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New Couple Alert: Taylor Swift and Chord Overstreet?

Christian Allaire — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:44:51 +0000

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On one hand, we have the cute, country-singing, innocent Taylor Swift. On the other, we have a pop-singing, TV star, gleek Chord Overstreet. Match made in heaven? I think so.

The two stars were spotted hanging out at an L.A Kings hockey game at the Staples Center last night, E! Online reports with pictures.

Overstreet, 22, seems a perfect match for Swift, 21. They are in the same age range, both teen sensations, blonde, musically talented, and good looking. This coupling is much better than when Swift was canoodling with Jake Gyllenhaal or John Mayer (barf). At least they are in the same age range and could create beautiful babies. I’m pretty sure babies with John Mayer would be born saying sarcastic, douchey things.

Perhaps the meeting wasn’t just romantic, though. Maybe the two were discussing a glee collaboration? Swift’s country anthems about boys and love and boys seems perfect for the tween-teen hit show. Or maybe Swift was warming up to Overstreet so she could get closer to Cory Monteith, whom she was spotted having dinner with earlier this month.

The reasons for their meeting is a mystery, but what I do know, is that I approve. Although I am not a fan of Swift’s music, nor a fan of the show Glee (it has gone downhill), these two together just feels right. Two blondies who sing? Doesn’t get any better than that.

Lindsay Lohan Left Out of ‘Mean Girls’ Nintendo Game Cover

andPOP Staff — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:12:20 +0000

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What an ego blow this must be. Although Lindsay Lohan was the star of “Mean Girls” she has been curiously left off the cover for the upcoming Nintendo DS game, reports popeater.com. Instead the cover just features Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried, who played the trio of super-popular girls known as “the plastics.”

According to a description of the game found onGameStop.com, ‘Mean Girls’ will “follow the misadventures of Cady from Jingle Bell Rock to the School Prom.”

Now all this begs the question, “Why was she left off the cover?” Do marketers see her image as so tarnished that she could potentially hinder sales of the game? Undoubtedly the recent stories in the tabloids about her out of control personal life have not helped the young Hollywood star. Additionally she has released only seven films to mass audiences since ‘Mean Girls,’ and nothing since the 2008 bomb ‘Chapter 27,’ which grossed a mere $56,215 according to Box Office Mojo.

So this recent event is only one more knock against Lindsay. At least she has nowhere else to go but up.

Dr. Dre Reveals Detox’s First Single ‘Under Pressure’ With Jay-Z

Jeremy Singer — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:38:35 +0000

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There’s one Hip/Hop album that’s been anticipated for so long, that it has gradually become somewhat of a Utopian rumor.

But after over a decade’s wait, Dr. Dre’s third studio album Detox has finally seen a small uncovering, as the mega Grammy Award winning rapper/producer revealed the title of the record’s first single on Sunday night, Under Pressure featuring Jay- Z.

According to MTV news, Dre confirmed the track at Boston’s Fenway Park, during the Red Sox’s opening night. While the legendary icon took part in some batting practice, he admitted that Under Pressure would be the perfect tune to listen to while getting into the zone at-bat.

“Absolutely, that would be it. ‘Under Pressure” — it’s so fitting,” said Dre, who was there with Interscope head Jimmy Iovine to promote Dr. Dre’s Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

The single, nor the 11-year-long constructed Aftermath/Interscope album still have no drop dates yet, but Dre said earlier this month that the record should be finished for sometime in 2011. “I’m working on it,” he said in a January interview with Slam,”but also I’ve been working on other people’s projects; you’ll probably hear something in a year or so.”

Some of those projects that he’s most recently worked on are Game’s The R.E.D. Album (2010), 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct and Eminem’s Relapse (2009), 50 Cent’s Curtis (2007), and Snoop Dog’s Tha Blue Carpet Treatment and Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come (2006).

Dre has stated that Detox will be his final studio album, making it no wonder that it’s turning into an ode to the industry’s most elite- as it’s rumored to feature (besides Jay-Z) Hip/Hop rappers Nas, 50 Cent, Eminem, Ludacris, Drake, T.I, Snoop Dog, Game and Lil’ Wayne…to name a few.

His last album 2001 was released in 1999, and received positive reviews, while gaining certification of sextuple platinum status in RIAA- after sales of six million copies in the United States.

EA Comics: Army of Two, Dragon Age Set to Pwn Pages, Panels, and Pixels

Brett Caron — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:34:02 +0000

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Yes, comics and video games are not strange bedfellows, but EA is taking the next step and releasing (through IDW Publishing) comics revolving around their popular Army of Two franchise, as well as the Bioware RPG inspired Dragon Age. These comics will be available for purchase as hard copy, as well as digital versions for the iPhone, iPod Touch and “other emerging digital platforms”.

