Tuesday, October 28, 2008
News
Oh, Wait, The Financial Crisis WILL Hurt Gaming
11:20PM Luke Plunkett | So says Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian, and in the interest of providing a counter-point to the endless stream of “gaming is totally safe from the recession!” stories, let’s hear what he’s got to say. More »
DSi Camera Appeals To Little Kids And Old People (We Assume)
11:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Nintendo DSi 'Camera Feature' ad The DSi is going on sale this Saturday in Japan, and here’s an ad for it. The focus in this spot is on the DSi’s camera and all the things that you can do with it. Sure, some of the software seems neat, but it’s only a 0.3 megapixel camera. Why use that as a camera when typical Japanese cell phones have a 3 megapixel or better? More »
You Cannot Kill Kids in Fallout 3, Here’s Why
10:40PM Brian Ashcraft | As Fallout 3 lead developer Emil Pagliarulo (pictured) points out, the game is M-rated. That doesn’t mean that anything goes. In fact, Pagliarulo stated that during initial development meetings the team grappled with whether or not it should be alright for players to shoot kids’ heads off. In an Edge column, the designer explains: We’re grown-ups, we can make and play something like this. We think it’s funny, we think it’s fun and people have been agreeing with that. We don’t want to cross lines like killing kids (we actually never got as far as even putting kill-able kids in any builds of the game). For us, that was a line we certainly didn’t want to cross, and we think that was the right decision. It wouldn’t have been socially responsible, at least in the case of Fallout 3. More »
Adhoc Party for PSP Delayed
10:20PM Brian Ashcraft | Adhoc Party for PSP is an online service with a super descriptive title. No real surprises, it allows users to play PSP titles featuring ad hoc over the internet via the PS3. Originally slated for October 30 in Japan, users will be able to download the beta to their PS3s and play online in titles like Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G and Phantasy Star Portable. Adhoc Party features a lobby where players can chat with and meet other players. Sony has announced today that the service has been pushed back until early November. Sit tight. More »Prince Of Persia, Inspired By Jordan Mechner’s Kid Brother
10:00PM Luke Plunkett | Wish there was a word more awesome than awesome. Because this would be that. Above is the original animation reference footage for the original Price of Persia. From 1985. That’s PoP creator Jordan Mechner’s little brother, running around in baggy pants. Mechner took this footage, tracked his bro’s movements then based the Prince’s animation on them. The likeness manages to be both amazing, creepy and amazing all at the same time. More »
News
British Sales Charts
9:30PM Luke Plunkett | Three games atop the British sales charts, three games with the number “2″ after them. Or “II”. Same thing. Point is, seems last week, the British were on the lookout for the comfort and reassurance that only a sequel (or continuation of a series) can provide. Fable II, Saints Row II, Far Cry 2, Pro Evo 8, FIFA 16…you get the idea. Well done to Dead Space, then, as it somehow managed to enter the charts at #10 without a 2, II, 2009 or “For The Wii” after its name. More »
Shame Tanooki Mario Didn’t Have Golden Testicles
9:00PM Brian Ashcraft | They’re not monsters. And they sure don’t appear in monster movies. They’re yokai, fodder for Japanese folk tales, and they sometimes do appear in video games. Just in time for Halloween, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have a book called Yokai Attack! on the creatures, and just to show how pervasive yokai are in Japan, Alt has quickly drawn up a list of some in-game yokai. Here’s a sample: More »
News
Microsoft Say Educational Games Will Be The Death Of Us All
8:30PM Luke Plunkett | Speaking at the Games 3.0 event in London earlier in the week, Microsoft’s Neil Thompson went on a little rant against education in games. Said it’s just not for him, not for his company, and really, shouldn’t be for this industry. More »
The Horror: Dreamcast Becomes Electronic Banshee
7:30PM Luke Plunkett | Or, as others may call it, a synthesizer. Or even an Atari punk console. But this thing doesn’t emit the soothing, artificial sounds of Vangelis or Jan Hammer. It emits the electronic equivalent of the devil running his talons down a never-ending chalkboard. Still, you’ve got to admire the effort, yes? More »
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