What's that you say, new things to read?

The reason for the so called "technical difficulties" is that... well, actually school is winding down. That's always a busy time. But besides that, I've been working on other more mysterious things. Not sure if anyone's aware, but I updated the teaser blog for an upcoming project of mine. A simple sentence that makes you think. Read now. Besides that, I actually completed something recently (sort of) that I hope to expand over the summer months. Installation 04 has never just been about games and entertainment. It was also always rooted in original content and fiction. I know that I've done a lot of silly little stories in the past, but I'm working on some serious stuff at the moment (don't worry- the silly little writings will continue) that I hope to share really soon. Stay tuned.

We will be back... soon... ish...

Well, not quite. But, yeah. We'll be back soon with new stuff. I promise. I swear by the mighty bean ferries and the squash farms of Plantoo IV and the Yettie cornmeal and... ok you get the idea.

MEGALODONS.

Words cannot describe this

I'm actually frightened...

The first ever footage of Bioshock 2

Prepare yourself...



Ok, so there were some cool parts and some not so cool parts. At the very least, the game looks good. Besides looking almost exactly the same, the underwater thing looks sick. Might want to fix the drill, though. Seems a little too powerful.

Random Video for Today

GameMag is coming, cover story will blow your mind

Don't you just love how the internets are always leaking things? The latest internet leak has revealed an all new gaming magazine from the guys at EGM, simply titled GameMag (though now that I think of it, that's even slightly more creative than Electronic Gaming Monthly...). Though the gaming journalism industry may be trying to keep these guys down, they just keep popping up everywhere like weeds. Not that that's a bad thing, especially for us gamers. This is just one project to spring up from the former EGM/1up staff after the UGO takeover/massacre in January. The project is being headed up by Dan "Shoe" Hsu and James "Milkman" Mielke and is being published by an all new company: Milkman Shoe Publishing, a joint venture by the two men which combines their nicknames together (again, how original). With control of the publishing now in their hands, they hope to be around for some time to come. The new publication will apparently bring along many of the old staff including (wait for it): Sushi-X! Woots! An official announcement was supposed to be made within the coming week, but it leaked yesterday anyway. Good for us.

More interesting though, is the first issue's cover story, also leaked (how the hell do these leaks happen anyway?). What is it you ask? Well it's none other than a world exclusive first look at Microsoft's new handheld gaming device. Go ahead pinch yourself. That's not a joke, it's the actual cover story. You can go change your pants now. The story includes an official mockup by Microsoft that, of course, is subject to change. A picture was leaked along with some blurbs on the story. Of course, some crazy fanatics on the crazy internets upscaled the picture and made it all pretty for the world to see. The prototype device that the GM guys got to play around with (Yes, they even got to test out an early build! Jealous?) had the tentative branding of "X Zune" as seen in the picture. It's no surprise that Microsoft would combine their existing handheld device with their gaming device, although I'm not so sure about the name. Hope they come up with something better than "X Zune." Yikes. Anyway, the picture included is only a mockup showing a static photo of GTA4, the actual device was running (what else?) a miniature version of Halo 2. Here's some of the details of the GM playtest:

• The device ran a mix of the old 360 interface and the Zune interface. The guide pauses the game and brings a drop down Zune menu from which the player can select options such as music playback and friends lists.
  
• It can play music, video, and view pictures, just like a Zune can.
  
• The system will ship wit 120 GB of memory built in, but Microsoft is considering also adding a memory card slot. At this point, they aren't sure if games will be download only or on disk. They stated it would be easier to make games as a download, but would have to figure out an easy way to do so.
  
• There will be online capabilities via WiFi and MS is experimenting with a Sprint partnership to have access to its 3G and WiMax networks for on the go gaming. The device will not have phone support. Why not AT&T you ask? One word: Apple.
  
• There will be Arcade support!
• The system will have dual analog sticks for a "true console-like experience." The D-pad will be used for gaming and media control. There are shoulder buttons.
  
• It will be slightly more powerful than the original Xbox. Microsoft ran Halo 2 do demonstrate this. Halo 2 is not actually a planned release game.
  
• No launch games have been announced at this point.
• The prototype differed slightly from the mockup. GM was not allowed to take any sort of pictures, so the only media at the moment is that mockup and some other early design sketches.
  
• It should be on display at E3 this year with tech demos ready. Microsoft will unveil new info at that point and possibly launch titles.
• Slated for release "in the next two years." That's including this year, but I'm betting It'll probably be out next fall.
  
• No word on pricing, but it will be "competitively priced."
  

GameMag will formally launch this coming May. Be sure to check it out for all the juicy details not in the leak (though I think that's most everything anyone would want to know).

The return of Tartakovsky

While I eagerly await the long fabled (though seemingly in production) Samurai Jack movie, this will have to do. It seems Genndy is back with an all new Sci-Fi action series known as Sym-Bionic Titan. Little is known about it except that it focuses on three extraterrestrials who crash land on earth after escaping their war-torn planet. Oh, and there's also this giant robot guy who fights dragons, appartently. Check out the show later this year on the failing Cartoon Network. At least there's some good news. I just might have to tune in for it.

They live!

This year's GDC saw the resurrection of some long awaited games that had been cast into the shadows. Besides Fez, which apparently hadn't been heard from for a year now, this year's event saw the return of Alan Wake, Project Offset, and confirmed that Prototype is still coming and is on schedule for a June release.

Behold new Alan Wake details!

Tremble at this new tech demo for Project Offset!


Be dumbstruck by this new trailer for Prototype!


As if we need ten reasons to play Prototype. That game looks kickass! Kick. Ass.

