May 16, 2011 in Editorial
It’s great that Sony offered PSN users the chance to download two free games out of a list of five PS3 title and two free games out of a list of four PSP titles. It shows that they’re eager to get the PSN data breach incident wiped out of our memories and get us back on the network. After some negative response to the paltry list of old titles, Sony pointed out that it’s hard to please everyone. Unfortunately, they could have chosen a much better solution to this problem.
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Tags: credit, Data Breach, Downtime, PSN, Welcome Back Package
May 5, 2011 in Editorial
There’s plenty of rumors floating around about the Wii 2′s specs and how it could potentially outperform the Xbox 360. But the most significant piece of information is that the new controller will have a large touchscreen, making it look more like a handheld device. While there are some amazing gaming possibilities enabled by this new design, there’s some good reasons why Nintendo may not ditch the Wii-mote.
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Tags: Project Cafe, Wii 2, Wii-Mote
April 30, 2011 in Editorial
For the past week or so, the engaged gaming community has been treated to a parade of fear mongering horror stories in reference to the PlayStation Network. Reports of hundreds of dollars missing from people’s accounts with evidence that amounts to anecdotal. Analyst predicting billions in losses for Sony. I say hog wash, and the only thing that is astounding is how easily people fall for these web traffic tactics.
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Tags: Even Stupider Journalist, PSN Breech, Stupid People
March 20, 2011 in Editorial
Nintendo will finally launch the 3DS, the successor to their massively popular handheld, in the following week. The list of launch titles has been known for some time now, and many gamers have expressed disappointment, and have even interpreted the selection as the 3DS’ death knell. These gamers should remember that the original DS, the one which helped restore Nintendo to an indisputable market power, limped out of the gate with an even more meager launch.
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Tags: 3DS, DS, Nintendo
March 6, 2011 in Editorial
Sega’s strategy for rejuvenating the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise seems to involve trying everything imaginable until they hit upon something successful. Over the past decade we’ve seen more characters, more spin-offs, and more genre shifts ranging from kart racing to role-playing. None of these attempts to move forward have been a complete success, so Sega has decided to go backwards with the downloadable Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Unfortunately, the reception has been similarly mixed, and suggests that venerable gaming franchises simply can’t go home again.
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Tags: dark void zero, demake, mega man 9, sonic 4
February 6, 2011 in Editorial
In most gaming circles, people speak highly of Sonic the Hedgehog in only a past-tense context. The Blue Blur’s games have received mixed to poor receptions over the past decade. The only modern Sonic games to receive universally positive aggregate scores are the classic-style side-scrollers released on handhelds– the 3D Sonic games have been reviled to varying extents. But Sonic Adventure, the original 3D Sonic game for Dreamcast, only recently became the target of gamers’ ire.
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Tags: PSN, Sega, Sonic, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Team, XBLA
January 30, 2011 in Editorial
Evil and crazy are too often used as synonyms. In real life, as well as popular culture, when a person does something horrible they’re often referred to as insane. Meanwhile, the majority of people with mental illnesses who aren’t a danger to others become stigmatized and isolated. It’s a distinction forgotten in video games too, from the not-so-rehabilitated villains in Batman: Arkham Asylum, to the profoundly unsafe drivers in the Twisted Metal games. Fortunately, we have deconstruction master and Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima to make the distinction for us.
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Tags: Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid, mgs, mgs3, mgs4, solid snake
January 28, 2011 in Editorial
It’s hard to ignore the sales battle between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which are neck-and-neck in retail performance despite the gap in hardware performance. While debating the merits of each platform is all in good fun, developers are sweating over the rising cost of game development, and are even scared about the next round of consoles. Yet a brand new handheld from Sony has the capability to help both PS3 and Xbox 360 developers.
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Tags: Danny Bilson, Development, Hideo Kojima, Konami, multiplatform, PS3, PSP2, THQ, Xbox 360
January 26, 2011 in Editorial
If you haven’t heard by now, Treyarch and Activision stand accused of delivering a shoddy version of Black Ops for PS3 owners. Adding fuel to this controversy is the “Xbox Live Party Chat” error in the latest patch. With this, I think we should call it: Treyarch is Call of Duty’s B-Team.
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Tags: Black ops, Call of Duty, Editorial, Infinity Ward, PS3, PSN, Treyarch, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Zipper Interactive
January 23, 2011 in Editorial
The 3DS is set to become Nintendo’s most successful handheld yet, with its ability to produce 3D visuals without the need for clunky glasses. What’s great about the system is that it has a switch to turn the 3D effect off. Unfortunately, Nintendo is allowing developers to ship 3DS games that don’t have 3D visuals whatsoever, a decision that will come to haunt the company after launch.
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Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Optional 3D, Visuals
January 23, 2011 in Editorial
In all likelihood, the tie-in game for the Green Lantern movie will not be good. Publishers tend to prefer cashing in on the movie’s success over putting out an inherently good product. However, there are exceptions where the licenses contribute to making a good game, such as with the N64 Goldeneye or Dark Knight spiritual successor Batman: Arkham Asylum. If this is the case with Warner Bros. Interactive’s upcoming “Green Lantern: Rise of The Manhunters “ game, then the mixture of the source material and the stellar game design will give us one of the greatest titles any console has seen.
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Tags: double helix, green lantern, PS3, warner bros. interactive, Xbox 360
January 16, 2011 in Editorial
Final Fantasy VII was a landmark title not only for its popularity, but in how it deconstructed the very notion of a Final Fantasy game. While previous titles had plenty of drama and conflict, FFVII had characters so dysfunctional and cynical that many found them unlikable. But ten years later, Square Enix released the FFVII prequel Crisis Core for PSP, which deconstructed the classic RPG by having a well-adjusted, idealistic protagonist– and demonstrated why that angst was necessary as a survival mechanism.