Interesting, to be sure. But what is perhaps the coolest thing about this announcement is that Orson Scott Card, author of the eternally awesome Ender’s Game will be involved with the Dragon Age comic. Booyah!

Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Brett Caron — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:19:13 +0000

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Parent’s Just Don’t Understand… Yet?

Hey Ethel! I killed those Nazi zombies with my, uhh... I killed those Nazis!

Our parents are great, for the most part. When we are too small to defend or feed ourselves, they take care of us. As we grow and mature, they guide and nurture us so that we can become fully functional human beings, and not the equivalent of lower primates, sitting in trees flinging our own crap at each other (thank you Red Forman). But one area where most parents don’t quite have the ability to be the all-knowing influence they would like to be: video games.

When I was growing up playing tag and hide-and-seek, my parents totally understood. They would ask how the game went, where I was hiding, what kind of tag rules I played with – they were very involved, because they could relate my experience to their own. However, when I picked up my first Genesis game, they watched Sonic the Hedgehog like he was an alien from outer space (wait, was he?), shook their heads, and left the room. Thus ended my parent’s ability to fully understand me – from that day forward, there would always be that barrier between us – the invisible yet impassable wall made of 1-ups and gold coins.

But will it always be this way? Should I ever be unfortunate enough to have a pack of small versions of me running around underfoot, will I end up leaving them to their own devices when it comes to electronic entertainment? Or will I be able to enjoy a visit with them to our very own holodeck (wishful thinking, I know) once in a while?

Mastering DDR will never make your kids think you're cool. It may actually hurt that cause.

We know that most parents of the young (18 and under) gaming demographic right now, as well as the parents of my generation, the old guard of gaming (22-30 as of 2009) are lost when it comes to games. This is mostly because games they played when they were young were not video games. Board games and outdoor games were the pastimes of the day. If kids today suddenly picked up jacks or kick the can, their grandparents would be all over it. Any video games that these parents played were arcade games at best – a far cry from the Super Nintendo.

The difference there is that when my generation starts having kids (and some unlucky and/or stupid members already have), what kind of tech-savvy parents will we be? I’m sure that there will be the parents who just don’t get it, and that’s fine. But consider that our generation was the first real generation to have the bridge between adult’s childhood games and their children’s games blown to pieces by the advent of console gaming, leaving them to stare across the gap at their offspring playing games they could barely understand. Believe me when I tell you tag has been around forever. Your parents and their parents never reached an impasse because Grandpa couldn’t understand what was going on in hide-and-seek. So is it so revolutionary that we may be able to relate better to the next generation than our parents could with us? Or were Mom and Dad the exception to the rule?

I think it will be interesting to see whether or not the developing demographic of casual gamers rises to the challenge to understand and appreciate their kids’ new games. It might be depressing and embarrassing to be the guy who has to say to his kid “In my day, we had to play video games with controllers! On TV screens! That’s television, son! And we were thankful!” However, if you sit with the kid after your rant, and see what the new game is for the PS4000, you might just earn his respect. At least until you slip gradually into senility and start cursing at the child while making obscene gestures every time you lose (although a symptom of senility, this is also a symptom of FAIL).

Hey Timmy, are you playing the new Poke-a-man? Sure, Mom.

The last time I talked to my mom about video games was actually not that long ago. I asked her (with this article in mind) the last video game she had played besides the ill fated night she tried to play GoldenEye on the N64 with my brothers and I (good night, by the way – she spent 5 straight minutes trying to shoot out a camera with dual RCP90′s – and infinite ammo). She then told me that I should be proud to have a mother who could beat my father at Donkey Kong Jr. at the arcade when they were young lovers. I was blown away! Could this veneer of kindness, smiles and silly voices hide an inner core of gaming prowess that I simply never noticed before? Time for a follow-up question. Say Mom, you played Donkey Kong Jr., so you must remember Pac-Man, right?

“Oh yeah. He eats things, and…”

Yeah, I know. I laughed too.

If you have any hilarious stories about your parents/kids and video gaming, or the opposite event of a parent stomping you in Halo or Mario Kart, let me know below. This might even lead to a Top 5 List!

Cheers.

*disclaimer: I am fully aware that Sonic the hedgehog is an alien, since he is indigenous to the planet Mobius, and not Earth. Don’t challenge my nerddom!*

NHL ’10 Crashes the Party Sept. 14 Across Canada

Brett Caron — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:07:51 +0000

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Are you excited for EA Sports NHL 10? If you’re Canadian, probably. The #1 selling console game in Canada has it’s launch parties in Toronto and Vancouver Monday, September 14. The Toronto party will be at the Yonge and Dundas Future Shop with Wendel Clark and Ian White (of Maple Leafs fame) from 9pm to 11:45pm, and in Vancouver’s Granville and Robson Future Shop with Trevor Linden of the Canucks. The Future Shop locations will be open until 1am, so check it out if you’re not too busy… and on a Monday night, what’s your excuse?

