April 29, 2010

The biggest story of the month *updated*


*Edit* Just to clarify because a lot of people don't fully understand the situation: Bungie is currently and will remain an independent studio owned by nobody. The Activion deal is for funding and distributing games only. In addition, it would seem that Bungie has specified some more details of the deal, stating that Activision will only publish one particular (non-Halo, because Halo is owned by Microsoft) game series that they are working on for multiple platforms. It's similar to the deal Epic has with Microsoft in wich the House of Windows (see what I did there?) publishes the Gears of War series, but other games such as the Unreal series can be published by whomever for whatever platform. Bungie could, if they wanted, make another game series and make it exclusively published by Sony for the PlayStation if it tickled their fancy (don't freak out- that was just hypothetical). In addition to all that, Bungie gains the right to develop Activision-owned game properties if they so choose. So if Activion ever wanted to do Call of Duty: Future Warfare, Bungie could hypothetically make it for them. Also, that logo is a joke. Bungie did, however, register this trademark in March. Nobody knows what the logo will be used for.  

Original Post: Or maybe it was when Activision fired the heads of Infinity Ward who then set up a new studio, Respawn, followed by about 30 other Infinity Ward employees leaving and joining them. I can't decide. In any case, they both involve Activision which, if you're not aware, is this decade's Electronic Arts. Did I mention that Respawn has a partnership with EA? Yeah, they're the good guys now.

April 28, 2010

Repetitive but Still Awesome

I thought that this trailer was a bit of a copy from the ODST trailer but it was still cool. And while the die hard Halo fans among us may find some discrepancies in the base story, it is still pretty sweet. HE'S TOO OLD!! ORPHAN!! Sorry just needed to get that out, here's the trailer.


April 26, 2010

Review: Kick-Ass

Oh man. Wow. This. Yes. So. Good. Can't. Speak. See. Now. Click. Read. More.

April 23, 2010

MicroReview: Chime

Holy McSnarf! The 700th post! Huzzah! Hard to believe, eh? Let me tell you, this will be the most relaxing 700th post ever. Why? Because Chime is the most relaxing game ever. Ever.

Microsoft be takin' mah monies!

You'd think in these tough economic times, Microsoft would be cutting us a break. Not so. They announced yesterday the Halo Reach Legendary Edition, with will run you $150. That's actually twenty more than the Halo 3 Legendary. But this time it looks totally worth it. Really! Images await below.

Metroid: Other M delayed

Wouldn't be a Nintendo game without a delay, now would it? It's been moved from June 27th to August 31st. Poop.

Shining

Warning: The following video contains dangerous amounts of win.

Review: The Passing DLC

So I just played through "The Passing." Yup, I actually completed it since my last post. How is it? Is it worth 560 Microsoft Points? Find out ahead.

April 22, 2010

Afterthought: Left 4 Dead 2 Review

Did I ever review this game? I don't think so. I mean, I finished it a while back but I think I just plain forgot. Anyway, here it is if you care to read my opinion.

April 21, 2010

Fallout New Vegas Info


Alright people, here is what I have been able to eek out of all the repetitive info and total bull@*(#) that has been posted online about Vegas. WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO PARTS OF THE GAME INTRO OR TO SOME OF THE NEW FEATURES. YEE ALL BE WARNED OF THE DANGER. If you are still with me, here is some of the stuff so far:

April 20, 2010

Here's that game you wanted for eleven years:



If it ends up playing like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (which I doubt) then I'll probably give it a shot. Still waiting on that Marvel vs. DC game that's never going to happen...

April 17, 2010

Why the Wii is starting to own


And it's not just because of this awesome Metroid Wii. The system has been getting a lot of quality releases lately. Yes, they are "hardcore." The following games have released or will release this year. If you've got a Wii, you should definitely think about picking these up.

April 16, 2010

Pokemon?

So Fuzunga's article got me thinking of pokemon and to make a long story short I stumbled across this and laughed out loud. Then cringed.