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Tags: cloud strife, crisis core, ff7, Final Fantasy, sephiroth, Square Enix, zack fair
January 9, 2011 in Editorial
Contrary to popular belief, fans of video game series do not make good game designers. They may have played the games extensively, but that does not necessarily mean they know how to create a unique and fun experience. If anything, that level of attachment blinds them to new possibilities, because their fandom comes from nostalgia for the old. This was a lesson Nintendo learned during the GameCube era, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was symbolic of that era’s end.
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Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, ocarina of time, Skyward Sword, twilight princess, Wii, wind waker, Zelda
January 1, 2011 in Editorial
The New Year is here and all the festivities have me thinking about the awkward relationship between Hollywood and video games. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “What does New Year’s have to do with video games movies,” and, quite honestly, the answer is absolutely nothing. That’s just how my mind rolls. That being said, let’s take a journey down memory lane and examine some classic gaming films.
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Tags: Batman, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Nolan, Dennis Hopper, Goro, Hitman, Hollywood, Ian McKellan, John Leguizamo, Johnny Cage, Lara Croft, Liu Kang, Lord of the Rings, Magneto, Mortal Kombat, Movie, Paul Thomas Anderson, Paul W.S. Anderson, Resident Evil, Shao Kahn, Super Mario Bros., Tomb Raider, Uwe Boll
December 31, 2010 in Editorial
Few video game series are as unremittingly tragic as Kingdom Hearts. While Square Enix may have started the series as a light-hearted adventure through Disney worlds, the games quickly became just as complex and tragic as the Final Fantasy games. Yet while Final Fantasy is aimed at older audiences, Kingdom Hearts is still marketed towards a wider demographic, and avoids using explicit violence and death. Ironically, the ways in which the series maintains its E10+ rating make it even more depressing.
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Tags: DS, Kingdom Hearts, organization xiii, PS2, PSP, roxas, Square Enix, ventus
December 26, 2010 in Editorial
When Nintendo announced that they would bring Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to the 3DS as digital downloads, reactions were largely split between excitement about the chance to download the original Pokemon games, and aggravation over Nintendo not sharing the Wii’s Virtual Console library with the 3DS (a system that appears more than capable of handling NES, SNES, and N64 titles). This doesn’t speak well of the Game Boy’s software line-up, and reminds us why Nintendo eventually ditched the Game Boy brand name.
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Tags: 3DS, game boy, Kirby, Metal Gear, Nintendo, shantae, Zelda
December 25, 2010 in Editorial
Batman: Arkham Asylum has won plenty of accolades since its debut. Rocksteady’s video game version of the Dark Knight received rave reviews, high sales, and the Guinness World Records title for “Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game”. Finding one reason for its success would be virtually impossible, given how many areas in which Arkham Asylum excels. But its single greatest feat may have been the way it restored Batman himself to the leading role of the Batman franchise.
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Tags: arkham asylum, arkham city, Batman, PS3, Rocksteady, Xbox 360
December 20, 2010 in Editorial
As evidence of the much-rumored PlayStation Portable 2 builds up, gamers have started furiously speculating about the new handheld’s capabilities. One of the most frequently cited hopes is that the second generation PSP will have two analog sticks. This is to be expected, given the common complaints about the original PSP’s single analog nub. Of course, complaint is an understatement.
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Tags: handheld games, Nintendo DS, Playstation Portable, PSP, Sony
December 19, 2010 in Editorial
When it released with Nintendo’s Gamecube in 2001, many gamers hoped Luigi’s Mansion would be as deep and groundbreaking as Super Mario 64, the Nintendo 64′s launch title. And as soon as players found out that Luigi’s title wasn’t in league with his big brother’s 3D debut, the game became derided to the point of being treated like a flop. Of course, flops don’t usually sell 2.5 million copies or receive a Metacritic average of 78, but expectations influence fan opinion much more than quality.
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Tags: Luigi, luigi's mansion, Mario, mario and luigi, nintendo gamecube
December 18, 2010 in Editorial
Blizzard Entertainment has developed some of the most iconic titles in video game history. From their most beloved franchises to their fan dedicated convention “Blizzcon”, it’s obvious that Blizzard cares about their fans. This, however, still leaves one question unanswered. Why the hell is their legal team going berserk on everyone?
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Tags: Blizzard, korea, Law, professional gaming, South, StarCraft, Starcraft II, World of Warcraft
December 18, 2010 in Editorial
Few characters have elicited so much controversy as Raiden, the bleach-blonde ninja who unexpectedly supplanted Solid Snake as the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2. The character was loathed by much of Metal Gear fandom thanks to the 2001 PS2 title, and retained his nigh-universally terrible reputation until his “upgrade” in Metal Gear Solid 4, making him an unstoppable (and unplayable) cyborg ninja. But next year’s Metal Gear Solid: Rising will finally tell the story of the new Raiden, and shift game genres from urban stealth to ninja blade action.
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Tags: Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, MGS: Rising, Raiden, solid snake
December 13, 2010 in Editorial
Pre-orders have been around in the gaming world for a long time. At first, it was a simple way to guarantee the purchase of a title on the day of its release. An individual could walk into their favorite retailer that offered pre-orders, slap down five bucks, and obtain piece of mind that they wouldn’t have to fight hordes of eager gamers to get their paws on the hottest new releases. Unfortunately, the pre-orders of past have become tainted in recent years with a new practice: “Exclusive Content.”
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Tags: DLC, Exclusive, Gamecube, GameStop, Ghost Rider, Heihachi, Helmet, Link, live, Master Chief, Pre-Order, PS2, Spartan, Spawn, Xbox, Xbox Live
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