What the Gamers are doing for PAX 2009

Some of you may be familiar with Penny Arcade, and online comic based on the adventures of Gabe and Tycho, two gamer dudes who pretty much do nothing more than glorified gamer things. This is my third year in a row, and I found that PAX had a lot to offer this year.

Here are some of the highlights.

Blizzard Entertainment has their Starcraft and World of Warcraft booths up.  No surprise there.  Their new version of Diablo is drawing quite a crowd, which is also not a surprise.

Nexon has three really cool games displayed that are all free to download:  Dragon Nest, D ungeon Fighter, and an FPS game called Combat Arms.

Speaking of completely free, I also got a chance to try out Faunasphere, a browser based game where characters make pets called Faunas and put them in a Faunasphere.  It’s a lot like other browser-based pet games out there, but not as cutsey-wutsey as Facebook’s Pet Society.

The Entertainment Consumer Association (ECA) has a booth that is all draped off with elegant translucent curtains and elaborate dƒÂ©cor.  It almost makes me want to join them, especially for $20.00 a month. It is good for almost $300 worth of savings on video games, as well as a chance to hang around and eat snack food.

CDV has their DS games which include I Love (with a heart) Geeks and My Little Baby.  It also has PC games Divinity II and Serious Sam HD.

Turbine games is proud to be displaying D&D Online.  I believe I covered much of this in a previous article.

2K Games has some sort of display that has this odd room that everyone is searching through.  BioShock II and a new game called Borderlands is the big draw, though.

PAX often has a lot of energy drinks that are free to try.  One of them is called Healing Potion from Mana.  It comes in a fancy bottle like the one from Shrek 2, but it takes awful, like cough syrup.  I feel less than healed.  Another is some new non-carbonated ones from the Jones soda company.  The Jones’ drinks are an improvement, but nothing that I would buy.  Omni Consumer has a product called Tru Blood, which is supposed to be a fruit drink that looks like blood.  I believe there is some vampire show in which characters drink this stuff, and this is actually what the actors drink.  Who would have thought that Tru Blood would taste so delicious?

Nintendo has all the bells and whistles in effect, with the highlight being the displays of the new version of Super Mario Brothers for the Wii.

Disney Interactive has Split Second, which looks like a run-of-the-mill racing game.  Not really what I would expect from the Mouse House.  Pretty soon they’ll have Marvel-related games, thanks to that acquisition thing.

Sony’s PS3 display prominently features God of War, Ratchet and Clank: Future, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and an Eyepet, which uses augmented reality to make a virtual pet come to life.

EA’s booth makes you wonder what they don’t have.  Some of the newest are The Saboteur, Army of Two, Dead Space Extraction, two Need for Speed games (Shift and Nitro), and a new Nerf game.   Not to mention the Dante’s Inferno game that allows you to enter hell.

NC Soft has not one, not two, but three booths based on their successful franchises like City of Heroes, Aion, and Guild Wars 2.  They also have some time to devote to Star Trek Online and Champions Online.

Bethesda is devoting much of their time sharing about Brink, a very Splinter Cell-ish looking game.  Other games include Wet and Rogue Warrior.

FunCom has their barbarian fantasy MMO Age of Conan display set up.  They also have another MMO game going on called The Secret World which takes place in modern times involving a global conspiracy.

As for iHarmonix, two words: Rock Band.  Beatles Rock Band was on display prominently, and it looks very good.  Fans could rock along with the Fab Four for one of the first times.  Also on deck was Lego Rock Band, which uses bricks for the little bars that scroll upward.

Capcom had some interesting offerings with Lost Planet 2 (or Lost Planet Squared, depending if you read the 2 as an exponent or an actual number 2), Spyborgs, and Dark Void.  The real draw was the new Resident Evil game.

Runic/Perfect World had an interesting downloadable game known as Torchlight which looked quite interesting.  It involves you going into a dungeon and kicking butt, sort of like Gauntlet back in the day.

Phantom EFX had one of the most creative games that I have seen in a while with Darkest of Days, a first-person shooter that involves time travel.

THQ had this odd promotion for their DarkRiders game that consisted of a horse known as Ruin that was a mechanical bull that attendees could ride.  Quite a draw for that, and you had to sign a waiver to ride it.

Stardock was up to their old tricks with Sins of a Solar Empire, and some new tricks with Elemental and Impulse.

CCP had their usual EVE Online fare displayed, not much new there.

WB games had Scribblenauts, which is easily one of the most original games that I have seen in a while.  In the game you play a character that has to gather up stars in this virtual world.  To succeed in your goal, you write you want.  For example, if you want a ladder, just write ladder and one will appear.  I am told it can do almost all nouns.

Flying Labs, makers of the Pirates of the Burning Sea MMO, were there in full pirate garb, using cannons to fire T-shirts into the crowd.  Nothing new there.

Alienware this odd set up for that made you feel like you were in a UFO.  They even had a bunch of booth people that were dressed like the Men in Black.

Ubisoft had their new Splinter Cell prominently on display, but I liked the Wii game known simply as Just Dance where you just dance.  All the player needs to do is dance like the guy on the screen.

