Latest entries in MOVE Games
The latest in gaming culture.
April 22, 2012
Lucia's Top Five: Sidekicks
To reiterate last week’s introduction: Sometimes when developers glue a sidekick to your ass, it’s a pain in said ass. Other times, you’re hunkered down with enemy fire tearing the thread of your clothes, barely grazing skin, and your partner saves the said ass they use to be a pain in. This two-part list consists of the top five sidekicks that you are both thankful to have and that you might wish were never developed. Enjoy—or cringe (see last week’s part one for the cringe section).
The best five sidekicks I’ve played with:
5. Epona in “Legend of Zelda” or Argo in “Shadow of the Colossus”
How would you like to be bestowed with an epic quest and then sent on your way—barely given a workable weapon and defense system? I think I would just screw the princess over and hop in the Goron hot springs. Luckily (or not) for Link and Wander, they have a faithful horse companion that always gallops up when called to chauffeur them across disgustingly vast sections of land.
4. Pikachu in “Pokémon Yellow”
Anyone who was engrossed in the lore of Pokémon and inevitably the heartfelt bond between Ash and Pikachu will be the only ones who understand how freaking awesome it was to have your very own Pikachu to be bonded with from the time you wake up late to go to Professor Oak to the time you reach the Elite Four. Seriously, dreams really do come true.
3. Slim in “Super Paper Mario”
Other than being like so totally hip on the bro language, Slim give Mario the uncanny ability to make himself paper thin. This thin quality is not only good for Mario’s self-image, but it allows him to squeeze through paper-thin gaps or turn invisible if not moving, thus avoiding enemies, lasers and moving dangers alike. Don’t feel like battling enemies (and trust me, “Paper Mario enemies can get old very quickly)? Maybe just don’t want to deal with lasers right now? Slim’s got your hook-up.
2. Eyebot Duraframe Subject E (ED-E) in “Fallout: New Vegas”
I first gazed upon ED-E when he was broken down in a dilapidated house, parts scattered and without an owner in sight. Due to my immense hording ability and love of the repair skill, I was able to fix ED-E from a very, very early stage in the game. From then on out, my eternally loyal floating robot would take down anything that came near me as I cowered down and tried to conserve as much ammo and Stimpaks for absolutely no reason at all. If it wasn’t for ED-E’s uncanny ability to take out enemies before I even see them, my reputation as a compulsive game hoarder would have been ruined. Take that Deathclaws—I’m just going to stay up on my perch of a ledge and let ED-E level me up from 2 to 7 in one kill (not really, but really).
1. Pikmin in “Pikmin 2”
Not only are these undyingly faithful yet (almost) completely expendable companions highly competent, but they are also completely adorable. I felt like a benevolent dictator as I made my little companions march diligently in lines, sacrifice their lives for a greater cause (mine, of course) and dig up long-since buried treasure. After battling time-constrained stage after stage, you can’t help but marvel at your onion-like followers and shed a tear (of manliness/womanliness). They really do live life like YOLO...
April 20, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 20
Need-to-know news
1. Apple never met with Valve: Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said the reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Valve were false. Newell said, "Nobody here was meeting with Tim Cook or with anybody at Apple that day. I wish we were. We have a long list of things we'd love to see Apple do to support games and gaming better, but no, we didn't meet with Tim Cook."
He further squashed the rumor by commenting on how Apple and Valve wouldn’t work well together: "I'd say Nintendo and Apple are a lot closer together than Valve and Apple are. They both have such a strong, clear design ethic, and if you want to go along for the ride, you can. But it'd be hard to see the Steam Workshop coming out in the context of something that Apple does."
As a note of comic relief, Newell did add, "We actually, we all sent mail to each other, going, 'Who's Tim Cook meeting with? Is he meeting with you? I'm not meeting with Tim Cook.’ So we're... it's one of those rumors that was stated so factually that we were actually confused.”
Source: GameSpot and Game Informer.