Cheers!

Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Brett Caron — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:09:35 +0000

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I'd hate to see the result of this guy losing rock paper scissors.

You know, I have recently become enamored with the idea of the Top 5 List, as I’m sure you have gathered from the numerous past blogs in that fashion. I think that it’s interesting to see what trends and relationships different games share. However, it’s only a matter of time before these lists devolve into trite ideas like “The Top 5 Headshots in Video Games” or “The Top 5 Witty Remarks in Video Games”.

So I think I’ll take a break from my beloved yet frivolous Top 5′s, and talk a bit more directly on a more serious subject that affects people all over the world, gamers and non-gamers alike: Game Rage.

Urban Dictionary defines Game Rage as “when a person or persons playing a videogame (usually multiplayer) gets so fed up of losing that they suffer an episode of intense rage that usually lasts up to 5 minutes.” They go on to say that the rager may “simultaneously sob, scream unintelligibly at the top of their lungs, and throw random punches at anything solid, such as the floor or the person sitting next to them” and perhaps most importantly, that “despite the person’s efforts, their gameplay is inevitably not improved by this course of action.”

What Urban Dictionary doesn’t tell you is that Fallacious Anger and Ineptitude-based Limitation disorder or F.A.I.L. is a very real and dangerous affliction.

A classic example of FAIL.

Thousands, maybe even millions of gamers across the world suffer from FAIL. Many gamers suffer from FAIL for years and don’t realize it until they begin experiencing secondary symptoms, such as broken knuckles and lacerations from punching TV’s, loss of dignity, or incontinence. Although FAIL is not a communicable disease, it can result in annoyance in people experiencing prolonged exposure to someone with FAIL. This means that someone who spends a lot of time around people afflicted with FAIL should ensure they minimize the effects of annoyance – earplugs/phones to avoid auditory effects, and magazines to avoid eye contact with the unfortunate victim.

Symptoms of FAIL vary widely, depending on the variety and severity of FAIL the individual suffers from. Relatively common symptoms include shouting (typically statements of disbelief such as “Oh my God!” or “Come on guys!”), respiratory problems (often results in excessive panting, growling or sighing), and minor loss in motor control (dropping the controller, waving hands around, facial twitches). These can become more serious over time, leading to such outbursts as uncontrolled and unintelligible profanity and/or racial slurs, hyperventilation, and the spontaneous hurling of various peripherals such as controllers and headsets. These more serious symptoms are common to the more developed strain – Eclectic Pronounced Intellectually Challenged F.A.I.L. – colloquially known as E.P.I.C.F.A.I.L.

Angrybot suggests the cure to FAIL is to eat bleach and die. Angrybot cannot be trusted.

The true tragedy of FAIL is that while the victim may believe that their symptoms are actually assisting their performance in gameplay, the truth is that every symptom cumulatively hampers their ability to play, increasing their rate of FAIL. It is a vicious cycle, perpetuating itself until the person collapses under the weight of their FAIL like a dying star. These meltdowns often mimic a stroke or heart attack, and almost always result in death (of the gamer’s character).

Although FAIL has no known cure at the moment, it is treatable to an extent. With the proper support, a person can live a relatively normal life while coping with FAIL. Video games that feature glitches such as invisible walls and targeting or camera problems should be avoided, as they tend to aggravate symptoms and have the added effect of justifying a person’s FAIL to an extent. Similarly, multiplayer games should be avoided since they either aggravate FAIL or result in a misconception of gameplay enhancement in the case of letting the person with FAIL win (a truly hurtful idea, since it only perpetuates FAIL in the long term). When playing a video game with someone with FAIL, it is best to encourage them to relax, and advise that if the game is in fact flawed it can’t be helped at the moment. Suggesting other media is also encouraged, with the exception of movies or television shows with twist endings, since the realization that their theory on the outcome of the story was incorrect can aggravate FAIL.

This is either because of SCTV or FAIL.

FAIL is not always a life-long condition. Many youths suffering from FAIL sometimes suddenly stop experiencing symptoms, often on or around the age of majority. The reason for this is currently unknown, though it has been speculated that the condition may disappear as the patient grows up and stops acting like a child. Unfortunately for some, this never happens. At all.

If you or someone you know is currently suffering from FAIL, we here at andPOP are happy to assist you to get the help you need. In the interest of FAIL research, any and all donations are welcome. Please leave a comment below indicating your preferred method of payment, and a representative of the World Institute to promote Normality (W.I.N.) will contact you.