Nvidia and Zalman showed off their 3D emulators.  There was a booth where attendees could see a preview of the new Avatar game (based off the upcoming James Cameron movie) that showed off its 3D as well.  Yeah, I think 3D is just getting bigger.

So, if you have never been to a video game conference, this is what you have missed.

New Sony Offensive

Sony launched a major offensive in the console war this week with a number of big announcements. During a presentation at the GamesCom 2009 event in Cologne, Germany they unveiled the new slim PlayStation 3 and talked about their plans for the platform. There have been suggestions that Sony are lagging behind Nintendo and Microsoft in the battle for gamers and this package of products and updates is clearly an attempt to redress the balance.

The Wii and the Xbox 360 have been outselling the much more expensive PlayStation 3 and Sony has resisted any price drop. Back in June they claimed to be happy with their price point, which even then represented a loss on every console sold. With pressure to stimulate the market amid falling sales they have finally made a move. The new version of their popular console heralds the long awaited price drop and the 120 GB machine will cost $299 in the US, ¢â€šÂ¬299 in Europe and £249 in the UK. By comparison the 120 GB Xbox 360 Elite remains priced at $399.

The new PlayStation 3 slim is 33% smaller and 36% lighter than the old PS3. The interior has undergone a complete redesign and the console will use less energy and operate more quietly than the old model. In fact power consumption has been cut to two-thirds the previous level and as a result the machine does not heat up so much so there is less need for noisy fan operation.

The console looks sleeker and more attractive than ever and the visual redesign has also seen the logo change to lower case and a matte, textured finish instead of a shiny one. It supports Wi-Fi out of the box, it has two USB ports and you can access the hard drive from the front and upgrade more easily than with the previous iteration. In fact you can now upgrade the hard drive without voiding the warranty. The old 80 GB and 160 GB models will now be phased out.

If you are looking for a downside then perhaps you could point to the lack of backwards compatibility for PlayStation 2 games, although it can run PlayStation 1 games. You also can’t store the PlayStation 3 slim vertically unless you buy a stand and they have ditched the option to install another operating system.

Sony didn’t rest there and the announcements continued with a big firmware update for the PlayStation 3 platform. PS3 Firmware 3.0 adds some useful menu updates which make navigation on the console a bit smoother with easier access to the store and a redesigned friends list. There are a few new cosmetic updates as well which allow animated themes and the option of new avatars for your profile. Most exciting for UK gamers is the support for BBC iPlayer. There is also a new video on demand movie rental service offering HD and SD movies due to launch in November.

These new developments look set to take advantage of the superior capabilities of the PS3 and technically speaking it is by far the best console of the current generation. The PS3 supports Blu-ray playback, it offers 1080p HDMI output, integrated wireless, free online support and a 120 GB upgradeable hard drive. The firmware update will combine with a big redesign of their online Home space where companies are now looking to establish an online presence.

The new offensive was not limited to the console space and Sony had news for the handheld market as well. The PSP Go was unveiled back in June. It is a smaller, slide open version of the PSP handheld. At GamesCom Sony announced that they will be launching a mini-game store for the machine and gamers will be able to download casual games which are under 100 MB in size. They also plan to launch a reader for the PSP which will allow people to read full length novels on it and the video on demand service due to launch in November will be extended to the PSP as well. To round things off it will be available in some funky colors.

There are obvious moves here to beat Microsoft on price and also to challenge Nintendo on accessibility and the casual gamer market. Sony is uniquely placed to capture hardcore and casual gamers and their PS3 console is truly an entertainment center. If consumers were to shop for a Blu-ray player with internet surfing capabilities and access to streaming video on demand they would be hard pressed to find a device cheaper than the PlayStation 3 and it offers gaming as well. Perhaps with this new design and all important price drop we’ll see the console really take off at last.

Highlights of E3 2009

E3, the biggest gaming convention in the world, has recently had its annual meeting at the Convention Center in L.A.. The gaming companies love to make their big announcements at this time, and here is a list of what they have been holding out on the gaming crowd.

Xbox 360 News

• The open-world action game Crackdown will have a sequel, appropriately named Crackdown 2. Like its predecessor, it is only available for the Xbox 360.
• Mass Effect 2 will be out in early 2010 for the PC and Xbox 360.
• Accept no substitutions, the one and only Jack Black will star in Brutal Legend. Jack is a roadie in this game, who must battle demons for some reason. It is available for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and will also star Lemmy Kilmeister and Ozzy Osbourne.
• Put out an APB on APB, a game available for the PC and Xbox 360 where the gamer plays a gang member.
• One of the bigger announcements was Project Natal, Microsoft’s answer to the Wiimote. This is a camera and microphone that mounts on the television that can sense motion, three-dimensional movement, and sound. This controller that requires nothing but the user was introduced by none other than Steven Spielberg.

Nintendo Wii News

• Red Steel 2 is due out for the Wii, and will make full use of the MotionPlus.
• For the first time, Super Mario Brothers will be available to play on the Wii. A sequel to Super Mario Galaxy is also coming.
• WiiFit Plus and Wii Sports Resort are two sequels that encourage Wii gamers to be more active.
• Dead Space Extraction is a prequel to the popular science-fiction M-rated game. This one appears to be available only for the Wii and is due out September 29^th.