2. Xbox 360 facing harder times: It was mentioned yesterday that Sony is facing hard times in all but the console market. As far as the Entertainment and Devices Division (which includes the 360) goes, Microsoft lost $229 million this past quarter. There overall yearly sales are down by 16 percent year-over-year. Microsoft attributed this shortfall to “a soft gaming console market.” Source: GameSpot.
3. Nintendo to make product announcements tonight: Nintendo Direct, a broadcast that focuses on Nintendo/s plans for the next several months, will air this evening, according to IGN. The broadcast has only been announced for Japan, meaning some products will only pertain to that region. Past announcements have yielded “Mario Kart 7,” “Kid Icarus Uprising,” “Fire Emblem: Awakening,” 3DS system updates and information and more.
Fun site
In honor of 4/20, IGN came out with a list of the top 10 games to play on 4/20. This list is apparently supposed to mimic what it would be like if someone who was celebrating this day were to write an article, for the top 10 list contains numbers 1, 2 and 7 with each entry looking like the author gives less and less of a darn.
April 19, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 19
Need-to-know news
1. Next “God of War” announced: The fourth “God of War” will be titled “God of War: Ascension,” Sony officially announced today. Amazon jumped the gun and published the game’s product page a day early (as seems to be the common trend in most games). The teaser trailer also seems to indicate that this is a prequel to “God of War,” considering it talks about a time before Kratos was the Ghost of Sparta. You can view the trailer on Game Informer.
As found by IGN, the official PlayStation product page now lists description as “Join Kratos as he seeks freedom, redemption, and the clarity to avenge his family in the most ambitious 'God of War' adventure in the series so far” and lists the release date as 2013.
2. Uproar over Apple in the gaming industry: Leading industry execs, who preferred to remain anonymous, told IGN, "We know this is happening. Apple has been slow to understand the games business but it gets it now, and it understands consumers. It sees gaps, it comes up with elegant solutions. And the games publishers are ultimately going to be happy whenever Apple opens up new ideas, new markets and new consumers."
No official statement that Apple is entering the console industry has been made, but IGN notes that when “...Apple does arrive, everything changes, just as it did when Apple got into the music and the mobile phones and the mobile games business.”
Right now, Apple is working on some type of TV that will create an online, app-like environment that will also integrate traditional viewing.
3. Sony sinking in everything but games: In a New York Times article, a light is shed on Sony’s apparently numerous imperfections. Sony’s falling market value is due to the lack of a “hit product” for any emerging media, except with the PlayStation brand. The reasons for these downfalls can be read at further length in the article.
I typically think of Sony only as a games developer instead of a technological developer, but if they are suffering overall, think of what that means for the games side of it.
Fun video
I’m on a “Zelda” video binge now. Check out this Wind Waker Unplugged YouTube video by FreddeGredde. He takes on the task of replaying a ton of “Zelda” (although they are mostly from “Wind Waker”) songs with all their varying instruments by himself. It’s cool.
April 18, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 18
Need-to-know news
1. “Assassin’s Creed III” release may be halted: In the 2003 book “Link” by John Beiswenger, the plot introduces the a “device and process whereby ancestral memories can be accessed, recalled, relived, and re-experienced by the user” and also includes “spiritual and religious tones, assassinations, and characters experiencing historical events through their ancestors’ memories.”
Does this sound like any game you know? Well, it sounds like “Assassin’s Creed” to Beiswenger, who is now suing Ubisoft, claiming “Ubisoft have directly copied, and directly and contributorily infringed on the whole of Plaintiff’s copyrighted work,” according to Game Informer.
If Beiswenger wins, he will earn a large sum of cash and the release of “Assassin’s Creed III” will be halted. Ubisoft does not comment on ongoing litigation.
2. Government looking to get their foot in video games: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy employs Constance Steinkuehler, a senior analyst on video games. Steinkuehler’s job is to analyze how video games can be used for crowdsourcing with scientific and military problems. Here is what Steinkuehler had to say in an interview with NPR, “...new fields have emerged around looking at how games function as a means for turning screen time into activity time, thinking about: How can you use them to get up off the couch and get fit? How can you use them for improving problem-solving or scientific reasoning? And, in fact, believe it or not, as far as: How could you use them to think about crowdsourcing scientific discovery itself?”