Cartoon Network took a shit on my childhood. Then it proceeded to rape it with a sandpaper dildo.

Copy and Pasted from here. Picture is irreverent to the channel itself, but totally relevant to the situation. I can't fix the pic so that it fits, well it says failboat in case anyone is wondering.
*Fixed, sort of. Not sure if that was the same picture, but close enough probably. Looks like the other one was broken. ~N-man* *What the crap! It keeps failing! Replaced. Again. N-man)



Cartoon Network ditching all-'toon format

* By Tim Surette
* 03/25/09 4:06 PM
* 137 comments \ add yours

Cable station no longer living up to its name, will get in to live-action reality shows, scripted programs.

First MTV stops showing music videos, now this? Cartoon Network is sticking with the "Network" portion of its name, but ditching the strictly "Cartoon" bit, the company announced today. Nineteen new projects were announced, and less than half will be hand-drawn.

"These exciting new projects represent the next phase in Cartoon Network's ambitious, ongoing strategy to re-invent the network and re-energize our youth business overall," said Stuart Snyder.

These new non-cartoons will start airing in the coming 2009-2010 season and feature reality and scripted programs, most of which sound like pint-sized versions of programs currently airing on other networks.

Highlights: The Othersiders is a mini-Ghost Hunters, with five friends exploring scary places; Destroy Build Destroy is like Human Wrecking Balls, with two teams blowing stuff up; Dude, What Would Happen is a Mythbusters clone; Bobb'e Says takes the ridiculously funny child actor Bobb'e J. Thompson (Human Giant, Role Models) in his own take of America's Funniest Home Videos.

Also announced was a live-action Ben 10: Alien Force movie, a Scooby-Doo! prequel telefilm, and a full CG movie titled Firebreather!

Don't worry all you glassy-eyed college students--it doesn't look like the late-night Adult Swim block will be affected by any of this.

Looking for a new MMO?

I stumbled across this game the other day called Aion: The Tower of Eternity. I'm not big on MMOs myself, mostly because I can't quite find one that plays just right for me. I want direct, real-time control. While Aion may not have that (or maybe it does, but I doubt it) it still looks refreshingly different. Aion, of course, is published by NC Soft, publishers of half the MMOs on the market including City of Heroes and Guild Wars. The game already launched in Korea and is currently beta testing in China. NC hopes to release the game in the US by the end of the year.

Before I get into some specific elements that make the game so cool, I thought I'd first explain the story (or, rather, let our friends at Wikipedia explain it):

In the beginning there was a god named Aion who ruled over a world called Atreia. This god created a race of intelligent entities to act as his servants (in likeness to angels) whom he called the Balaur. After some time passed the Balaur disobeyed Aion's wishes and rebelled against their creator. The god Aion then created the 12 Empyrean Lords. The Empyrean Lords in turn created a barrier which prevented the Balaur from attacking the humans charged under their protection. Within this barrier all things were safe. The Balaur ravaged and destroyed many of the living things residing outside of the barrier.

Some humans, living within the safety of the barrier, learned how to harness some of the same energy as the Empyrean Lords, known as aether. Such humans were called Daeva and like the Empyrean Lords had wings. With time, enough Daevas were born to form an army. Ten of the empyrean lords led these Daevas into battle against the Balaur, while the remaining two were the guardians of the tower of eternity, the embodiment of the god Aion. The war with the Balaur lasted for hundreds of years till one of the guardians of the tower announced that they should find a way to make peace with the Balaur, five of the Empyrean lords vehemently disagreed, however the second guardian of the tower was swayed to peace. The Balaur were invited into the tower for peace talks, it is unclear what happened at that point, one of the Balaur lords lay wounded on the floor and the rest proceeded to attack the tower, the two Guardians attempted to raise the shield going to opposite ends of the tower, they were unsuccessful and the tower, along with the world, shattered in two. However they sacrificed there lives on order to protect a part of the world. With the world severed the survivors banded together to face the new world, ten of the empyrean lords survived. Five who had opposed peace and who claimed that the weakness of the rest of the lords had allowed the Balaur to attack them, reigned in the dark part of the world, they are know as the Shedim Lords. The other five reign the light covered bottom part of Atreia and claim that it was the Shedim lords actions that caused the breaking of the tower, they are known as the Seraphim Lords.

The new shape of the world also reshaped its inhabitants, those that lived in the light part of the world saw little change except for and increase in their beauty. These followers of the Seraphim Lords called themselves Elyos and created the city of Elysea. The inhabitants of the upper part of the world saw many changes, having to walk on ground strewn with fragments of the tower their feet became talons and having to fight against beasts their hands became claw like, the darkness made their complexion change and their eyes grew red adapting to the absence of light. They call themselves Asmodians and live in the city of Pandemonium under the rule of the Shedim Lords.

Two things struck me the most: One, the game heavily features flying and areal combat. Awesome. How many MMOs can do that? Second, the world looks incredibly gorgeous. Each half looks truly unique with varied locations, creatures, and populations. It looks living and breathing- something I've been looking for in an MMO. The game runs on the CryTech engine so it actually looks good, unlike most MMOs on the market that sacrifice playability for graphics. I have no doubt that Aion plays as well as it looks. The character customization system is something to behold as well. It's similar to the one in Oblivion, where you basically get to alter ever aspect of your character's face. I'm greatly anticipating this title now as well as Champions Online. We'll see how Aion turns out, but for now I'm very hopeful. It looks pretty freakin sweet. For more info, check out the official site. Check out the awesome trailer here and find a lot more videos at GameTrailers.