Nintendo DS News

• Nintendo DS users will have a unique gaming experience with Women’s Murder Club: Game of Passion. This is based on James Patterson’s novels, and I believe this had a series, didn’t it?
• Other new DS titles include Kingdom Hearts, Mario and Luigi: Bower’s Inside Story (Fall 2009), and Golden Sun DS (2010).

Sony PS3 News

• God of War 3 is slated to hit the PS3 very soon.
• PS3 titles to be released will be Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Assassin’s Creed 2. Believe it or not, Final Fantasy XIV is under development, exclusively for the PS3.
• PS3 is also developing a motion-sensitive controller similar to the Project Natal from Microsoft.

Sony PSP News

• PSP Go has finally been made official. The Go is smaller, has a slide-up screen, and no UMD drive.
• PSP games to be released include racing game Gran Turismo and a few others. For example, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker should be available for PSP in 2010.

Multiple Platform News

• Tony Hawk made a personal appearance for Tony Hawk Ride, which Zmogo has already reported on in a previous article.
• In case you haven’t heard, Beatles Rock Band will be released on 09.09.09.
• Lost Planet 2 will soon be available for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
• While we are on the subject of those three platforms and sequels, Dead Rising 2 will also be available soon.

The Future of “Hero” Games

With Activision’s announcement of the upcoming release of DJ Hero, featuring Jay-Z and Eminem, it looks like we are finally reaching the conceptual limits of the real-instrument-as-a-toy rhythm game, which is an exciting prospect for people who take joy in witnessing events of almost pure absurdity.

Even for those of us who love games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, there’s always been something just a little bit ridiculous about playing a fake guitar along to real songs. While the common internet troll’s cry of “get a real instrument” has always been an aggressive, narrow-minded view that ignores the fact that rhythm games are fun, there is perhaps a nugget of truth in their vitriol: learning to play songs on a real instrument is also fun, and everyone will think you’re cool if you can bust out a John Mayer song or some junk at a party. No one will think you’re cool if you bring your special edition Slash Guitar Hero controller to your friend’s get-together and start to fake-wail.

So with Guitar Hero we have replicas of instruments that can be used to simulate playing music. Kind of weird, but reasonable enough. DJ Hero on the other hand takes that dull point of weirdness off in the distance and makes it into a full-blown, retina-melting supernova. No longer will rhythm game players be using a replica of an instrument, but rather will be using a replica of a device used to play already-recorded music in the first place.

Let me elaborate. Want to play a song on guitar? You learn how to play a guitar. The mechanics of this are difficult, and so making a game that allows even the musically illiterate to simulate playing guitar is significant.

Want to play a song on a turntable? You put a record on the turntable and it plays the music.

I can’t stress this enough. In order to play a song with a turntable, all you have to learn to do is turn on the turntable. By playing DJ Hero, we are simulating the act of playing music on a record player. This is truly absurd, and also fantastic. As such, I predict that it is only a short matter of time before we start to see the most ridiculous of all instruments become the subject of rhythm games. What bizarre new depths will Activision bring us to with future instrument peripherals? The answers may surprise and disgust you!

So join me as we look at The Future of “Hero” Games!

Piano Hero

Appeal: The piano is a widely popular instrument used in everything from classical to jazz to pop, and as such the Piano Hero game is sure to be a success. But unlike guitars, which require strumming, and drums, which require hitting things, pianos only require that the player push a bunch of buttons. As far as I can tell, this is exactly how a normal videogame controller is used, which doesn’t exactly make a piano game controller sound too appealing. So, Piano Hero is going to need something to differentiate it from both normal videogame controllers and other rhythm game controllers.

How will Activision do this? That is a great question, fine reader, and I’ve got an answer coming straight at your question-hole right now: more buttons.

The standard guitar controller only has a wimpy five buttons, making it at best a dull abstraction of an actual guitar, and most drum controllers don’t even have cymbals or a high hat. The Piano Hero controller on the other hand will include a button for every key on the piano. Actually, scratch that. Piano Hero will just include an actual piano with the game.

That’s right, Piano Hero will be the first game with the balls, guts, and other anatomical stuff to push the rhythm game to its logical conclusion by going ahead and forcing the player to just learn how to play piano in order to play the game.

Too difficult? How about too awesome!? What could be a more immersive gaming experience than playing a game about playing piano with an actual piano? Nothing, that’s what. Well, except actually playing piano, I guess. Anyways, the goal of Rock Band is to make you feel like you’re a guitar player for once in your pathetic life, which is fun, so Piano Hero will maximize that fun by just making every Piano Hero player an actual piano player!

Even better, the programmers won’t have to fuss around with scaling every song down to an abstract level, because there will only be one difficulty setting: actual song.

Audience: Kids whose parents forced them to take piano lessons. Church ladies.

Tracks: I know we said that classical music and jazz are popular, but let’s face it, nobody who listens to that stuff would lower themselves to being anywhere within a 100 foot radius of a videogame. So, it looks like it’s going to be all Elton John, all the time.