This would relate back to The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, run by the U.S. Department of Defense, who wants to use crowdsourcing data to outperform supercomputers in assembling a protein puzzle and tracking a real-world submarine.
Source: Kotaku.
3. James Bond franchise being squished into one game: Activision today announced a new James Bond game to be produced by Eurocom and released this fall titled “007 Legends.” This game is a collection "of Bond's most iconic and intense undercover missions" from across the series' history, Activision said, according to GameSpot.
The single-player campaign will weave together the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, and five other Bond movies. Local multiplayer has been promised as well as competitive online modes.
Fun video
I’m sure you’ve seen those “Sh*t __ says” videos, but have you seen the newly released “Shit Navi Says - Legend of Zelda” on YouTube? It comes chalk full of all the “HEY,” “LISTEN,” and “WATCH OUT”s that you could ever ask for.
April 17, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 17
Need-to-know news
1. “Dishonored” teaser trailer released: Earlier this week, Bethesda teased a big announcement that all assumed to be “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim” DLC, but instead it was “Dishonored’s” first cinematic trailer, which can be viewed on IGN. The trailer features the protagonist escaping from prison (where he was under false allegations), to receiving a mysterious mark on his hand and escaping through the dystopian Steampunk world the brilliantly blends the mechanical and decrepit aspects of the town. Your character’s magical vengeance is only just introduced as the government confronts you and the trailer ends. Bethesda’s non-linear supernatural assassin game is in development at their subsidiary Arkane Studios.
2. E3 announcements: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that “Pikmin 3” will be showed off at E3 this June.
Nintendo released the following statement about “Pikmin”: "In a recent interview, Mr. Miyamoto confirmed that a new Pikmin game will be shown at the E3 Expo in June. He believes that anyone who has played Pikmin games in the past will enjoy playing."
On a separate note, “Super Mario Bros.” will be shown at the same time. Nintendo said this about “Mario”: "In a recent interview, Mr. Miyamoto confirmed that a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii U system will be shown at this year's E3 Expo. This is based on the Mario experience that was demonstrated at last year's E3 Expo. We'll have more to announce about our plans for the E3 Expo at a later date."
Sources: IGN and Game Informer.
3. “Halo 4” release date announced: 343 Industries announced today that Master Chief will return on November 6. Source: Game Informer
Fun article
Kotaku features a free app called “Pizza Hero” in which you take on the role of a Domino’s pizza maker and make pizzas as quickly and tidily as possible. This is a highly particular game that criticizes any imperfection, but if you pass the introductory challenges and the “Two Pizza Throwdown” mission, you’ll be asked to apply for a job at Domino’s. If you accept, the app will take you to the real life career page with the job application. Talk about a new way to find jobs.
April 16, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 16
Need-to-know news
1. Apple game console rumored for 2012: An Apple CEO visited Valve last week, and now the reason behind such a visit might be coming out. According to Cult of Mac, an Apple-exclusive news site, anonymous sources have revealed, “Apple is working on a television set with an iTunes-integrated touch screen remote and Siri-like voice command technology. The TV set will be coming before the end of 2012” and “Apple’s television set will come with an Apple-branded, Kinect-like video game console. The interface will rely heavily on motion and touch controls.”
2. Wii U “Mario” game to be shown at E3:” Today Nintendo confirmed it will show a new “Super Mario Bros.” title for the Wii U at this year’s E3. This is Nintendo’s official statement to Eurogamer: "In a recent interview, Mr. Miyamoto confirmed that a new “Super Mario Bros.” game for the Wii U system will be shown at this year's E3 Expo. We'll have more to announce about our plans for the E3 Expo at a later date."