*disclaimer – The above article is a satire of meaningless PSA’s for disorders that are invented to explain moronic behaviour. If you feel that the above PSA is insensitive or mean, you may be experiencing FAIL.

Cheers!

Do A Good Deed – Get Yourself an Xbox for Christmas?

Brett Caron — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:07:21 +0000

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The ultimate remastered edition of the Beatles catalog is probably going to be the big-ticket Christmas item this holiday season. Alongside this cornucopia of creamy Liverpool goodness is The Beatles: Rock Band, most likely the other big ticket Christmas item – if the stores have any left after the initial sellout.

And to provide the third stabilizing leg to this triumverate of old-meets-new deliciousness is a brand-new The Beatles: Rock Band Xbox 360 model. Featuring psychedelic designs by the same animators who will blow your minds via the intro cinematic sequence to the new Rock Band cash-cow, this model also has another feature that I’m sure the boys from across the pond would be proud of – every unit sold has all proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders.

Finally, as if the above trinity of Beatlemania wasn’t enough, All You Need Is Love is now available as an Xbox Live download, once again with proceeds going to DWB.

To find out more information, head on over to http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/games/splash/b/beatlesrockband/ where you’ll have the chance to join the Fab Four Mystery Tour, an “interactive look at the Beatles and the many twists and turns of their legendary career.” Check it out, Jude, don’t let me down.

Cheers!

Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Brett Caron — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:17:49 +0000

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Helllloooooo!

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. This week we’re going to take a look at a group of malevolent, disgusting, and just downright horrible creatures who have terrorized mankind for years. What’s that? No, not lawyers. Not even politicians. This week we are ranking the Top 5 Straight-up Meanest Aliens in Video Games. Almost as long as sci-fi and space opera have been around, there has been the alien creatures to terrorize or befriend the valiant heroes and heroines. Well, forget about your friendly little green men, suckers, because we’re not talking about Starman or ET tonight, we’re talking War of the Worlds and Jabba the Hutt. Let’s do this.

‘Ere we go!

5. The Chimera – Resistance

Resistance 3?

Scary. As. Hell. Playing Resistance for the first time, everything seems to be as per usual for a WWII shooter, until you turn the corner and see the monstrous Chimera hybrids taking aim at you with their alien weaponry. At many different points through the game and it’s sequel Resistance 2, you encounter different and even scarier variants of these creatures, like the aquatic Chimera (just when you though it was safe to go back in the water… although let’s face it, it was never safe to begin with). Especially in Resistance 2, these creatures just get nastier and nastier through the course of the game. And the most disturbing part of it is that they used to be human. Captured by the Chimera and genetically altered into the hideous hybrids, the fact is you’re putting down former Earthlings. And as the series has progressed, the Chimera have evolved. From the hybrids in Resistance, who needed cooling devices to keep their superheated bodies from pulling an Xbox 360 overheat, to the later evolutions who just burst out of pods throughout the game and come tearing after you, the Chimera use their advanced weaponry and cannibalistic tactics to not only subjugate the human race, but to steamroll them into the fold. Nasty.

4. The Geth – Mass Effect

The best part about being Geth? Free satellite radio.

Ever wondered what would happen if the Borg had sex with the Zerg? The answer is the Geth. I think that Bioware didn’t want to come off as anti-Semitic by calling them the Zorgberg. They don’t just kill you – they impale you on large spikes that turn you into cyber-zombies that fight for them. Zombies! Implacable synthetic foes created as slaves for other, less terrifying aliens (the Quarians), the Geth don’t feel emotion. They don’t get scared when Commander Shepard blows away 4 of them in as many seconds, they keep coming. In that respect they are certainly unique – I’m reasonably sure everyone fears Commander Shepard, because he’s a dick. The biggest dick in the galaxy. With a Spectre badge, a galaxy’s worth of resources, irrefutable authority, and unlimited spite. Facing down that with nary a whimper definitely qualifies the Geth their spot on our list.

3. Necromorphs – Dead Space

No, man! It's not a hug! IT'S A TRAP!

When I played Dead Space, I’m reasonably sure I lost 10 pounds. 5 from sweating in terror every time a Necromorph sprang out of nowhere to attack me, and another 5 from crapping myself the first time it happened. These things are scary. Mutated humans with multiple extra limbs, an appetite for human flesh, and faces that make Emperor Palpatine look like Edward from Twilight, these nasties definitely don’t want to be friends. Like some of our other entries on this list, these nasties used to be human. But the influence of a man-made virus that reacts with dead tissue results in these brutally ugly, vicious, parasitic and altogether unpleasant zombie-alien hybrids. And you’re stuck on a barely-functioning spaceship with them. Not my idea of a great day.

2. Wrex – Mass Effect

The only reason he isn't kicking ass right now is out of spite.

