Band Hero™ invites music and video game fans of all ages to log onto BandHero.com and immortalize themselves and/or their band within a mosaic tribute to the newest game in the Guitar Hero® family. Submitted photos will populate the mosaic and enter the individual’s or group’s names into a weekly contest where randomly selected winners will score a Band Hero band kit for the platform of their choice and a Nintendo DS Lite band kit. Head over to BandHero.com to learn more. Read more…
Capcom’s new action-packed beat-em up title Spyborgs continues such successes as Final Fight in the two-player co-op brawler genre.
Players will take control of one of three cyborg heroes – Bouncer (the heavy hitter), Stinger (the balanced fighter) and Clandestine or “Clan” (the quick, agile-fragile one). Together or solo they can traverse the four-chapter saga and pound on robots and other enemies.
Looks interesting… with “look” being the operative word in that sentence. Spyborgs‘ real surprise is the graphics, which are way above the bar set by previous Wii titles.
So if you’re looking for some good old bionic death-dealing cyb0rg chainsaw nuclear cross-dressing megadeath action, check out Spyborgs on the Wii, being released September 29th!
Cheers.
Spider-Man has an equal opportunity costume in Web of Shadows.
Ok, so for the past week or so I’ve been on a Spider-Man: Web of Shadows binge. Nothing but web-slinging through New York, symbiotes and ass-kickery. It has been awesome – definitely the best “comic-book superhero” game I’ve played in some time, if not ever (I wasn’t going to include comic-book just now, but then I remembered inFAMOUS and Prototype). So that got me thinking how many bad superhero games I’ve played. That got me thinking about how much worse those games could have been if they were about even crappier superheroes – I mean, even Spider-Man 3 had Spider-Man in it, right? So, with that in mind, I’d like to present:
5 Superheroes That Should Never Be in Video Games
*disclaimer – if a game has already been made that should contain one of these characters, then there’s no need to mention it – the damage has been done. Read more…
This past week on Penn and teller’s show, “Penn and Teller: Bullsh*t” they tackled the topic of video games, and namely video game violence. Now, I’ve dabbled in my own research dissecting violence in video games and their effect on the youth from a strictly ethical point of view (no psychology or any other brain rape involved) and it all came down to a small number of children not being able to tell the difference between real life and fantasy… Either that or negligent parents who provide their kids with M rated games at the age of 10 (more on this later).
In this episode, Penn and Teller (I still don’t understand why a show that revolves around debate and speech has half their talent being a mute) talk about the huge amounts of revenue flowing in from video games, the wave of violent crimes depicting video game copying and those deemed to stop them (Jack Thompson, Hillary Clinton, and some guy with a balding pony tail) but also take the reverse approach and provide a 9 year old gamer with a real assault rifle… how can it go wrong? The 28 minute video begins by making a strong comparison, video game violence to us is like three stooges violence to our parents, makes sense already doesn’t it? With every generation there comes a form of entertainment (or violence) the generation before doesn’t quite understand, while three stooges rarely ever dealt with guns or murder, I peg this as just the progression of the times, desensitization from the news, and newer technologies taking precedence. Read more…
This is the summer of the Fighting game!! YES it IS!!
So today I will be going over some of the new releases in the last four months or so, and give you reasons to pick up a controller and knock the other guy out.
And if none of the new releases tickle your fancy, then I have got a list of old greats that are sure to keep the fighting spirit ALIVE!!!! SO BROTHA LETS GET THIS STARTED!!!
In the last little while we have had some old franchises return, some new updates, and some classics sent our way. In fact, if I can honestly count the number of hours I have spent playing a fighting game this year; it would rival if not beat the combined total amount of time I have spent sleeping last year. THAT’S A FACT! Read more…
Happy summer everyone!
Today I wanted to give you that escape comic which I doodled while at work. It’s actually based off the fine people at threePanelSoul.com. I love there comics and well this made my summer last year http://www.threepanelsoul.com/view.php?date=2007-05-07
So it’s a tribute piece of what I’d rather be doing this summer than stuck in an office.