Theremin Hero

Appeal: The theremin is a bizarre instrument that is played by not touching anything. This truly unique form of playing is the sole reason for  this unusual instrument’s esoteric appeal, since it sounds about as beautiful as an air-raid siren.

Unfortunately, this is a game, so it has to have buttons to press. As such, players will press a series of buttons on a normal videogame controller to manipulate a set of virtual on-screen hands, which will then move around within an actual 3D representation of a theremin. This a truly incredible advance that gives all the fun of playing a theremin while still being able to touch something!

But we couldn’t just stop there, oh no. The truly groundbreaking feature of this game is that it will require you to hold the controller in a theremin while you press buttons to manipulate the virtual theremin, giving the game an unparalleled true-to-life feel!

Audience: People who read Boingboing and like stuff that is weird for the sake of being weird, even though it is actually kind of awful.

Tracks: The sign-off tone of your local cable TV station.

Oh wait, this just in: the theremin has already been used by some nerd to play Rock Band. Ignore everything I just said.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OybiXxxkQG8[/youtube]

Bongo Hero

Appeal: Bongo Hero will be the first Hero game to allow you to tap into the exciting and visceral world of being that one guy on stage that doesn’t have a microphoned instrument, because why did we let him in the band again?

In contrast with most instrument peripherals, the Bongo Hero controller will only include one button: a bongo. But this game will make revolutionary use of that one button. Rather than encourage players to go along with the song, Bongo Hero will reward players for a-rhythmically smacking the bongo controller while bobbing up and down and swaying around with their eyes closed, just like a real bongo player!

On second thought, this has no appeal at all.

Audience: Smelly hippies who always show up to the show incredibly stoned then bang on their authentic African bongos that they got in Capetown during their “humanitarian aid work-term,” where they were really just trying to pick up girls who wear hemp and have dreadlocks.

Tracks: Whatever music is being played where more than one person wearing a Che Guevera t-shirt can be found.

Katzenklavier Hero

Appeal: It’s a freaking organ made out of cats. The end.

Audience: Renaissance-era ADD patients, dog-lovers, the deaf.

Tracks: Jingle Cats.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPp0g0A_6x8[/youtube]

Hero-Game Hero

Appeal: Do you suck at rhythm games? Of course you do! Your hands have been permanently locked into wretched, clenched claws from carpal tunnel-inducing videogame playing and masturbation. As such you are never able to join in on the fun of a boisterous game of Rock Band, and are instead forced to sit back and make a feeble attempt at drinking a beer with your horribly disfigured appendages.

But have no fear, because Hero-Game Hero is here! (Oh.)  With Hero-Game Hero, players will get to experience all the exhilaration and thrill of playing a set, without the need for any of that physical proficiency stuff!

The gameplay mechanics are simple: just choose the difficulty you want to play the song at, then enter the skill level at which you want the song to be played. Want to experience the excitement of completing Through the Fire and the Flames on expert difficulty? Simply set your playing skill to little kid phenom and watch the points roll in! Want to suck really bad at Bark at the Moon? Just set the song’s difficulty to expert and your playing skill to toddler chewing on the controller and experience the agony and tears of defeat.

The game will even include a selection of playing strategies to highlight the tactical aspects of Hero-Game playing. Strategies will include: know the song before you played it in the game so you don’t screw up until you get to the bridge that no one cares about, try to get overdrive to go off by tilting the guitar as violently as possible multiple times only to have it not respond, making you scream at your TV when you fail, and hit the right notes at the right time instead of the wrong ones.

The ultimate goal is to become the best Hero-Game player ever, giving you the skills and talent to beat any individual rhythm game ever created!

Audience: People who like the idea of rhythm games but not rhythm, people with no hands, fans of meta-irony.

Tracks: Every song ever made! (Due to licensing fees, the game will cost 849 million dollars.)

The Controversy of Six Days in Fallujah

Imagine if they had video games back in the early 1940s. Now imagine if they released Medal of Honor or similar World War II video game back then. Ask yourself how weird it would be to playing a game where soldiers are killing Nazis when the real thing is actually happening overseas, probably at that moment.

Not that little kids weren’t playing a World War II version of cowboys and Indians while their fathers were fighting the war in Europe and Asia. I suppose there is an instinct of game-making of writing what you know, and draws from current events for subject matter of games.

I’m not saying that is right or wrong, but this is the controversy of a soon-to-be released video game from Konami and Atomic Games known as Six Days in Fallujah. I’m sure that you can already tell from its title what kind of game that this is.

Yes, this takes place during the Iraqi war, the one that isn’t finished as yet. Specifically, it is about the second battle in Fallujah, Operation Phantom Fury. It is also based on Operation Al-Fajr, which took place between November 7 and December 23, 2004. Yes, that is more than six days, and I suppose those six days that this game takes place in are somewhere during that time.

Just a day after its announced release, there has been some serious controversy surrounding it. For example, Reg Keys, father of deceased soldier Red Cap Thomas Keys, stated that glorifying the Fallujah crisis of 2004 in a video game is poor judgment and bad taste.