Urdnot Wrex is a Krogan Battlemaster, which is kind of like a Ping-Pong Grand Master but with less ping-pong and more stomping face. He’s over 300 years old, and at least 3 centuries of that time has been spent ruining aliens and humans all over the galaxy. Wrex is a true mercenary, which means he doesn’t take orders from anyone for less than a week’s worth of beer money. As a matter of fact, the only being in the galaxy that he is intimidated enough by to do what he wants without pay is none other than Commander Shepard, a.k.a The Biggest Dick in the Galaxy (see the Geth entry for further details on Shepard and his badassery). And you can’t really fault him for that – Shepard is the Chuck Norris of Mass Effect, but without Chuck’s moral code or aversion to punching babies and women in the face. Another intimidating feature of Wrex that makes him stand out from the very first time you meet him (in a strip club, scaring the crap out of the bouncers) is his deep, baritone voice. He sounds like Solid Snake in slow motion – underwater. Finally, let’s face it – you have to respect a dude who shoots first, shoots second, kicks ass third, then maybe asks a question later.

1. Xenomorphs – Aliens vs. Predator

Xenomorph hives actually have great dental plans.

As they’ve constantly been referred to in their media, the “perfect organism” is exactly that – from a certain point of view. If your idea of the perfect organism involves a parasitic, death-dealing bio-mechanical super-insect from outer space, then sure, they’re perfect. But for the rest of us, the Xenomorphs (or simply Aliens) are possibly one of the most frightening and disturbing creatures ever to crawl from a human being’s torso (the other being Christopher Walken). Speaking of crawling out of your torso, the Alien won’t just kill you – they drag you into the darkness, cocoon you and shove an egg down your throat to spawn a brand-new beastie. One would argue it’s less painful and terrifying to just get killed than suffer through that experience. And if any of those eggs are sitting around, it doesn’t matter how many of the Aliens you kill – there will always be more. Designed by a Swiss surrealist with more psychological issues than a crazy-coated nutbar, the Alien is simultaneously brutal, sleek and sexual. So once again, kind of like Christopher Walken (who incidentally, almost made this list).

Honourable Mention: The Orks – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

What's more awesome than an Ork smoking a cigar? Doesn't matter, you're dead.

“Orkses is never beaten in battle. If we wins, we wins, if we die we die so it don’t count as beat, an’ if we runs for it we don’t die ‘neither, so we can always come back for anuvver go, see?”
That quote alone should guarantee the Orks a spot on this list. But let’s face it – the Orks earned their spot on this list through brute force, uncompromising devotion to war, and attitude. A lot of the entries on this list are faceless, inhuman creatures that can’t be easily related to much less understood. But the Orks speak English (kind of), use weapons similar to ours and even approximate some human mannerisms and cultural cliches! An Ork is not a slender, Elfy pansy nor a sleek, pseudo-sexy Xenomorph. He’s a 7 ft. green soccer hooligan with a chainsword and a pistol with a barrel as wide as your fist. Also, he’s interchangeably roaring like an animal and calling you a “little ‘umie git”. That is pretty much the definition of “feared” and “avoided” and “Chelsea Headhunter”. It’s also the reason the Imperial Guard have a 94% casualty rate.

If you guys think I missed anyone that should have belonged in the Top 5, or think that maybe one of these other nasties should have been #1, or not on the list at all, let me know below. Maybe we can do a Round 2!

Cheers!

Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Brett Caron — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:14:39 +0000

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Hey, doesn't that cloud look like... a person being impaled?

A Movie You Can Control: Cinema’s Effect on Video Games

Ever been watching a movie and wished you could tell the actors that what they’re doing is stupid? That you have a much better plan that would totally work, and if they would only do that instead, maybe the zombies wouldn’t eat them, or the comrade that was clearly going to inevitably betray them wouldn’t get the chance? Well I have. But with the advent of video games in recent years that seemingly make a conscious effort to mimic the pacing and immersive experience of a film, it’s almost like we have the ability to watch a movie that we’re also able to play through and control. For a classic narcissist such as myself, this is clearly the greatest thing to happen to video games since the B-button.

Obviously, cinema precedes video gaming. However, they are both rooted in the quintessential artistic question, “what if?” What if humans on a deep-space transport mission encounter a hostile alien life form that kills everyone but a woman who suspiciously resembles Sigourney Weaver? What if a plumber was somehow transported to a fantasy kingdom in order to save a princess who’s prone to being kidnapped? What if aliens had invaded Earth during World War II? Of course I have to stop sometime, but those are all killer ideas that would make great movies/games. Someone should probably write those down. You never know what could sell.

Whenever you rent a Star Destroyer, make sure you go for the full insurance coverage.

