. launched a beta Facebook app last week, appropiately titled "Games And Prizes", with a suite of games that allow players to win real world goods, promising everything from shoes to computer hardware. If you loved the deal saver social game Penny Drop, but wanted real games to play, then this could be the next best thing.
There are 22 games currently available for plays and bets. These include a Zuma Blitz look-alike called Crazy King, an obvious Pac-Man ripoff (down to the color palette) called Ghostman, a Tetris clone called Prizetris, a bubble shooter called Ballsy, and even an Asteroids as "Asteroids". Players can see how many friends have also played these games, and earn achievement badges and virtual coins through winning games and daily spins. More coins can be bought with Facebook Credits.
Games And Prizes Top Games
Brands who've signed up to promote themselves on this app are Alienware, ShoeDazzle, Beach Body, ClarityOne Audio, and Antica Farmacista.
Click here to play Games And Prizes on Facebook now >
Are the current offerings in Games And Prizes enough to make you check out the game? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
There are 22 games currently available for plays and bets. These include a Zuma Blitz look-alike called Crazy King, an obvious Pac-Man ripoff (down to the color palette) called Ghostman, a Tetris clone called Prizetris, a bubble shooter called Ballsy, and even an Asteroids as "Asteroids". Players can see how many friends have also played these games, and earn achievement badges and virtual coins through winning games and daily spins. More coins can be bought with Facebook Credits.
Games And Prizes Top Games
Brands who've signed up to promote themselves on this app are Alienware, ShoeDazzle, Beach Body, ClarityOne Audio, and Antica Farmacista.
Click here to play Games And Prizes on Facebook now >
Are the current offerings in Games And Prizes enough to make you check out the game? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Facebook games move to Requests 2.0, or one-click requests, next year
The FarmVille fans are just gonna' love this one. Facebook announced that Requests 2.0, a feature that will allow users to opt into one-click requests in their favorite Facebook games with specific friends, will become the standard starting Jan. 1, 2012. The upcoming change was announced on the Facebook Developers Blog, but don't fret just yet, privacy watchdogs.
Actually, this feature already exists on Facebook in games like EA and Playfish's The Sims Social. We're all familiar with the pop-ups that require us to click "Share" in order to send direct requests to our friends, but you may have noticed some with a checked box and a message that reads, "Don't ask again before sending requests to Joe Shmoe from this app." While perhaps the box shouldn't already be checked, removing the check will force Facebook to continue requesting for your permission.
Honestly, after Facebooks' Mark Zuckerberg revealed at the annual f8 Conference that games will automatically post certain data to the new universal Ticker, it's hard not to wonder why players would be scared of a feature like this. This change is much different than Zynga's approach, which essentially makes all sharing automatic and barred players from choosing who to send what items. Requests 2.0 gives players to option to activate automatic sharing with whomever they want on an individual basis.
Facebook Games Platform developer Derek Brandao then revealed how this new change--that will remove support for the old requests model come Jan. 1, 2012--could make Facebook game requests much faster for players. Brandao then starts speaking developer, to which many of your eyes (including mine) will begin to glaze over.
This change doesn't seem to affect public game shares like "I need 17 pickles in FarmVille," but could make sharing between friends much smoother. Giving players the choice to opt out of the feature protects Facebook somewhat from anti-privacy claims, but there's still something about Facebook reporting on every game we play that's just a tiny bit disconcerting.
What do you think of this upcoming change to Facebook games? Do you think it somehow encroaches on players' privacy or complicates things like FarmVille One-Click Sharing did? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Actually, this feature already exists on Facebook in games like EA and Playfish's The Sims Social. We're all familiar with the pop-ups that require us to click "Share" in order to send direct requests to our friends, but you may have noticed some with a checked box and a message that reads, "Don't ask again before sending requests to Joe Shmoe from this app." While perhaps the box shouldn't already be checked, removing the check will force Facebook to continue requesting for your permission.
Honestly, after Facebooks' Mark Zuckerberg revealed at the annual f8 Conference that games will automatically post certain data to the new universal Ticker, it's hard not to wonder why players would be scared of a feature like this. This change is much different than Zynga's approach, which essentially makes all sharing automatic and barred players from choosing who to send what items. Requests 2.0 gives players to option to activate automatic sharing with whomever they want on an individual basis.