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first game to based on the situation in Fallujah. There is an online PC game called Kuma War which draws from real events taken on the war on terror.

Is it odd we would use events from the war on terror as subject matter for a video game. It’s kind of like these movies like The Kingdom and Stop-Loss which don’t do very well in the theaters. It is complete understandable why, because box office results have shown that the general public doesn’t really want to see films based on something that too contemporary and too tragic.

Didn’t anyone think Fallujah wouldn’t be a controversial topic? I understand about using contemporary controversial material to sell your product, but this might be a little too much.

Well, unless the controversy is so thick that it stops production, gamers should expect to see Six Days in Fallujah sometime on the shelves next year for the Xbox 360, PS3, as well as the PC.

So, should we keep these games out of people’s hands because they are based on contemporary history that has not resolved as yet? I’m not certain about that one.

I think that it is a bad idea to make video games based on current events, simply because video games take so long to make. Six Days in Fallujah has taken several years already. If you’re going to make a video game based on current events, make certain it will not be passƒÂ© by the time of its release. Can you imagine making a Y2K video game? Yeah, that wouldn’t be such a hit if it was released in September of 2000.

If you want to create a video game set in the midst of a present day-crisis, just use the economy as your subject matter.

Source

The Greatest Skate 2 Bails of All Time

Skate 2 is probably the best skateboarding game ever made. It has a huge world to ride around in, an incredible control scheme, and is so realistic that you can do all the half 360 flippy trick varial slam jams that real skateboarders do.

But let’s face it: the most fun in the game is the epic bails. Everyone loves seeing that virtual skateboarder slam into the ground at speeds that break the sound barrier, so we’ve collected some of the most entertaining crashes, bails, slams, accidents, and crazy glitches we could find!

And here they are, for your viewing pleasure:

I was THIS Close

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDybCqW_6eI[/youtube]

CLOTHESLINE!!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ6lhC3xzS4[/youtube]

I Don’t Even Want to See What Happened Earlier

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_R9JUzaTBw[/youtube]

Always Remember to Wear Your Helmet Kids

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO9YAl184-A[/youtube]

I Fought the Law, and the Car Won

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ara60tkMglM[/youtube]
“Why is this car going so slow? Speed up! You’re going too OH MY GOD NO”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3nXDCF2ZAQ[/youtube]

They Have to Stop Cleaning Those Windows so Well
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAAc6Gwcx-A[/youtube]

If You’re Going to Fall That Far, Might as Well Make the End Quick

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX6CRqk-n-Q[/youtube]

Face, Meet Rail
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s52o55YkIxk[/youtube]

Excuse Me, Your Face Is In the Way of My Foot

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXL0xg_9Hw[/youtube]

“Oh my God, look honey! An icecream stand! Let’s get around this body that just fell from the sky and bounced around like a superball and get some!”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOIut51P80Q[/youtube]

Ouch. OUCH.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne2UtPJYmFc[/youtube]

“Oh, today’s sesh was also bad. I ended up flailing around wildly and launching through the air again.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4emZDxf2mY[/youtube]

It’s Not the Fall That Hurts, It’s the Slamming Into a Railing With Your Spine at Terminal Velocity

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Ro_FFy4hw[/youtube]

Learning How to Properly Distribute the Impact is of Crucial Importance
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8he2BxR3ZfI[/youtube]

Face, Meet Metal Girder
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p96LlrxIdfw[/youtube]

I Swear to God it Was Like it Was Happening in Slow Motion
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiQlSI7Eqfk[/youtube]

Actually, It’s Not the Fall That Hurts, It’s the Slamming Into the Pavement So Hard that Your Spine Bends Backwards

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPGPohpK1FI[/youtube]

At Least That Fence Broke His Fall (And Body)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzcyQZMevhE[/youtube]

Somehow he Lived Through the First Impact, But He Made Sure the Second Counted

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMkDLbz0d1s[/youtube]

Wii Gets Mature in 2009

The Wii had so much promise when we first saw it in stores. The possibilities were exciting and a few amazing games gave us hope for a bright future. Sadly, what we have seen is an exorbitant amount of crappy party games and family-oriented software. The hardcore games were few and far between; the mature games were almost nonexistent.

I believe our cries have finally been heard, our calls have been answered. Not only are there a good number hardcore games being released this year that anybody can play (Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Arc Rise Fantasia), but there are some great mature games coming out as well. Below I have highlighted a number of these mature games, though I’m sure I’ve forgotten some. Feel free to mention any I missed in a comment below!

Mature Wii Games for 2009

Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop
Release Date: February 24, 2009

Nobody expected to see this graphics-heavy zombie slasher franchise make its way to the Wii, but it is a welcome surprise. The Wii game probably won’t be seeing hundreds of on-screen zombies at once like the 360 installment, but Capcom promises to deliver a spectacular and bloody adventure for the Wii via the Resident Evil 4 engine. The Wii-Mote IR control will give gamers the opportunity to blast zombie brains with pixel-perfect precision, letting you live out your zombie apocalypse fantasies with even greater realism.