One thing that video games can offer that a movie can’t is an almost unlimited amount of time in which to tell the story. Audiences generally won’t sit through an 8, 12, or 32-hour movie, but put a controller in someone’s hands and let them interact with the story they’re experiencing, and you’d be surprised at how long their attention span will last. Of course, this is not to say that a game necessarily has non-stop action and interaction, but combining great action and cinematic sequences (cutscenes) often results in a very in-depth and engaging game.

When you watch a movie, there’s only as much story as the film can relate in it’s time limit. What’s that? I’m repeating myself? Not hardly, ladies and gentlemen. What I’m getting at is the director, the writer, and the actors are delivering information to a theatregoer, whereas in a video game, the gamer discovers additional information on their own. In Resistance and Resistance 2, we could pick up Intel documents, revealing even more of the rich story the actors and narrative help develop. So the gamer basically gets as much out of a game as he puts in, which puts video games at an advantage over the medium of cinema in how much of a story, or an interesting experience that they can deliver.

Something interesting that I’ve been noticing in games recently is that the shooting of cutscenes, or even gameplay, is developing and evolving similar to cinema. Think about Metal Gear Solid (here we go). To say nothing of the cutscenes, the gameplay itself was a revelation in how camera angles can set tension. Another great example of this is Resident Evil. Both of these games relied on not being able to see around the next corner until it’s too late, or tactically peeking around said corner. In addition to this, both of these franchises rely heavily on the element of surprise, much like a thriller or a suspense movie. Oftentimes it’s what you can’t see that defines tension in a game, or a movie. Try that theory with Sonic the Hedgehog. Even more recent games have featured the handycam style of filming, adding to the realism of the game experience. Going from the older style of side-scrolling to the 3rd person or 1st person views, and coming to the free-floating camera that can often be controlled by the player themselves, we have an experience that immerses the viewer/gamer in a way we haven’t seen before.

Ah, the peaceful serenity of Tai Chi.

Eventually, I really wouldn’t be surprised if video games overpowered the medium of cinema in popular culture. The sheer depth and breadth of a game can often be way more emotional and powerful than a film. On second thought, never mind that. People are just too lazy for that to ever happen. Send them to the cineplex, fill up their popcorn and extra large Big Gulp, and I’ll be trying to stop the Nazi zombiepocalypse.

Hey, Nazi Zombiepocalypse. That’d make a good movie.

Cheers.

Outer Panel Haven. 12

sarge-ak47 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:57:20 +0000

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This idea came a while back, haha just so you know.. the kid is holding a PSP with a PSP camera!

I’m going to stick to drawing using the tablet.. so bare with my shaky messy art.. it will eventually get better.

The idea for this comic came from a recent article I read talking about a game called Invizimals, check out a bit about it here: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/08/impressions-invizimals-psp/.
That above is the link to a REAL STORY
As always, click the image for the bigger picture!

Pokemon Releasing “Newtwo” Titles in 2010

Brett Caron — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:24:44 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Get it? Mewtwo, Newtwo… I’m sorry.

Anyway, The Pokemon Company Intl. and Nintendo have announced two brand-new games coming out in 2010 for the apparently still-kicking Pokemon franchise. HeartGold and SoulSilver, which are updated versions of the classic Gold and Silver versions.

These new updated versions for the DS will include great graphics and controls, including touch screen controls and bringing back plenty of oldschool Poke-characters to Poke-capture with Poke-balls, Poke-train and Poke-battle!

And Poke is once again an adjective.

Marvel VS Capcom 2 on PSN Now!

Brett Caron — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:22:42 +0000

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Marvel VS Capcom 2, successor to one of the greatest fighting games ever released, is now available on the PS3 over the PlayStation Network or any GameStop location.

It goes for $19.99, and if you get the retail box, not only do you get the download code for the game, but also a month’s subscription to the Marvel online digital comic library. But, there’s only 15,000 copies of the retail box, so don’t wait!

Pretty sweet deal… now where the hell do I find a GameStop?’

Grind Into Tony Hawk: RIDE in November

Brett Caron — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:18:48 +0000

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Get ready for Tony Hawk: RIDE, the newest and freshest skateboarding game we’ve seen in some time. It’s hitting the shelves in November, and will be debuting an innovative controller that is nothing less than a skateboard simulator. It looks like a snowboard, although I wouldn’t recommend taking that simile to any extreme.

So for all you skaters who will be packing away the legit boards in November, you may want to think about swapping them in for these. Except, for RIDE. Not for snowboarding. Ever.

November 17th, get ready.

Cheers.

Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Brett Caron — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:32:52 +0000

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This is what's known as a bad day.