As always, to see the web comic in it’s full size glory, all you have to do is click on the image and enjoy!
Sheer moments ago, Ubisoft, along with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced plans to open up a new high tech studio in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This new Ubisoft studio, named Ubisoft Toronto came about from the Ontario Government’s invesement of $263 million (Canadian) over the next ten years into Ubisoft with Ubisoft investing over half a billion dollars themselves over the same ten year span.
With operations begining in late 2009, Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat will be heading up Ubisoft Toronto, creating over 800 direct jobs over the next decade. Ubisoft will work on Triple-A games and will emulate the proven business model and creative excellence for which Ubisoft is know. Read more…
Now, I’m just gonna start typing and see where it takes me. This is a free for all blog rant and I have no intentions of a specific topic this week.
I just stared at my computer screen for five minutes… this isn’t going to work.
I like video games, I like them alot. Not to a point where I would rather sit down on a weekend evening and play instead of being social… but a few titles out there have gotten me close to that point. I also play a lot of games, one of the perks to this job is that playing games and reading about gaming news is part of my job description! So this past week I went to my local EB games to trade in a few titles and pick up something new, I must have spent a good 45 minutes looking through the Xbox 360 used section, new section, PS3 used section, new section, Wii used section, new section, DS used, new, PSP used, new (as you can tell, I try to save some cash where I can) and after going through every one of these sections, I didn’t really see any titles I would be willing to spend the cash on! Read more…
This was one title I was excited for, for a while. Not because any of the press releases talking about its sandbox dealings and all the cool powers, but just because of the sheer bad-assery this game exudes. After popping Prototype in for my initial test drive, I got all giddy from the intro trailer alone! Dude jumps off a building, cuts people in half, survives an explosion, and more… in the first 30 seconds of the game!
So as those who have been following gaming news might guess, this game shares a few similarities to the recently released inFAMOUS, while I assume this to be poor timing, it is most unfortunate that everyone playing these two games will begin by comparing them directly. While some parts are uncanny copies, for example the introduction of inFAMOUS has Cole in the centre of a giant catastrophe, no one knows what happened or why and why this one guy is the sole survivor and has all these powers, but they think he’s a threat and is labelled the most dangerous terrorist in the United States. Ditto for Alex Mercer in Prototype. I think this is where the majority of similarities end. Read more…
Swords and Shields, or Cyborgs and Clones?
When you’re walking down the aisle in the store, shopping for a new game, do you pick up Oblivion or Fallout? Are you looking to fly a dragon or a hovercraft, swing an axe into someone’s face or kneecap them with a laser pistol? This week our big question is… fantasy vs sci-fi?
I myself am not really sure which I prefer. I was at Games Day Toronto 2009, which showcases the tabletop wargame Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 (and also the MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning), I find myself to be drawn to both equally. So to put my personal curiosity to rest, and hopefully provide some entertainment in the process, here’s my List of Why Sci-fi is Better than Fantasy (or vice versa). Enjoy! Read more…
Fight on land, sea or air in this downloadable title for only 15 bucks!
Coming this July 9th (just in time to miss the 4th of July), EA will be releasing Battlefield 1943 on Xbox Live and Playstation Network for $15 or 1200 MS points.
this war-based first person shooter puts players in the middle of a dogfight for domination with two new modes of play that can be palyed across four World War 2 inspired maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Coral Sea. Read more…
Alright.. had some online troubles but I’m back with another gem… yes..
So the story goes that we saw overlord come out a while ago.. perform rather poorly and all of a sudden about a thousand platforms were covered with its sequel… I mean it’s on every system.
Made me wonder how such a title had gotten the green light. So here is my logic behind it.
Go ahead and try to find another reason why such a title got a sequel.
As always, to see the web comic in it’s full size glory, all you have to do is click on the image and enjoy!
Spore Galactic Adventure
For the PC
The expansion pack for the stellar Spore series.
Giving the player the opportunity to make their creations into a space captain and go the route of galactic conquest.. or exploration. Creating missions and sharing them online is a big plus as well as now having the opportunity to download custom missions created by the writers at ROBOT CHICKEN!