Madworld
Release Date: March 10, 2009

You’ve probably heard about Madworld by now, it’s been one of the most talked about Wii games the past few months. This murderfest is the answer to your savage cravings of mayhem, brutality, and gore. The game is presented in a Sin City-esque black and white style, littered with spiked objects and sharp edges. Players take control of Jack, a relentless mandman anti-hero (Marv?), who must kill all other contestants in a game show called Death Watch. This game is a must buy if any of the following sounds appealing to you: tearing through body after body with a chainsaw, impaling people upon a wall of spikes, stabbing a street sign through someone’s head, or ripping a person limb from limb with your bare hands.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Release Date: TBA 2009

World at War was released last year and it received some pretty good reviews. Modern Warfare 2 looks to improve upon the gameplay mechanics and take a step forward in the graphics and audio departments. We all know how CoD games work by now, so I don’t feel it necessary to dive into what the game is (you’re in a war). Previous online and extra feature offerings have been lacking on the Wii versions of CoD games, but this year I am anticipating a solid and well-rounded effort that will be on par with the PS3 and 360 as far as extras and features are concerned.

The Conduit
Release Date: June 2009

This is going to be your favorite Wii game of the year (if you believe the hype). High Voltage Software and SEGA are bringing an exclusive first-person shooter that is promised by many to trump all other Wii FPS attempts thus far. With a system that is so perfectly made for FPS titles, the Wii has been seriously lacking. The futuristic world of The Conduit presents some of the best graphics yet to be seen on the Wii and tight control mechanics to go with it. The shooting controls are reportedly the best ever seen on the Wii and the game contains a rich online experience that is complemented by WiiSpeak. You’ll be blasting through the alien forces that are invading Washington D.C. in supreme quality and style.

The House of the Dead: Overkill
Release Date: February 10, 2009

Overkill will give you an experience like no other on the Wii. The mature story and over-the-top language is enough to leave grandma crying in the corner, but the thousands of mutilated zombies, creepy locales, and abominable bosses take you back to the time when killing zombies meant getting your face melted off in horror and disgust. There are a wealth of extra modes that extend the replayability of the game and a crapload of weapons that will truly make you feel like a badass as you mow down those ugly brain-suckers.

Red Steel 2
Release Date: TBA 2009

Okay, so the first Red Steel wasn’t all that great. Ubisoft has had a couple of years to figure out the Wii and have the capability to bring Wii owners a much more solid offering this time around. The game will utilize the Wii MotionPlus for 1:1 swordplay precision and a few other things. The presentation of the first game is still pretty good compared to even recent Wii titles and will be further refined for the new installment to the series. If you are unfamiliar with Red Steel, it is an FPS that shares guns and swords. You can pop-a-cap in your enemy’s ass or slice it off, your choice. I’ve got some high hopes for RS2.

Sin & Punishment 2
Release Date: TBA 2009

Sin & Punishment was developed on the N64 and was never released in the US. The hardcore crowd demanded the game for years, and Nintendo finally released it for everyone to experience on Wii’s Virtual Console. Developer Treasure and publisher Nintendo are now bringing us a sequel to the fast-paced shooter. The game may not have the most realistic graphics or be ultra bloody, but the storyline is very mature. If you haven’t played the original yet, you need to. You’re going to want this game.

Overlord: Dark Legend
Release Date: TBA 2009

Codemasters and Climax Studios are bringing an all new exclusive Overlord game to the Wii. This is your chance to be evil, Wii owners. You’ll get to control a limitless arsenal of little minions that will do your every bidding as you build up your reputation as an evil tyrant. You’ll be destroying lives and demolishing homes in your quest to become supreme ruler of all that you are cruel enough to handle. Spread fear and gain power with the Wii-Mote in your hand and little minions at your side.

Cursed Mountain
Release Date: Q2 2009

This survival horror game entrenches you in the mystery and serenity of the Himalayas. You take control of a mountain climber who is searching for his lost brother somewhere in the frigid, white mountains. Supernatural beings and events scourge the landscape and torment you throughout your quest. Things don’t look too good for your lost brother as this otherworldly infestation turns for the worst and blankets the mountain tops, villages, and lost ruins in a sea of death and decay.

Dead Space Extraction
Release Date: Q3 2009

Extraction is a prequel to the sci-fi survival horror game that hit big on the PC, PS3, and 360. Mutated monsters will be wreaking havoc and EA promises that this Wii entry will be every bit as bloody and gory as the last Dead Space game. The title was built from the ground up to take full advantage of the Wii hardware and controls. EA says that the innovative motion control they implemented will create a new action-packed horror experience that you’ve never been a part of before. The game features a co-op mode so you can blast away with a friend. Core gameplay mechanics remain the same; you’ll be focusing on strategic dismemberment and skillful shots as well as utilizing telekinesis and more. The Dead Space series should see a warm welcome on the Wii.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Release Date: TBA 2009/2010

The original No More Heroes is an extremely violent game that put you in a highly stylized world that was both unique and a little clunky. The game was packed with humor, style, and blood. No More Heroes 2 will offer no less and should fix some of the overworld issues that the original installment had. In the original game you took control of Travis Touchdown (a lethal assassin wielding a lightsaber) and killed other assassins for money and pride. NMH2 will take on a more serious revenge story this time around, yet will retain its sense of humor.