3. “Crysis 3” details announced: Although Crytek and EA’s secret was released earlier this week, confirmed details are only emerging today. The game will release in 2013 and be set in 2047 New York, albeit a very jungle-y due to an encasement with a Nanodome. Inside this Liberty Dome, the Prophet will explore seven areas called the Seven Wonders using all new alien and nanosuit technology to hunt and survive against Cell Corporation during this revenge mission.
According to Game Informer, “The cover story is that the quarantine dome exists to protect citizens from the Ceph and other dangers, but the truth is that it's all a part of Cell's attempt at world domination.” This link also has screenshots and the cover of the game to drool over.
Last, from the words of a Crytek employee, Cevat Yerli had this to say about the game: "“Crysis 3” is a thrilling mix of sandbox gameplay, advanced combat and hi-tech human and alien weaponry that shooter fans will love. Leveraging the latest CryENGINE technology, we're able to deliver seven unique themes that offer stunning and visually loaded gameplay experiences. We cannot wait until people get their hands on the game," as reported by IGN.
Crytek also shows off their latest addition to the CryENGINE3, the engine that “Crysis 3” will run on, in this YouTube video. According to IGN, the update “brings new DirectX 11 support, including improved tessellation, new shaders and new lighting that allow for unprecedented levels of detail.” I don’t know much about the technology behind the system, but it looks freaking amazing.
Fun video
I can’t get enough of “The Legend of Zelda” parodies, especially well-done ones that resemble what the story of Link would look like as a Broadway play. Seriously, check this YouTube video out.
April 15, 2012
Lucia's Bottom Five: Worst sidekicks
Sometimes when developers glue a sidekick to your ass, it’s a pain in said ass. Other times, you’re hunkered down with enemy fire tearing the thread of your clothes, barely grazing skin, and your partner saves the said ass they use to be a pain in. This two-part list consists of the top five sidekicks that you are both thankful to have and that you might wish were never developed. Enjoy — or cringe (see next week’s part two for the enjoyment section).
Here are the worst five sidekicks I’ve played with:
5. Dog in “Duck Hunt”
This is a classic response, I know, but how many childhood egos were damaged by the image of this floppy-eared dog pointing fingers at your mistakes and laughing at your tears? Dog, I needed a companion, not someone to antagonize me.
4. Navi in “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”
HEY! LISTEN, I have to warn you to WATCH OUT about everything you might come across! And that was about the extent of Navi’s annoyance. Yes, Navi stopped you at the most obvious of tasks, and this would certainly become repetitive—especially to “Ocarina of Time” veterans—but no real detriment to the game ever came out of it. There is probably some lowly kid out there who actually appreciated the help when they couldn’t understand a very trivial task and didn’t want to troll Internet forums.
3. Ice Climbers in “Super Smash Bros.”
The idea of controlling two people at once was revolutionary with the dawn of “Super Smash Bros.” on GameCube. But of course, one of the Ice Climbers had to be the dominant character while the other followed. Part of the uniqueness was that you had double attacks or higher jumps because of your tandem character; the only problem was as that as soon as your sidekick died, you could do nothing more to defend yourself than if you ran/jumped around the map avoiding other players.
2. Donald Duck in “Kingdom Hearts”
I have some understanding for sidekicks that developers tack on your side for added conversation and companionship, but who aren’t actually supposed to help you in battle. I don’t have an expectation for them to help me in battle. However, in “Kingdom Hearts,” sidekicks are integral to the plot and gameplay, and there is not a worse companion than Donald. Whether I gave him a chance and tried to level him up or always stuck him in the last slot to be replaced by the likes of Tarzan or Tron, a disaster was found. He consistently used up all my potions on his health, died and then let me die. Nothing could warrant such a negligent sidekick.
1. Mole in “Animal Crossing”
Mole and I have a special bond that lasted throughout my childhood. Every time I tried to reset the real-time “Animal Crossing” so it wouldn’t save whatever mistaken action I had performed, Mole would greet me when I turned the game back on. He was rational at first, asking me (relatively) kindly not to reset the game, but in order to teach me the full consequences of my compulsive resetting, Mole pretended like he was going to erase my game. I say pretend because I believed it would take a very deranged game developer to do that to a faithful consumer. For several seconds after Mole’s threat, the screen would go black. My heart sunk. I panicked. Maybe I burst into tears. Then that dick of a Mole would come back on, simply telling me he was kidding. That was the last time I restart “Animal Crossing.”