Facebook Games Platform developer Derek Brandao then revealed how this new change--that will remove support for the old requests model come Jan. 1, 2012--could make Facebook game requests much faster for players. Brandao then starts speaking developer, to which many of your eyes (including mine) will begin to glaze over.
This change doesn't seem to affect public game shares like "I need 17 pickles in FarmVille," but could make sharing between friends much smoother. Giving players the choice to opt out of the feature protects Facebook somewhat from anti-privacy claims, but there's still something about Facebook reporting on every game we play that's just a tiny bit disconcerting.
What do you think of this upcoming change to Facebook games? Do you think it somehow encroaches on players' privacy or complicates things like FarmVille One-Click Sharing did? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adventure World Cavern Quests: Everything you need to know
If you like sticking close to the story in Adventure World, you may have already completed the Monkey Idol and Bird Idol quests, taking you to the halfway point in your attempt to unlock the secrets of El Dorado by opening its locked doors. Continuing in the story, you'll next need to travel into a Cavern to find the Snake Idol, which requires quite a bit of Supplies (and help from friends) to pull off. Specifically, these quests, as they are story-based and therefore "mandatory" (that is, if you ever want to move the story along), there's no time limit to completing them.
You'll need to add eight crew members to your team by asking your friends to help you out, and you must collect a whopping 80 each of Food, Fuel and Water. While normally, asking your friends for help is voluntary, here it's absolutely required, so make sure to ask your friends to be your neighbors if you don't currently have active folks playing with you. Once you begin, as usual, there will be an overall set of quests to retrieve the Snake Idol, along with secondary quests that you can complete along the way. Here's a guide to recovering the Snake Idol, and getting that much closer to the treasures within El Dorado!
Cavern Main Quests
Find the Snake Idol Part 1
* Investigate the Keystone Clue
* Use the Ruby Skull on the Pedestal
* Light the Central Ruby Skull
First things first, your goal will be to make it to the Red Skull which rests shortly after the first track and Mine Cart. You'll have to push the Mine Cart along the path, wasting energy as you go, until you eventually make it to this small "island," if you will. The key in the picture below is covered with debris, so just interact with the debris to clear it. Then, by clicking on the skull itself, you'll see the Central Tower's ruby skull light as well. If you're putting two and two together here, the point would of course be to light all of the skulls in the Central Tower one by one.
Find the Snake Idol Part 2
* Investigate the Red Keystone Clue
* Investigate the Blue Keystone Clue
* Use the Two Skulls
* Light the Central Sapphire Skull
If these tasks tell us anything, it's that the process isn't simply a "one at a time" deal of lighting the skulls. Instead, each time you light a skull, you simply extend the chain. Since red came first, you'll need to activate another red skull and then a blue skull as well. The two keystones are found under the mushrooms highlighted below.
Find the Snake Idol Part 3
* Use the Three Skulls
* Use the Four Sulls
* Use the Five Skulls
* Light the Column of Skulls
Rather than having a single quest for each individual color, this next quest combines all of your work into one, making it a rather lengthy one to complete. The third and fourth skulls to light contain keystones that are near each other on the map, as seen below. When you clear the mushrooms off of the keystones, you'll be told the order in which to activate the skulls. Only by activating them in the right order will you light the skull in the Central Tower, so make sure to pay attention!
As for the fifth and final skull, this set of keystones is found at the end of the map, after another mine cart and series of traps that need to be deactivated. The skulls are even blocked by a rock that can only be removed by Dynamite, which can be purchased back in Base Camp for 1,000 coins.
Find the Snake Idol Part 4
* Reveal the Water path!
* Walk on Water to find the Idol
* Recover the Snake Idol
After the entirety of the Central Tower is lit, a series of three stones will appear in the water nearby. By walking out onto these rocks, you cause more to appear, until you're standing on the central platform next to the tower of lighted skulls. Another set of stones appear (as seen below under the arrow) and by walking out on these, you'll eventually reach the small island that houses the Snake Idol. Activate the keyhole next to it, and the pillar holding the idol will lower so you can collect it.