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Here’s to a bloody fun 2009!

It’s a Mad, Mad, Madworld

Some of you in the whitebox crowd (Nintendo Wii owners) might wonder why there are so little M-rated games in comparisons to those available for the blackbox crowd (PS3 owners). It appears the god of M-rated games has answered Wii owners’ prayers with Madworld.

If you haven’t heard of Madworld yet, then I am assuming that you’ve been off the vid-grid for the past year. The game is planned to be released on March 10^th, but the Comic-con convention in New York has fanned the anticipation some more.

Fitting that the game is on display at a comic book convention, as Madworld clearly has an influence from Sin City graphic novel. The setting for Madworld isn’t some film noir crime underworld, but a city under quarantine. So the plot is like that movie Doomsday, and the style is Frank Miller.

Miller is also the creator of 300, which is not short on spattering blood. As you can see, Madworld has no shortage of that either. In Madworld, you have to fight for your right to live, and you will use any means necessary, like taking a chainsaw to a fist-fight.

If you want to know more about Madworld, feel free to check out the Madworld web site. The game itself plans to be released to the market on March 11^th.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VEg_AMmh64[/youtube]

Source

8 Games That Should Be the Subject of University Classes

With the news that UC Berkely has gone completely insane and is offering course credit for having StarCraft LAN parties and eating Cheetos, it seems worthwhile to look at what other games would make good university classes.

So join me for 8 games that should be the subject of university classes!

CALL OF DUTY 4

Syllabus: Call of Duty 4 101 is a study of many interesting phenomenon in Call of Duty 4, such as: complaining about how much your team sucks, complaining about how cheap the other team is, voting to skip every map that isn’t Shipment, complaining about how much the maps that aren’t Shipment suck, complaining about every weapon you are killed by even if it’s a Skorpion, and watching your teammates die so you can figure out the position of the enemy and get the experience from the kills so you can reach another completely pointless prestige rank.

Essays must be typed, double spaced, and printed in 12 point Times New Roman font.

Teacher: A frat guy who only uses a golden AK (because it’s “pimp”) and leaves his headset mic on while he talks to people who are in the same room as him.

Evaluation: Students will be graded on their ability to get 19 kills in a row with a helicopter while hiding in some place that is only accessible through weird jumping exploits, all while completely ignoring the fact that the other team has every capture point.

Grade: B-

The student showed an enthusiasm for the subject matter, but had difficulty with basic class material such as stabbing people. Hand writing nearly illegible, most likely due to the amount of time spent playing Call of Duty instead of writing important essays.

MARIO KART

Syllabus: This course will focus on many of the important skills required in Mario Kart such as: using the power slide boost to gain more speed, using strategic placement of bananas to give opponents difficulty with certain corners, and learning the obstacles on each course so that heavier characters with a higher top speed can be used.

The student is also required to attend labs every Friday. During labs the student will learn the important lesson that all of the key skills they have acquired are completely useless, which will be imparted to them when they lose almost every game they play to people who have no idea what they’re doing, because so much random crap happens in Mario Kart that it’s impossible to actually be good at it.

Teacher: Your friend’s girlfriend who doesn’t even play videogames, but is way better than you at Mario Kart for some reason.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their ability to lead the entire race in 1st place until the last five seconds when you get nailed with fifteen blue shells and end up coming in 7th, barely in front of the functionally retarded, computer-controlled Koopa, and way behind your little brother who drove backwards for most of the race trying to get into head-on collisions with everyone.

Grade: Before the class even starts the professor gives everyone a C, because no matter how good anyone is they’re going to lose fifty percent of the time anyways. (This also ensures a consistent mean and median grade.)

WORLD OF WARCRAFT

Syllabus: Topics include, and are limited to: ganking, getting ganked by the friends of the guys you just ganked, logging on with your 80 to gank the guys that just ganked you for ganking them, camping the graveyard to gank them as soon as they come back to life, realizing they probably went to a different graveyard, and finally ganking anyone who walks by because you’re in a bad mood now and are already logged in with your 80.

Teacher: Some guy who is constantly screaming over Ventrillo about every single mistake the healer makes during the Onyxia raid, but who hasn’t noticed that his girlfriend just left with all the furniture.

Evaluation: Students will be graded on their ability to perform incredibly mundane, repetitive tasks for hours on end in order to get a different coloured horse.

Final exam requires students to play WoW for 63 hours straight and become the first person on the server to reach 90 when the next addiction-perpetuating expansion is released.

Marks will be deducted from the final for not showing your work, incorrect grammar, saying “Leeroy Jenkins” at any time ever, and dying of caffeine and sleep deprivation-induced heart failure.

(Dean’s note: Using real money to buy gold from a Chinese gold farmer is considered a violation of the university’s academic honesty policy, and will result in an automatic failure and potential expulsion.)

Grade: A+ in grinding for more hours a week than a full-time job would require, F- at sustaining a meaningful relationship with another human being.