Batman vs. Punisher: Arkham Asylum vs. No Mercy Impressions

I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up by giving the impression this is a review of Batman: Arkham Asylum. It’s not. But I’ve been doing some research into the game, and wanted to rant a bit about the character of Batman as compared to other heroes, specifically the Punisher. A friend of mine recently compared Batman to the Punisher as being very similar, and I couldn’t disagree more. Why? Let’s take a look.

Batman, as we know, began life as Bruce Wayne. The privileged child of Thomas and Martha Wayne, billionaire from birth. He never really got the chance to enjoy his good fortune, however. His parents were killed in a random mugging right in front of his eyes. I remember Batman at some point saying “I haven’t been a kid since I was 8 years old”. He never gets over the loss of parents, but not in a whiny-personal “I-miss-Uncle-Ben” kind of way. More of a fix-the-corruption-and-criminal-environment-that-allowed-this-to-happen way.

What has two thumbs and needs a Redbull? I'm too tired to point at myself but, this guy.

So Bruce disappears off the face of the earth when he’s old enough to actually do it, gains focus on his goal of crime-fighting, and trains his mind and body to do what must be done. Years later, he reappears in Gotham City as the Dark Knight. In Arkham Asylum, you will be able take advantage of Batman’s training as a detective and martial arts master with the abilities of a kind of Assassin’s Creed “Eagle-Vision” (but far more in-depth), great combos and other techniques to fight groups of enemies en masse or divide and conquer.

Frank Castle, on the other hand, had a family until they were killed during a picnic in Central Park after witnessing a gangland execution. After that traumatic event, he dedicated his life to destroying criminals and murderers. Not fighting crime, but destroying criminals. He put to use his experience as a war veteran – special operations, infiltration, obviously his mastery of firearms and close combat in his relentless personal crusade.

The Punisher’s skills set (guns, knives and fists) is well expressed in his video games. In fact, the latest title is a download from the PlayStation Network called Punisher: No Mercy. A nominally better title could have been Nothing New. A generic, first-person-shooter that brings nothing to the table except maybe a half hour or so of story play (that’s not a joke), and however many hours of online play you can stomach. Fire your weapon at thugs until the clip is empty. Reload and repeat. So like the Punisher himself, who is kind of a one-dimensional character, we have a game that reflects this. Although to be fair, I wasn’t expecting a racing game – you don’t get Speed Racer. You get the Punisher.

I think that’s a very important note that a lot of games are overlooked for. The subject content to begin with can more often than not determine how complex, how deep and interesting the rabbit hole can go, or how dry, banal and downright boring a game can be, regardless of how good the mechanics are, if the subject matter is paper-thin.

Batman just won a bet over whether he could kick the Punisher's ass.

As for why Batman and the Punisher are dissimilar, the point is very simple. The Punisher doesn’t fight crime. Yeah, I said it. Punisher kills criminals, takes their money and uses it to finance killing more criminals. Oh yeah, and that “funding” goes towards black market weapons. So not only does he do what many criminals already do (rob and kill other criminals) but he’s the black market’s best customer. How can he possibly ever finish his crusade if he perpetuates the system himself? Of course, that doesn’t matter to the Punisher. It’s not like he’s worried about crime. He just wants to kill bad guys.

If Batman and the Punisher existed in the same universe, Batman would track down and capture the Punisher without a second thought. Why? Batman fights crime. Not criminals, but crime – organized and systematic. He takes down mob bosses, putting them through the legal system so that the entire organization can go down with them. The Punisher uses a chainsaw to weed his garden, but all he does his create mulch for new weeds to grow. Batman pulls them out by the roots.

Finn, the exploding furnace clearly says "Caution!" Now you're just being careless.

Don’t worry, this all has a bearing on the games. When you slide a Batman game into your console, you’re not just expecting a punch ‘em up, one-dimensional game. Hell, even Batman for the Sega Genesis had more depth than Punisher: No Mercy. But would you ever expect to see a Punisher game as innovative and intense as Batman: Arkham Asylum? Maybe. But I doubt it. The subject matter of the game almost always determines the quality of the game, providing the execution doesn’t suck anyway. If you make a game about ducks, expect it to quack.

So that was my excuse to rant a bit on the Batman/Punisher comparison. If anyone thinks I’m completely out of my mind or if you think I missed something that you’d like to mention, then let me know below! Also, I’d like to know who likes Batman more than Punisher and vice versa.

Better than any Punisher game.

Also, some of you might think I’m bat-biased. Well, of course that’s true. Batman rules – who could argue to the contrary?

Cheers!

SPORE has OVER 9000! Adventures Online (specifically >100,000)

Brett Caron — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:24:09 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

OK, so I went for the OVER 9000 joke in the title. Deal with it, it’s still true.