Find the Snake Idol Part 5
* Return to Base
* Place the Snake Idol
The last bit is just a formality, so head back to Base Camp, click on the statue with the transparent snake and voila! You'll have finished off the main portion of these story quests! Keep in mind, however, that even if you complete these quests before the others (the side-quests below), you'll be able to go back later by visiting the Map Screen and finish them off. There's valuable XP waiting there, so they really are worth completing.
Cavern Side Quests
Riches of Mesoamerica
* Collect 8 Silver Nuggets
* Collect 4 Gold Nuggets
* Collect a Platinum Nugget
* Collect 3 Gemstones
As you make your way through this large map, you'll see plenty of rocks that are labeled as "Ore Rocks" when you hover over them. Most of these are out of the way, so you may not even think you need to interact with them, but if you want to complete all of these side quests, you'll definitely need to do so. You'll never know which kind of material will pop out of each rock, so just click on every rock you see (energy permitting) to eventually complete this time-consuming quest off. Note: you may not receive an item with every rock destroyed, so keep that in mind.
Tunnel of Love
* Collect 5 Spider Silks
* Collect 5 Lovely Crystal Dusts
* Collect 5 Mushroom Spores
Yet again, we see Emily out to impress a boy, this time by concocting a love potion made out of materials you'll need to gather. Spiders are the main enemies in this map, so you'll have no trouble finding nests to destroy to earn the Silk. Meanwhile, Lovely Crystal Dust is found within pink crystals (not to be confused with the many blue crystals also found on the map) that are on the far right side of the map, and Mushroom Spores - you guessed it - come from Mushroom Colonies. Here are some screenshots of what to look out for when gathering these items.
Society Work
* Get 2 Azure Skulls
* Get 8 Jade Vases
* Get 4 Ruby Vases
* Get some Diamond Coating from the Gemstone Collection
As has become customary, we're being given a side-quest to collect Jade and Ruby Vases, with these items being scattered openly throughout the map. They may be blocked by various kinds of debris, but at least they aren't overly hard to find. For instance, you'll be able to find all four Ruby Vases before ever activating the second skull above. For the Diamond Coating, you'll need to get a bit lucky, as you'll first need to collect the five pieces of the Gemstone Collection (on any Cavern map, like the one we're currently on) in order to trade them in for your reward. Don't worry if you don't gather all of the pieces during you time with this Expedition - you can come back later to turn in the quest (thus earning extra experience points) at a later date.
For the Azure Skulls, you'll wan to look out for squares like the one pictured below, which show stairs being covered up by spider webs. Bu interacting with the webs, you can remove them and venture into the abandoned mine below. Here, you'll find even more Ruby and Jade Vases, along with the Skull and various debris.
Danger in the Cavern
* Defeat 12 Spiders in the Cavern
* Clear 4 Spider Webs
* Clear 6 Spider Nests
Apparently, the mining company that abandoned this place did so because of the relentless spider infestation, but would really like to have it back. They're willing to pay you handsomely (with experience points, anyway) if you can clear out the spiders and allow them to return to work. Spider Nests are necessary for the Spider Silks in the quest above, so shouldn't pose a problem, while Spider Webs are a new kind of obstacle that see a web being hung between two branches blocking your path. You'll likely come across enough of them while simply completing other quests to not have to go out hunting for them either. As for Spiders themselves, you don't have to find them... they'll come to you. Note: In the screenshot below, webs did hang between the two sets of branches, but I had already cleared them out.
Once you complete all of these quests (which will likely take you quite a while to do), you will have successfully retrieved the Snake Idol and will be that much closer to finally unlocking the secrets of El Dorado. Only the Jaguar Idol remains, so make sure to keep checking back with us as we'll give you a complete guide to collecting it as well! Happy adventuring!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Cavern / Snake Idol quests? Have you already collected all four Idols and opened El Dorado? Sound off in the comments.
You'll need to add eight crew members to your team by asking your friends to help you out, and you must collect a whopping 80 each of Food, Fuel and Water. While normally, asking your friends for help is voluntary, here it's absolutely required, so make sure to ask your friends to be your neighbors if you don't currently have active folks playing with you. Once you begin, as usual, there will be an overall set of quests to retrieve the Snake Idol, along with secondary quests that you can complete along the way. Here's a guide to recovering the Snake Idol, and getting that much closer to the treasures within El Dorado!
