I can’t write a full review of this game because I have no intention of finishing it. I am a huge fan of Dungeon Siege and its sequel, and of the hack ‘n slash genre in general, but I felt it to be my duty to warn you guys away from Dungeon Siege 3 right now, in case you were thinking about picking it up. I’ve played a little over two hours of the PC version of the game, which version (or port rather), it should be mentioned, was clearly an afterthought. I’m just going to list the things I jotted down during those first two hours. → Read More
Some Vita-pre-ordering mofos are getting word from Amazon that their shiny new handheld will not, in fact, be arriving “this holiday season” (which implies November and early December), but may rather be shipping on the last day of the year, and arriving in early January. I know, first world problems, right? But it does mean that Sony will miss out on a huge sales opportunity, and a lot of kids are going to be unwrapping 3DSes (potential eye damage notwithstanding) instead of Vitas. Nobody likes finding an I.O.U. under the tree. No confirmation from Sony yet, though, so let’s not all freak out. → Read More
On June 22nd, 1996, id Software released Quake, the true successor to the Doom franchise and among the first games (certainly the most well-known) to be presented entirely in 3D. That is, with polygons. Those of us old enough to do so will remember the first set of levels (that is to say, the demo) with perfect clarity, and recall the classic grunts, moans, and clangs that accompanied that fantastic atmosphere and ambitious level design. It’s still a hell of a lot of fun. You can download a version compatible with modern Windows and OS X here, and there are tons of mods and level packs at Planet Quake. Graaaa! → Read More
Don’t expect Episode 3 to come to your New Controller any time soon, but Valve’s Gabe Newell has made some noises about Nintendo being included in their “scalability model.” What he means is that there was no way they were downsizing a game to fit on the Wii, but the Wii U might have the chops to make it worth porting games to. For a long time Nintendo has been the whipping boy for AAA developers, who have either designed crippled versions of their franchises or skipped the Wii altogether. But as we saw at E3, many are changing their minds. Nice to be able to add Valve to the list. → Read More
You probably know what to expect out of this one. Since the critics have been almost uniform in their judgement of this storied and unfortunate title, and Yahtzee’s take was likely to be even one step further. Actually, he has some sympathy for the game, and while it’s not a good game, its failures are comprehensible in a way some modern games errors aren’t.
I’m glad it got released, and I can’t say I ever expected it to be good in the first place. It’s like if they made a Jazz Jackrabbit Forever, or anything from that period — it just doesn’t really work. → Read More
Konami, Sega, Hudson, Capcom: virtually every Japanese video game maker these days is producing social games, too. The newest company jumping on the bandwagon is Level-5 whose mega hit series Professor Layton will be turned into a (mobile) social game in Japan in the fall this year. “Professor Layton Royale” will become available on Mobage, a popular mobile social gaming platform (which boasts 25 million users in Japan) run by Tokyo-based DeNA. → Read More
Sony Computer Entertainment announced [JP] the CECH-3000B for the Japanese market, a new/modified version of the PS3. When compared with the previous model (the 2500B), the new PS3 is 400g lighter (it now weighs 2.6kg) and consumes 30W less power (200W now). Sony also said they will stop producing the 2500B series. → Read More
At this E3′s Nintendo press conference, we were treated to a nice little dose of Zelda music, and told there would be a sweet 25th anniversary soundtrack, as well as some traveling concerts and a free DSiWare game. All very good, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed at the lack of a collected edition like that issued for last year’s Mario 25th Anniversary. And according to Nintendo’s CEO Satoru Iwata, that’s not going to happen. → Read More
Do you remember the Toylet, the bizarre video game system from Sega that can be placed inside urinals and allows you to control on-screen action with your pee? The Toylet’s core elements are an LCD screen (placed above the urinal) and a speed sensor to track the “pressure level” of your stream. → Read More
If you’re deeply into Minecraft, as I know many of you are, you might find this grass block texture mousepad fulfilling (there’s a Creeper one as well). Etsy seller DesignNoy has a ton more of iconic game graphics, if blocks and building aren’t your thing. That is all. [via Technabob] → Read More
Despite industry sources and commentators suggesting that 2014, or 2013 at the earliest, would be the timing for a new generation of consoles, one insider claims Microsoft is planning on revealing it in the next 12 months, also known as “in the next year.” → Read More
Here’s a story to warm the cockles of your hearts, dear readers. Since 1981, Ken Yankelevitz has been designing modified controllers for gaming systems that allow people with no use of their arms or legs to play games. Using variations on the sip/puff mechanic, operating buttons with the nose or lips, and other tools of the trade, he’s made gear for everything from Ataris to Xbox 360s. Let’s just take a second to acknowledge how awesome that is. → Read More
At E3, while checking out both the Wii U and the Vita, I was struck by the creative possibilities these novel control methods provided. Developers can be immensely creative people, and with the right one, something like a rear touch surface can become a truly powerful gameplay device. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, creator of Rez and Lumines, is especially excited about these new technologies, and I for one am excited to see what he and his team will do with them. → Read More
Short version: An original, immersive, and fully-realized crime adventure that suffers from a few control and technical issues, and (perhaps purposefully) vague interrogation segments. The accomplishment and authenticity of the city and your work in it, however, is beyond a doubt worth the price of admission. → Read More
We ran into Kim Rom from SteelSeries at E3 and he gave us a little tour of their newest gear. I’m pretty pumped about the 7XB headset, which we’ll be reviewing soon — I travel with a headset a lot, and the flexibility and breakdownability make it an attractive option. Check out the video inside.
I also get a surprise from a lady in red right at the beginning there. Why didn’t I follow up on that? What’s wrong with me?! → Read More
At E3, we had the opportunity to talk with Martin Rae, who is the President of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, an industry group akin to the more well-known Academy that puts on the Oscars. The idea is the same, but the industry is younger, and although their conventions and yearly awards are less well-known, they are gaining popularity and are part of the growing movement towards integrating games with more mainstream media.
I was curious to see how Rae and the Academy think the industry is changing, since we’ve gone from a time of far more straightforward gaming (i.e. the well-crafted ride of Half-Life) to things like Foursquare and Farmville, which blend with real life. I also wanted to hear what he thought of the success of indie hits like Minecraft and Limbo. When games with teams numbering in the single digits can outsell $40 million titles, what does that say?
Check out the whole interview video inside. → Read More
Although region locking doesn’t affect the majority of gamers, among the hardcore it tends to be a sticking point. Some games have better or earlier releases in other countries, and the ability to import and play them is an important one for, say, JRPG fans or expats. Fortunately, the Vita will be region-free, meaning you won’t have to worry whether your device or game is Japanese, American, European, or whatever. You loads your discs, you plays your games. Maybe they had to cut out the region lockout feature in order to hit that $250 price? → Read More
I was lucky enough to be able to play a partial round of Battlefield 3 yesterday, but unfortunately DICE and EA were very insistent that no cameras would be allowed inside. That rule seems to have been laxified today, as there’s a pair of videos up showing off the very experience I got. Curious? Watch on. → Read More
OnLive ain’t new, but they’ve been updating their service and are showing off a few interesting new features here at E3. We spent some time at their booth, hearing about the service and the improvements they’re making. We saw a little footage of From Dust and heard about their cool tablet interface.
Head on inside for the video. → Read More