F.E.A.R 3

Let me start off by saying that I wasn't big on the F.E.A.R series untill about 5 months ago. It all started when I walked into a GameStop and was imidiatly blinded by a pierceing neon light (you know the kind). I don't remember much but their are flash images of money being transfired and at some point I walked out of the store with both F.E.A.R 1 and 2 used for 20 bucks total. So I went home,played those and I actuall liked #2 better, it was a better shooter and had a better plot that was figureoutable, unlike the conveluted crazyness that was #1. Anyway, beat those, considered getting the extension pack for F.E.A.R (never did) and then went out to get more games. This all took place over a 4.5 month period. The games I bought were those old games that when they came out you were like "ehh is that really worth 60 bucks?" but now that they were cheap I bought them and played them, and am now raping up beating the last one. (for those of you who care they were Chronicles of Ridick=6.9/10, Orange Box= WIN PURCHASE!!!!, EndWar=FAIL=2.9/10, and someone gave me Dark Sector=8/10=weak story but fun gameplay). Then I eventually got Just Cause for my B-day=SUCCESS in FUNLAND!!!, and in case that wasn't obvious enough this game is worth every cent. I am still working on that, and then I saw this trailer:

April 15, 2010

Fix It! Things I'd like to see from Pokemon Black and White that aren't likely to happen

Okay, so this post is not quit life-altering, but it is game-changing. Pun intended. Enjoy.

Judging from the recent images of the two games, I'd wager they very only slightly from every other Pokemon game. I could be wrong, but judging by the history of Pokemon games it'll probably be more of less the same damn thing with new, even lamer, monsters. So strap in and get ready for a long ass article with all sorts of stuff I'd like to see in the next Pokemon games. As a side note, I'd been wanting to do articles like this for a while. I was thinking of a feature where I discuss how to fix old, tired franchises. The new Pokemon games gave me a good excuse.

April 14, 2010

PSA: Live support for original Xbox games terminating tomorrow!

Starting tomorrow, games for the original Xbox will no longer work over Live. Likewise, any downloadable content for such titles will be removed. So if you want to teabag your friends in Halo 2 one last time or get those free maps you never got around to downloading, I suggest you do it soon. Like, before midnight soon.

April 13, 2010

Clash of the...ehhh I guess they're titans

Well to me, this movie was a bust. They had been showing adds for it for a year and a couple months and I was totaly psyched for it, I mean like about to go crazy with need. Wow, what a let down. The special effects were good , but that was about it.....and I guess the acting wasn't that bad. Basically they blew this movie up to look ultra emic in the trailers, but then the movie didn't live up to the hype. The ending was anti-climactic and the story was beyond simple. I guess I could be expecting to much from a movie that was a remake of this,



But come on they could have done better. And while I love Liam Neeson as an all powerfull, glittering super diety, there is a line. Anyway, that is how I feel. If you agree or disagree or if you are totally indifferent and are just reading this to distract you from some upcoming test than comment, let me know how you feel and maybe you will be able to change my mind.

Well, here you go

I spy me some tentacle monsters (and wimminz) which means the rest of the stuff is probably true as well.



But still, that trailer was awesome as always. Epic sure can make a trailer. Hype= back in the positive zone. It'll be out April 5, 2011.

April 12, 2010

The return of a legend



Conan. TBS. November. Monday-Thursday. 11 pm. For reals.

The scoop

That's the scoop. No, but seriously. The scoop: I'm working on this really awesome article of epic proportions, but unfortunately am too busy with school at the moment to finish it. But when it's done... oh boy. I hope your ready for something completely life-altering. It probably won't go up until Thursday or Friday at the soonest, but I just wanted to let the readers know that, if there's a lack of updates for a bit, I'm not abandoning the place. But then again, maybe someone else will be kind enough to fill in for me. So keep cool, and be excited.

LIFE-ALTERING!

Halo Encyclopedia

Well as some of you may know, I recently celebrated my day of birth, but that is not the point of this blog. The point of this post is to share the fact that one of the gifts that I got was the Halo Encyclopidia. I have barely even scratched the surface of reading it but it is, in a word, epic. I know all the stuff in it will eventually become outdated and they will come out with a new version when Reach comes out, but it is so cool. I rate it very highly and would suggest its purchase to anyone who is a fan of Halo.