Cavern Main Quests
Find the Snake Idol Part 1
* Investigate the Keystone Clue
* Use the Ruby Skull on the Pedestal
* Light the Central Ruby Skull
First things first, your goal will be to make it to the Red Skull which rests shortly after the first track and Mine Cart. You'll have to push the Mine Cart along the path, wasting energy as you go, until you eventually make it to this small "island," if you will. The key in the picture below is covered with debris, so just interact with the debris to clear it. Then, by clicking on the skull itself, you'll see the Central Tower's ruby skull light as well. If you're putting two and two together here, the point would of course be to light all of the skulls in the Central Tower one by one.
Find the Snake Idol Part 2
* Investigate the Red Keystone Clue
* Investigate the Blue Keystone Clue
* Use the Two Skulls
* Light the Central Sapphire Skull
If these tasks tell us anything, it's that the process isn't simply a "one at a time" deal of lighting the skulls. Instead, each time you light a skull, you simply extend the chain. Since red came first, you'll need to activate another red skull and then a blue skull as well. The two keystones are found under the mushrooms highlighted below.
Find the Snake Idol Part 3
* Use the Three Skulls
* Use the Four Sulls
* Use the Five Skulls
* Light the Column of Skulls
Rather than having a single quest for each individual color, this next quest combines all of your work into one, making it a rather lengthy one to complete. The third and fourth skulls to light contain keystones that are near each other on the map, as seen below. When you clear the mushrooms off of the keystones, you'll be told the order in which to activate the skulls. Only by activating them in the right order will you light the skull in the Central Tower, so make sure to pay attention!
As for the fifth and final skull, this set of keystones is found at the end of the map, after another mine cart and series of traps that need to be deactivated. The skulls are even blocked by a rock that can only be removed by Dynamite, which can be purchased back in Base Camp for 1,000 coins.
Find the Snake Idol Part 4
* Reveal the Water path!
* Walk on Water to find the Idol
* Recover the Snake Idol
After the entirety of the Central Tower is lit, a series of three stones will appear in the water nearby. By walking out onto these rocks, you cause more to appear, until you're standing on the central platform next to the tower of lighted skulls. Another set of stones appear (as seen below under the arrow) and by walking out on these, you'll eventually reach the small island that houses the Snake Idol. Activate the keyhole next to it, and the pillar holding the idol will lower so you can collect it.
Find the Snake Idol Part 5
* Return to Base
* Place the Snake Idol
The last bit is just a formality, so head back to Base Camp, click on the statue with the transparent snake and voila! You'll have finished off the main portion of these story quests! Keep in mind, however, that even if you complete these quests before the others (the side-quests below), you'll be able to go back later by visiting the Map Screen and finish them off. There's valuable XP waiting there, so they really are worth completing.
Cavern Side Quests
Riches of Mesoamerica
* Collect 8 Silver Nuggets
* Collect 4 Gold Nuggets
* Collect a Platinum Nugget
* Collect 3 Gemstones
As you make your way through this large map, you'll see plenty of rocks that are labeled as "Ore Rocks" when you hover over them. Most of these are out of the way, so you may not even think you need to interact with them, but if you want to complete all of these side quests, you'll definitely need to do so. You'll never know which kind of material will pop out of each rock, so just click on every rock you see (energy permitting) to eventually complete this time-consuming quest off. Note: you may not receive an item with every rock destroyed, so keep that in mind.
Tunnel of Love
* Collect 5 Spider Silks
* Collect 5 Lovely Crystal Dusts
* Collect 5 Mushroom Spores
Yet again, we see Emily out to impress a boy, this time by concocting a love potion made out of materials you'll need to gather. Spiders are the main enemies in this map, so you'll have no trouble finding nests to destroy to earn the Silk. Meanwhile, Lovely Crystal Dust is found within pink crystals (not to be confused with the many blue crystals also found on the map) that are on the far right side of the map, and Mushroom Spores - you guessed it - come from Mushroom Colonies. Here are some screenshots of what to look out for when gathering these items.