April 13, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 13
Need-to-know news
1. Valve getting serious about game-hardware, again: Valve researcher Michael Abrash recently posted a blog about his personal passion and belief of the future of gaming—wearable computing. This is what Abrash had to say: “"By 'wearable computing' I mean mobile computing where both computer-generated graphics and the real world are seamlessly overlaid in your view; there is no separate display that you hold in your hands (think Terminator vision)." Abrash also notes that this technology could be seen in as early as three to five years, according to Game Informer.
Further, Valve is hiring Electronics Engineers to “invent whole new gaming experiences” and “work with the hardware team to conceive, design, evaluate and produce new types of input, output and platform hardware," reported IGN via Valve’s job posting. There is no confirmation that this relates to Abrash’s blog post, but it is an interesting concept to toy around with.
The last bit about the exciting news with Valve is their reported meeting with an Apple CEO. Apple Insider reported that CEO Tim Cook visited Valve’s HQ. If the report is true, it might be even more fuel to the excited flames that will cook up Valve’s next big project—maybe a Steam Box, maybe a special Apple and Valve hybrid, but also maybe that wearable computing idea.
2. The ideal future of gaming from a design director: At PAX East 2012, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski announced his top three hopes for the next generation of consoles in an interview with GameSpot.
The first thing Bleszinski wants is a huge leap in graphical fidelity, “Face-melting graphics. "I really want our next-generation consoles to pass what I call the 'Mom Test.' So that if you were to show this console and games to your mom, she would be like, 'Wow, that clearly looks better than your last console.' And it's an essential step that needs to be taken by both Sony and Microsoft."
Next, he hoped for a constant Internet connection, “Always-connected consoles that basically require an Internet connection. So that I can just wake up in the morning and say, 'Oh a new demo has been downloaded on my hard drive, so I can check it out.' As well as considering streaming gaming from the cloud, which would be very nice."
Last, the designer wished to see more motion controls via gestures outside of just gaming, but within it as well, citing the Kinect as his favorite feature.
To see what industry insiders find fascinating is to gaze into the future, because those ideas are likely where the industry will go. I just hope these are a positive step forward and not a huge flop...like the Wii.
3. “Sleeping Dogs” to release in August: Square Enix announced today that “Sleeping Dogs” will hit North American stores on August 14. Based on where you preorder the game from (Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop) determines your pre-order bonuses. Source: IGN.
Fun video
This Albert Einstein equivalent, aka Brent Smith, figured out how to hook up a bicycle to “Mario Kart” and use it as the controller. Pedaling is the same as holding down the gas button and the left and right d-pad buttons are built into the handlebars. Although the controls are sensitive and it is a lot harder than it looks, as Smith says on the YouTube video, it certainly beats “Wii Fit” in my book. Reported by Kotaku.
April 11, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 11
Need-to-know news
“Dragon Ball Z” is Kinect’s new project: “Dragon Ball Z for Kinect” will hit the shelves this October, Namco Bandi announced today. “DBZ for Kinect” will “allow players to perform more than 100 moves including the legendary Kamehameha,” and “will include first-person battles that require players to move in the same position as their character to recreate famous scenes,” according to IGN. Game Informer also notes that there will be 50 playable characters, including “an entirely new one.”