April 11, 2010

Gears of War 3: The Scoop

So here's the scoop on Gears of War 3: Cliff Bleszinski was supposed to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday to announce something. He was moved to Monday because there was a scheduling conflict with Justin Bieber. Unfortunately, someone at Microsoft didn't get the memo. The picture above appeared on the Xbox dashboard Friday morning, only to be promptly taken down. So now we know what the announcement was, though it wasn't that hard to figure out anyway. The story gets better. Cliff tweeted the following statement after the Gears 3 screwup: "NEWSFLASH: Two announcements about two upcoming games on Monday. BOOM!" As those of you Epic fans knew, they have another game in the pipeline developed by People Can Fly. That game is Bulletstorm, and it also happens to be the other game Cliffy B is announcing Monday. One of the guys from People Can Fly responded via his own Twitter, "Crap. No more Monday surprise. This thing's leaking all over the place." So that pretty much clears that up. But what, exactly, will Gears 3 be like? Luckily, we've got a big 'ol pile of rumors for you!

April 10, 2010

First images of Pokemon Black and White

The first images of Pokemon Black and White have surfaced via Japanese magazine scans. And it looks... mostly the same. That's pretty much what I was expecting. It looks like they've taken the 2.5D thing more into the third dimension, though. I do find it odd that this game is coming out this fall on the DS rather than next spring on the 3DS. Anyway, while you wait for your next dose of Pokemon, enjoy these vague, semi-blurry shots.

April 9, 2010

Music Preview: Night Train by Keane

So Keane is coming out with a new EP on May 10th. It was recorded while on tour promoting their last album, Perfect Symmetry. From what I've heard so far, this is pretty much the opposite of that. It's not quite like Hopes and Fears or Under the Iron Sea, but it's closer to them than Perfect Symmetry. Hell, as long as the synth is gone, it's better by default. In fact, the four released songs (with is actually about half the album) are already better than the majority of the tracks on their previous effort. Two of the songs collaborate with K'Naan, a Somali-Canadian rapper. It seems like it's a set up for utter failure, yet it sounds natural. Another track incorporates the sounds of Tigarah, a Japanese Ballie Funk emcee. Strange? Yes. But that doesn't mean it won't come out sounding well. I've never heard of half the people on Plastic Beach, yet it all worked out just fine. Listen to the four released tracks after the break.

Pokemon Black and White


Coming soon...to Japan

April 7, 2010

Worth Watching: Wolverine and the X-Men

Why is it worth watching? Well, for one it's better than X-Men Evolution. Why is it better? Because the characters aren't whiny teenagers. This is how X-Men cartoons should be.

Just Cause 2 Impressions, or How to Make a Sandbox Game

Just Cause 2 is big. I mean BIG. And yet, it's far from boring. Even when there's nothing to explode, the detail and scenery in the game is absolutely stunning. Let Just Cause 2 be an example to every other game developer out there: This is how you make a sandbox game.

April 6, 2010

How to save a life / Sexy Music Videos 3

I have some free time so a little bit of catching up is in order:

The results of the historical figure to save poll are in: the votes were split between saving MLK Jr, Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln. Take this as a testament to the impact these brave men had on the world. JFK came in with no votes. Make your own conclusion with that fact.

I also promised sexiest music videos Part 3 of 3. In part 3 I have decided to release the champion:
Shakira - Shewolf
the 25 people who didn't like this video must be gay

Lastly I will be putting up a review for the Borderlands DLCs that have come out.

See you soon!!!

April 5, 2010

April 2, 2010

The best of April Fools '10

It was an interesting April Fools in the gaming world this year. Pranks ranged from believable to awesome to bad to just plain funny. Here's a breakdown of the best jokes from April Fools 2010.