Society Work
* Get 2 Azure Skulls
* Get 8 Jade Vases
* Get 4 Ruby Vases
* Get some Diamond Coating from the Gemstone Collection
As has become customary, we're being given a side-quest to collect Jade and Ruby Vases, with these items being scattered openly throughout the map. They may be blocked by various kinds of debris, but at least they aren't overly hard to find. For instance, you'll be able to find all four Ruby Vases before ever activating the second skull above. For the Diamond Coating, you'll need to get a bit lucky, as you'll first need to collect the five pieces of the Gemstone Collection (on any Cavern map, like the one we're currently on) in order to trade them in for your reward. Don't worry if you don't gather all of the pieces during you time with this Expedition - you can come back later to turn in the quest (thus earning extra experience points) at a later date.
For the Azure Skulls, you'll wan to look out for squares like the one pictured below, which show stairs being covered up by spider webs. Bu interacting with the webs, you can remove them and venture into the abandoned mine below. Here, you'll find even more Ruby and Jade Vases, along with the Skull and various debris.
Danger in the Cavern
* Defeat 12 Spiders in the Cavern
* Clear 4 Spider Webs
* Clear 6 Spider Nests
Apparently, the mining company that abandoned this place did so because of the relentless spider infestation, but would really like to have it back. They're willing to pay you handsomely (with experience points, anyway) if you can clear out the spiders and allow them to return to work. Spider Nests are necessary for the Spider Silks in the quest above, so shouldn't pose a problem, while Spider Webs are a new kind of obstacle that see a web being hung between two branches blocking your path. You'll likely come across enough of them while simply completing other quests to not have to go out hunting for them either. As for Spiders themselves, you don't have to find them... they'll come to you. Note: In the screenshot below, webs did hang between the two sets of branches, but I had already cleared them out.
Once you complete all of these quests (which will likely take you quite a while to do), you will have successfully retrieved the Snake Idol and will be that much closer to finally unlocking the secrets of El Dorado. Only the Jaguar Idol remains, so make sure to keep checking back with us as we'll give you a complete guide to collecting it as well! Happy adventuring!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Cavern / Snake Idol quests? Have you already collected all four Idols and opened El Dorado? Sound off in the comments.
Thứ Hai, 3 tháng 10, 2011
Game of the Day: Sudoku X
sudoku x game of the daySudoku X is a challenging rendition of the classic puzzle game. It's everything you're used to in Sudoku, but with one mine-bending twist. The object of Sudoku is to completely fill the grid with numbers. You aren't allowed to repeat the same number in any row, column, or 3 by 3 box. In Sudoku X you also aren't allowed to repeat a number in either of the purple diagonals running from corner to corner.
If you manage to finish today's puzzle, try attempting some of the other ones by clicking through the archive at the top!
Click here to play Sudoku X!
sudoku x game of the day sudoku x game of the day
Were you able to complete today's puzzle?
If you manage to finish today's puzzle, try attempting some of the other ones by clicking through the archive at the top!
Click here to play Sudoku X!
sudoku x game of the day sudoku x game of the day
Were you able to complete today's puzzle?
Game of the Day: Impale
impale game of the dayNo one likes zombies.They're scary, they're smelly, they eat our brains, they congest our highways, and are generally a nuisance to have around. Has one of your socks ever gone mysteriously missing in the wash? Chances are a zombie took it.
Today's Game of the Day, Impale, understands your zombie-hatred. That's why the object of the game is to hurl zombies from a catapult, impaling them on spikes, hooks, saws, and much much more. On each map there are a number of hazards with red lights on them, impaling a zombie on that object will turn off the red light. If you turn off all the red lights, you'll progress to the next level!
Though it may sound easy, Impale quickly ramps up the difficulty in it's 50 regular and 20 bonus levels. It'll take accuracy, wit, and a little luck to successfully impale all the zombies.
Click here to play Impale!
impale game of the day impale game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To unlock the bonus levels you'll need to get a score of 1,000 on the first 50 levels. To do that, you're going to need to limit the amount of zombies you launch. The fewer zombies it takes you to complete a level, the higher your score.
* Remember to aim carefully. The further your cursor is from the catapult when you click, the farther and faster your zombie will travel. Also, though they are above death, zombies aren't above gravity. When you launch a zombie, it will travel in an arc. Aim slightly above what your trying to hit for best results.
* If you aren't looking to unlock the bonus levels or get a high score, and just want to have fun, may I suggest my preferred technique: the zombie catapult machine gun. Simply rapid-fire zombies at whatever you want for maximum effectiveness.