The newest blockbuster movie of 2009 now has it’s companion game being released for a multitude of consoles. Gamers can now play as their favorite Autobot or Decepticon to champion or destroy the human race across a number of levels spanning the Cairo desert to Shanghai cityscapes.
The ability to instantly transform from vehicle to juggernaut of destruction remains from the original game, with the new addition of brutal online play. The next-gen consoles and PC versions of this game include a great selection of characters, with equipment and weapons unique to each. They also will have several modes to experience online multiplayer action. Read more…
What’s your favourite game? I know, it’s a tough question to answer for some of us, and a question I get asked almost every time I have an interview regarding any form of game related activities. In fact, it’s such a difficult question for me to answer that I often ask people I interview for andPOP positions just to watch them squirm as much as I do when I have to come up with a quick meaningful response. Do you base your answer on memory? What’s popular at the time? Do you want to sound sophisticated so you refer to some obscure art title? What if the game you say is your favourite turns out to be a personal worst for the person asking you? With such a simple question comes so much drama, and to a point, it gets a little ridiculous.
Personally I would probably have to say my all time favourite video game would have to be Punch Out for the original Nintendo… or Final Fantasy 7 for the Playstation… or Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation… or General Chaos for the Sega Genesis… or the latest Smash Bros title. At least I can narrow down my choices to my top five favourites of all time. Why did these become my favourites? Read more…
And now part 2 of my prototyp-o series… again, the game is SOOOOO FUN!! watch for our review!!!
This week, we not only have two comics, but our first colour comic as well!
Basically I’ve been obsessed with Prototype for a little while and decided to pay homage to another game that recently came out. Read more…
Only a Carpathian would be upset at Atari’s announcement today that Ghostbusters: The Video Game is on the shelves across North America. The long-anticipated return of the Ghostbusters is causing mass outbreaks of nerdgasms from Vancouver to Miami – which will be represented in this article by this indicator – [nerdgasm]. The release of the game is accompanying the 25th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters film, which is being released on Blu-Ray [nerdgasm]. Read more…
With the MLB All-Star game coming up, 2K Sports has released a free demo of their upcoming The BIGS 2. This demo, currently available on Xbox Live and soon to be available on the PlayStation Network will support two players (locally only), and allows players to try out the new Batter’s Wheelhouse and new power ups. The demo will alow players to play a three inning game as either the American League All-Stars or the National League All-Stars as well as be able to play the home Run Pinball mode in an all new Las Vegas venue.
Scheduled for release July 7, 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, and the Wii; The BIGS 2 has improved their visual effects as well as adding a variety of new game modes including season mode and Become a Legend mode. The BIGS 2 also brings with it improved player animations, easy to learn controls, and more.
This week We get to see two new Guitar Hero games hit store shelves. First off is Guitar Hero Smash Hits, which basically takes 48 tracks from Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero encore rocks the 80′s, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of rock but now opens them up for the entire band set up. So the once guitar only tracks have full fledged support of the mics, drums and well.. the usual guitar and bass. Guitar Hero Smash Hits is now available for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2.
The other title hitting stores now is a DS exclusive and is Guitar Hero on Tour: Modern Hits. Providing a new non linear career progression, new multi-player modes, and a new fan request mode. With 28 new tracks it’s another reason to be jamming on your DS.
Alright!! It’s Friday!! And you don’t care what you read at work as long as the day goes by real quick, am I right?
Well from now on every Friday I’ll be ranting about video games and I’ll try and tackle key issues surrounding our industry as well providing you with some heavily opinionated takes on different games.
So then, today I’ll be taking a closer look at what I think is the most value I have gotten out of a game since F-Zero GX…
BURNOUT PARADISE!
Its sort of funny now that we look at the current next gen racers, a number of years ago we had so few big budgeted racers to pick from. Aside from the Project Gotham Racing and GT series gamers who wanted a causal and very arcade foray into racing had nothing but the Need for Speed and Midnight Club series. And I won’t be counting all the wonderful kart racers or fantastic Futuristic racers here. Read more…