Bad Movie Review: Mega Snake



You guys wanted movies? I'll do you one better. Bad movies. Yes, there's nothing quite as entertaining as a bad movie. When it's done right, of course. Mega Snake is one of those movies. You'd think it would be one of those things where a snake falls into a vat of atomic nuclear goo, grows huge, and attacks major metropolitan cities. But you'd be wrong. No, Mega Snake has no epic scientists or over the top military campaigns. Instead it takes place in some backwater redneck town in which some mystical Indian snake escapes and eats all the farm animals. And ma. Poor ma. I mean, it's good because it's different and it comes off cheesy in a good way because it tries to be serious and fails. But I can't help feeling that this movie would have been ten times as awesome if the main characters were these two random redneck dudes that live in the woods. They really steal the show. Somehow, they craft a flamethrower out of a barbecue grill and go snake hunting in an armored truck with a megaphone. Epic. You never really care about the characters (except poor, poor ma) and, yes, everyone pretty much dies at the end. I normally wouldn't ruin a movie like that, but you can see it coming from a mile away. In fact, you could have probably guessed that from the name alone. Anyway, Mega Snake is a good bad movie. Definitely check it out if you're into that.

4/5 cow pies





New Fallout Vegas info

Alright rigid fans, they have finally released an actual date for Fallout: New Vegas, as opposed to that garbage answer that they were saying, "it'll come out in the Fall of 2010." Now this could be some horrible prank by someone on the interwebs, but my source tells me that Bethesda announced the release date as November 16th 2010. Obviously they are going to push that date back when the time comes but at least now we have a definitive time. Just hold on a little longer people, its almost here, but in the mean time these made me laugh a little.




NNAVGI04OWC: "The Next Guitar Hero"

Today's strip takes a grim look into the future. A future that's all too possible. Hit the break for commentary!

April 1, 2010

Duke Nukem Forever would have been gold today

Duke. About to beat the sunnuvabith who cancelled his game.

Wow. This came out of left field. Jason Bergham, Take Two producer formally working on the legendary vaporware, confirmed today that April 1, 2010 would have been the day Duke Nukem went gold. That is to say, completed development and sent to the manufacturing plant. It was "totally intentional" and "going to be hilarious" according to Bergham. Seriously. But would anyone have bought the news? And for that matter, would anyone have bought the game?

Nintendo 3DS tech leaked

Poor Nintendo. They just can't get a break. First, they were pressured into announcing their new 3D handheld before they had intended. That was right before the DSi XL released. Great for sales, right? Now an early tech demo has leaked onto the internet. At this rate, all of Nintendo's thunder is pretty much stolen. What's left for E3? Video after the break.

ResurrecTV: Holy shi-

The ResurrecTV mascot: a zombie television

I... Words cannot describe this. I can't believe someone else thought of this, let alone fathom that it's actually happening. So the story goes like this: two guys, Joe Hanstein and Marcus Kohler, have a passion for TV and they're often upset when their favorite shows get cancelled before its time. Honestly, who isn't. But these two young men actually bothered to do something about it. Enter ResurrecTV, a channel dedicated to picking up and continuing previously cancelled shows. Believe it. These two guys are my heroes. Seriously. They're currently looking into a myriad of shows from all over the spectrum: from cartoons to sitcoms to dramas. On the current to do list are the following shows:

Something random

This is a subtle agreement with the everything being to serious post. Hope you enjoy.






PAX: Great Success or Epic Fail?

To sum up my experience at PAX in one word: disappointment. I entered with very high hopes. Spent all friday doing my work (and watching March Madness in-between) so that I could immerse myself into the PAX experience Saturday and Sunday. I bought my T ticket, slightly annoyed that PAX would send me a T (the T being the Boston Public Transit; think of a subway) ticket without any money, and boarded the train that would take me to game heaven.
Problem 1: directions. On the train, I open up my iPhone and double-check the directions. The train directions were fairly accurate, they said to get off at Government Center instead of Park Station which isn't too big a deal, just takes longer. The problem was that once arriving at the HCC Station to get to the Convention Center, the PAX site said "follow the signs to PAX" but THERE WERE NO SIGNS!!!! Thanks to my World of Warcraft navigating skills I was able to find the place.......a 15 minute's walk away from the Train Station. Oh, and there's an earlier stop that's literally right next to the convention center that PAX forgot to mention.