METAL GEAR SOLID

Syllabus: The Metal Gear Solid course is a two semester, full year course. The student will be required to memorize every character’s name and role, map the relationship-connections between each character, and understand the entire plot of the game, including each incredibly minor side-story.

The only evaluation will be a final paper, minimum 573,642 pages, single spaced, 4 point font (zero kerning.)

Teacher: Some guy who refuses to buy any console besides a PlayStation 3 and gets into arguments at parties about the quality of the PS3′s game selection. (“Every game is great” is his position.)

Evaluation: Students will be graded on their ability to endure five million straight hours of melodramatic cut scenes. Those who cannot are encouraged to enrol in the Games That Don’t Require Popcorn and a Bathroom Break course.

Grade: !

(Oh, it’s just a box.)

HALO 3

Syllabus: Prerequisites: Students must have 3 full credits in FPS-related courses, must record a B average in FPS-related courses, and must have absolutely no ability to act like a decent human while on the Internet.

Teacher: A twelve year old kid whose entire vocabulary consists of the word “noob” and a variety of pejorative terms for homosexuals.

Evaluation: Students will be graded on their ability to remember where the good weapons spawn and camp those areas.

Students are encouraged but not required to: constantly screech in a high-pitched, pre-pubescent voice if a headset is available; say as much racist stuff as possible; give themselves incredibly stupid clan tags (ie: TITS, PWNS, 8==3, etc.)

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Student quit course to play Call of Duty 4 after three and a half seconds of watching a kid simulate sex on a corpse while making fart noises over the mic.

SMASH BROS. MELEE

Syllabus: Course material required: A single (1) Gamecube, four (4) Gamecube controllers, and three (3) friends who you are close enough to that your relationship with them is not ruined by the incredible hatred you feel towards them after they steal all of your kills with Marth’s fifteen foot long sword or Fox’s laser.

A graphing calculator may be useful for some of the tests.

Teacher: Your roommate who schools you with meteor smashes constantly, even when he’s using Yoshi.

Evaluation: Tests will be multiple choice and will measure the student’s knowledge of which characters are most overpowered. Bonus points for complaining about overpowered characters as much as possible.

Example: Which of these characters is most overpowered? (Using the number 2 pencil provided, choose only one)

• A) Ganondorf
• B) Captain Falcon
• C) GOD DAMMIT YOU BASTARD THAT WAS MY KILL MAN YOUR CHARACTER IS SO CHEAP ALL SHE DOES IS FIRE ROCKETS FROM ACROSS THE ENTIRE MAP AND GET FREE KILLS I HATE YOU GUYS AND WE WILL NEVER BE FRIENDS AGAIN
• D) C and A but not B
• E) D and not C unless C is the right answer

(The correct answer was F) All of the above.)

Grade: D

Everyone loses when a group of people get together to play Smash Bros.

KING’S QUEST 1

Syllabus: This class will focus on topics such as: being crushed by a rock 12 seconds into the game.

Required text: Rocks and Being Crushed by Them (4th edition)

Teacher: A rock (that crushes you.)

Evaluation: Students will be graded on whether or not they have been crushed by a rock.

Grade: The moving rock rolls downhill… and right into you. A crushing defeat. (A+++)

SECOND LIFE

Syllabus: The student’s grade will be entirely dependant on his or her ability to chat up avatars that are definitely more attractive than the people controlling them, because this is literally the entire point of Second Life.

Teacher: A 43 year old guy named Gary who celebrates every holiday exclusively at the Casa del Gary resort that he created, where him and all his friends that he’s never met in real life hang out and wear squirrel suits.

Evaluation: The student will be graded on their ability to make plug-ins that give avatars genitalia, allow avatars to have sex, and turn avatars into giant squirrel-people. Then through some inexplicable and utterly mysterious process, the student will make money off these creations.

If a student manages to make a plug-in that gives giant squirrels genitalia and lets them have sex with each other, then the student will not need to bother with a grade because he or she will be a millionaire, somehow.

Grade: ?

I have no idea what is even going on. How do I get the epic mount?

Dominate Your Opponents Without All Those Pesky “Skills” With the XCM Dominator

XCM announced that their XCM Dominator Joystick is set to be released some time next week.

The controller, which will be available for the PS3, includes a joystick and a host of buttons that will emulate the style of old-school arcade controllers.

And in true old-school fashion the XCM Dominator comes with a turbo-fire mode, which will no doubt soothe the carpal tunnel-afflicted wrists of anyone who uses E. Honda.

Also included are four programmable buttons that can each save a series of up to 20 steps of button presses, which are then ready to be unleashed with a single button press, meaning you don’t have to do any of that boring trying if you want to pull off any complex moves.

And to top it all off, the Dominator comes in a translucent case with built in LED lights, so that you can impress all your friends with some sincerely bomb ground effects. (No word on whether a spinning rims mod will be available in the future.)

The Dominator can be pre-ordered at any XCM official retailer, and it will only cost $89.99 to buy your way to arcade-fighter success.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARNJgUyj7rI[/youtube]

This article was featured on Buzz Newsroom.

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