BBB confirms “Mass Effect 3” was falsely advertised: The director of marketplace services at the Better Business Bureau, Marjorie Stephens, explained why BioWare had a misleading advertising campaign for “Mass Effect 3.” Here is the segment from GameSpot:
Stephens made her claim by analyzing two of the game's much-distributed marketing taglines. The first line she examined was a promise that Mass Effect 3 players will be able to "experience the beginning, middle, and end of an emotional story unlike any other, where the decisions you make completely shape your experience and outcome." Of the line, Stephens says BioWare did not deliver players the ability to fully craft their own unique experience. "There is no indecision in that statement. It is an absolute," she said. The second marketing line Stephens referenced was, "Along the way, your choices drive powerful outcomes, including relationships with key characters, the fate of entire civilizations, and even radically different ending scenarios." Regarding this statement, Stephens says BioWare's messaging is very subjective. Reading this line, she claims, a player would have a difficult time reaching the conclusion that "the game's outcome is not 'wholly' determined by one's choices."
“Crysis 3” rumors emerge: EA’s origin.com posted (and then pulled) the product pages for “Crysis 3.” An EA representative told GameSpot, "The best kept secret in shooters just can't be contained. Stay tuned for more information on April 16."
According to GameSpot, the product page showed “a Nanosuit-wearing soldier wielding what appears to be an advanced bow-and-arrow set. The character stands in front of a city environment, hinting that the third entry will return to the urban setting of “Crysis 2,” instead of the original game's tropical locale.”
Review of review
“Fez”: This indie-developed game is a mix between “bewildering thematic patterns, creative solutions to intelligent puzzles, and unforgettable level design. Players are likely to gush about the beautiful aesthetic and childlike sense of wonder in equal measure,” according to IGN.
The game is a level-by-level adventure title the deals with the catastrophic event of a third dimension being added to a two dimensional world. IGN gave it a 9.5 out of 10.
Fun video
Someone on the PAX East floor dressed up as Altair from “Assassin’s Creed,” full with his own homemade hidden blade. A reporter at Kotaku shot this short clip of the hidden blade in action before retreating, saying “You never know at these conference things.” Check out the clip.
April 10, 2012
Lucia looks at the industry: April 10
This blog has evolved over the semester, and it's about to evolve again. The new format I’m looking to take is this: the top 3 news stories of the day plus any releases or reviews and, of course, the fun video.
Need-to-know news
1. Capcom reveals massive amounts of information at Captivate: During Capcom’s annual Captivate event in Rome, Italy, new trailers, details and screens for many of its projects were announced. Along with “Lost Planet 3” being announced, new screens and details were released for “Devil May Cry,” “Resident Evil 6,” “Dragon’s Dogma,” “Battalion: Heavy Armor,” “Resident Evil: Chronicles HD” and “Street Fighter X Tekken Vita.” You can find summarized versions of each announcement on Game Informer.
2. GameStop to give Online Pass DLC warnings: California always seems keen to “reform” the video game industry in some way, and now lawmakers have a new way of doing it. In a class action settlement, California stores have agreed to warn customers about Online Pass schemes for used games for at least two years.
The lawsuit was made after James Collins “bought a used copy of “Dragon Age: Origins” from a GameStop store in Hayward, California. Collins paid $55 for the game, $5 less than a brand new copy, only to realize he had to pay more to access online features which would have come as standard with a new game,” according to IGN.
Baron and Budd attorney Mark Pifko made an interesting comment about the decision and how it affects GameStop: "The in-store and online warnings are an important benefit under the settlement as well, because if GameStop discloses the truth to consumers, it is unlikely that they will be able to continue selling used copies of certain games for only $5 less than the price of a new copy. In fact, we already know that not long after the lawsuit was filed, GameStop lowered prices for used copies of many of the game titles identified in the lawsuit."
Additional source: GameSpot.
3. Nielsen ranks the most highly anticipated games: Nielsen’s yearly report on the most highly anticipated games for 2012 has hit the presses. The list is broken up for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii to account for system exclusives that shift around the ranking, but overall, titles making the top cut are “Halo 4,” “Assassin’s Creed III” and “Max Payne 3.” “Madden NFL 13” also ranks high on all 3 lists.
Fun video
In this week’s Dorkly video, Mario takes the axe at the end of the Bowser castle levels in “Super Mario Bros.” for SNES and goes on a rampage. Man, there is no end to the amount of times I wished I could do that when Toad told me the princess was in another castle...