Click here to play Impale!
Were you able to complete all fifty levels?
Today's Game of the Day, Impale, understands your zombie-hatred. That's why the object of the game is to hurl zombies from a catapult, impaling them on spikes, hooks, saws, and much much more. On each map there are a number of hazards with red lights on them, impaling a zombie on that object will turn off the red light. If you turn off all the red lights, you'll progress to the next level!
Though it may sound easy, Impale quickly ramps up the difficulty in it's 50 regular and 20 bonus levels. It'll take accuracy, wit, and a little luck to successfully impale all the zombies.
Click here to play Impale!
impale game of the day impale game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To unlock the bonus levels you'll need to get a score of 1,000 on the first 50 levels. To do that, you're going to need to limit the amount of zombies you launch. The fewer zombies it takes you to complete a level, the higher your score.
* Remember to aim carefully. The further your cursor is from the catapult when you click, the farther and faster your zombie will travel. Also, though they are above death, zombies aren't above gravity. When you launch a zombie, it will travel in an arc. Aim slightly above what your trying to hit for best results.
* If you aren't looking to unlock the bonus levels or get a high score, and just want to have fun, may I suggest my preferred technique: the zombie catapult machine gun. Simply rapid-fire zombies at whatever you want for maximum effectiveness.
Click here to play Impale!
Were you able to complete all fifty levels?
Game of the Day: Bubble Town
bubble town game of the dayOne shot from the chute and you'll be hooked. Bubble Town is the arcade-style puzzle game that will test your wits, not just your reflexes. Match three Borbs of the same color to knock them off. Collect the various power ups to gain an edge with special bonus abilities. But don't take too long; if the Borbs reach the Danger Zone, it'll be game over!
Join the unforgettable cast of characters for an adventure of bubble-popping proportions, just watch out for that Danger Zone. Choose to play with your Borbs grouped up in a ball or straight up. Either way, the addictive gameplay will give you hours of fun.
Click here to play Bubble Town!
bubble town game of the day bubble town game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Bank shots! These are crucial to your Bubble Town success. If you're trying to line up a bank shot, wait for a moment. A little cursor will appear to assist your aim making it easy to hit those two wall bank shots.
* Look for big drops. If you see a bunch of Borbs being held up by a couple of the same color, hitting that shot should be your top priority.
Click here to play Bubble Town!
What do you think of Bubble Town?
Join the unforgettable cast of characters for an adventure of bubble-popping proportions, just watch out for that Danger Zone. Choose to play with your Borbs grouped up in a ball or straight up. Either way, the addictive gameplay will give you hours of fun.
Click here to play Bubble Town!
bubble town game of the day bubble town game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Bank shots! These are crucial to your Bubble Town success. If you're trying to line up a bank shot, wait for a moment. A little cursor will appear to assist your aim making it easy to hit those two wall bank shots.
* Look for big drops. If you see a bunch of Borbs being held up by a couple of the same color, hitting that shot should be your top priority.
Click here to play Bubble Town!
What do you think of Bubble Town?
Thứ Bảy, 1 tháng 10, 2011
Vostu goes for Goooaaal with GolMania on Facebook, Orkut [Video]
And boy, does it look intense. Vostu--you know, the Brazilian social game maker trading legal blows with Zynga--has released what is likely its most ambitious social game yet with GolMania. Available now on Facebook and Orkut in English, Portuguese and Spanish, this social soccer game touts real-time, directly-controlled soccer matches between friends in a cute art style.
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Gree's OpenFeint hires ex-Glu Mobile exec, more social games coming?
The mobile social game wars are heating up, as OpenFeint just took on former Glu Mobile executive Sarah Thompson (pictured) as its director of developer relations, SocialTimes reports. In other words, OpenFeint, owned by Japanese mobile social gaming powerhouse Gree, hired Thomson to strategically acquire build relationships with independent developers.
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Do you think this puts OpenFeint in a better place to compete with opponents like DeNA and Zynga in mobile games? Don't you wish you could have rockin' tattoos and a big time exec gig? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Do you think this puts OpenFeint in a better place to compete with opponents like DeNA and Zynga in mobile games? Don't you wish you could have rockin' tattoos and a big time exec gig? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
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