SPORE’s Galactic Adventures allows players to create their own adventures to play or have other play online. Whether it’s battling bizarre and deadly monsters, participating in intense races or puzzle games; players can design the most horrific, brutal or mind-boggling missions for themselves, or for their fellow SPORE players.

The real news here, folks, is that after only about a month SPORE: GA has over 100,000 unique missions created by their fans. I believe that comes close to trumping the amount of genitalia-based creatures that flooded the internet after SPORE was released last year. Ah, maybe not. But hopefully SPORE users will devote more creative energy and time to that next planetary mission and not the Penis-With-Legs Mk. XXVIII.

Myself, I want to create that unbeatable mission. Something so dastardly and insane people will hate me just for thinking it up. Maybe I’ll just base it off of Out of this World for the SEGA Genesis.

I hate that game.

Cheers!

Check out our Spore: Galactic Adventure review on andPOP.com too!

SPORE: Galactic Adventures Evolves Fast

Brett Caron — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:22:27 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

SPORE: Galactic Adventures is an expansion that will kill a few hours at a time, whenever you feel like it. I think that’s an important distinction to make – the difference between your immersion in a truly epic game that you have to really pull yourself away from, and a game that is easy to break away from, but is still fun to play for hours at a time. Through it’s simple interface for play and very in-depth character(creature) creation process, it can be a pleasant diversion whether you’re more into the gaming itself, or (like me) you enjoy playing around with how bizarre a creature you can make, or how human you can evolve it.

The game begins at the level of a single-celled organism, and you evolve your creature (I named my creature Lepreclops, after my two favourite mythological beasts) from an amoeba-like blob to a sentient, spacefaring species. The funny thing is that even at the point of civilization I found that my creature still seemed animalistic to me, which bothered me a bit. The progression of the stages goes from simple and fleeting (like the amoeba-stages) to the more engaging and complex (like spacefaring eras).

The creature creation system features some new parts not featured in the original SPORE, so maybe a million more combination of parts. I’m not kidding, it’s that diverse. So if you’re like me, and just want a diversion for a few hours here and there, then you may want to take your time evolving your creature.

Spore in action.

One interesting feature of the Galactic Adventures expansion is that users can design their own missions. Which means that any given planet your species lands on, may or may not have a maze of certain death awaiting them – like an intergalactic IKEA. Of course, it could also be a happy funland rescue-the-kitten mission. It depends on how sadistic the player is. So,most likely a death-maze.

All in all, I found this game to be somewhat engaging but at the same time, I found it a little lackluster in almost every aspect but the creature creator. Lucky for SPORE, the creature creator alone is pretty much worth the buy. It’s although worth a few hours of your time, here and there.

Cheers.

Graphics: 4/5

Interface: 3/5

Gameplay: 3/5

Replay value: 5/5

‘Indiana Jones’ Gets A Wii Debut

Ilan Mester — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:52:46 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Soon, Nintendo Wii addicts will be able to step into Indy’s shoes in a quest of their own. “Indiana Jones And The Staff Of The Kings” follows the archeologist in an all new journey across the world and hits stores in late spring of 2009.

The adventure is set in 1939 where Indy must battle with his nemesis, Magnus Völler, over who can find the staff of moses. For that he’ll have travel all over the world including the jungles of Panama and San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Gamers can expect action sequences similar to Indy’s pursuit of the motorcade in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, or the mine-cart scene featured in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”.

Indy’s signature whip will be useful: the Wii remote functions as the iconic weapon. Gamers will experience intense chases and be able to control vehicles, including a biplane in a canyon trench.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – The Game to be Released Fall 2008

andPOP Staff — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:58:38 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Following the success of the 2005 blockbuster hit and the #1 kid’s game Madagascar comes the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa video game. Based on the upcoming children’s movie from DreamWorks Animation, the four famous zoo animals – Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo – star in the all-new game with the goal of saving the African savannah.

Playing as their favourite characters, gamers must work their way through 12 levels of game play featuring a variety of wild animals and mini-games. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa will also feature a multi-player tournament mode where gamers can compete against other players.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa will be available in November 2008 from Activision. The game will be supported by the PlayStation 2 and 3, the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PC.

Player X Releases Mobile Game for ‘The Love Guru’

andPOP Staff — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:05:32 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Player X, an award-winning mobile media company, launched an exclusive mobile game this past week based on the new Mike Myers film, “The Love Guru”.

Player X will release the game based on the movie to its distribution network of more than 140 carriers and a potential audience of over 2.3 billion people.

The game was released exclusively on the US’s Verizon Wireless network on June 10th and will then go across the rest of the US networks over the next two weeks. In Europe, it will be live on all networks corresponding with the film’s release date in each country.

The game, developed by Tag Games, consists of six mini-games where players attempt to reach a state of enlightenment by completing a variety of mental challenges.