Category: Videogames

Way of the Dogg Starring Snoop Dogg/Lion

Here are a bunch of screens from Way of the Dogg starring Snoop Dogg/Lion/Potser. Since it stars a man with many names, the game is appropriately a mix of many genres. There’s fighting, rhythm, and music for you to deal with. While I’m still digging up information on whether this game is best played under herbal influences, here’s a lovely third-person quote from the D-O-Double-G himself:

Everyone knows that Snoop is down with the biggest and best video games whether it’s droppin’ my hits on the soundtrack or showing the world I can go toe-to-toe with the best fighters on the street but Way of the Dogg is the first true gamification of my music. It’s the way you live, it’s the way you do what you do and captures the beat, the rhythm and the spirit of my music. It’s not just about who you are or where you’ve been but where you are headed to. This game shows how we evolve as individuals and they’ve incorporated the journey of my own personal reincarnation as Snoop Lion into my character, the environments and the path that players have to follow.

While I believe that Snoop is one of the people that’s allowed to refer to himself in the third person, I’m fairly certain that the word “gamification” isn’t in his vernacular…but that’s just conjecture. That aside, there’s something strangely alluring about a rhythm/fighting game starring Snoop Dogg. It appeals to me…and I don’t know why.

Way of the Dogg is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. It will be released in conjunction with Snoop’s Reincarnated movie and album, set for release on March 15, 2013 and April 23, 2013, respectively. Do any of you find the game appealing? Or have I been inhaling strange vapors?

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Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Screens

Here’s a batch of new screens for the upcoming Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. When I saw the game last October, I was impressed by its art style, unique yet simple gameplay, and non-verbal storytelling. It reminded me of Ico, with a bit of Heavy Rain thrown in. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is coming to PC (via Steam), PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in Spring 2013. It will be available for $15 or 1,200 units of make-believe Xbox Live currency. Check out the screens below and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Screens”

Xi3 Piston Console Steam Box Arriving Holiday 2013

Xi3 Corporation has announced that its Piston Console will start at $999.99 and arrive during the Holiday 2013 season. According to Kotaku, this “unofficial” Steam Box is being partially financed by Valve. Curiously, the “Valve” and “Steam” brands aren’t mentioned in the Piston Console’s press release. The system is available for pre-order with a $100 discount that’s good until March 17, 2013 at 11:59PM CST.

The pre-order page shows that the Piston Console packs an AMD R464 quad-core processor listed at 3.2GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. A 256GB SSD can be added for an additional $340 while a 512GB SSD can be added for an additional $750. According to CPU World, the AMD R464 has a standard frequency of 2.3GHz and a “Turbo” frequency of 3.2GHz.

I know that RPadholic smartguy is anxious for a Steam Box. Are any of you interested in Xi3’s Piston Console? Will you take advantage of the pre-order savings? Or are you going to wait for more choices? What do you think of the Piston Console’s looks and price?

Source via Kotaku

New Deadpool Trailer is…

The latest trailer for the Deadpool videogame by High Moon Studios has been getting strong reactions from comic-book fanboys. Some people love it and some people hate it. As expected, the action is big and loud and obnoxious. As expected, Deadpool is also loud and obnoxious. Some feel that he’s too much of an idiot in the trailer, while others feel that Wade Wilson is, in fact, an idiot and acts appropriately in the clip. What do you think? Check out the trailer below and let me know in the comments section (please).

As for me, I understand both sides of the argument. The trailer has some of the qualities people want and expect from Deadpool. As a longtime fan of the comics and character, I can see how some people feel that some of his wit and charm are missing. Yes, he’s supposed to be juvenile, but he’s also supposed to be a clever, fourth-wall breaking, and parodic character. You don’t get that from the trailer, but hey it’s only a trailer, right? Writing should be a huge part of the game and I need to hear more dialogue before coming to a conclusion. Besides, Deadpool feeling up Cable negates any of the trailer’s shortcomings.

What do you think of the Deadpool trailer? Fire away!

Thief Stealthing its Way to PC and Next-Gen Consoles

Square Enix has announced that Thief is in development for PC and next-generation consoles. The game is a “reinvention” of the classic PC titles made famous by Looking Glass Studios. I’m sure that some of you aren’t old enough to remember those games (stop making me feel old!); they were critically lauded and worked on by several notable developers, including Warren Spector, Ken Levine, Doug Church, Seamus Blackley, and Randy Smith. The game is now in the hands of Eidos Montreal.

Here’s what Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D’Astous had to say about the reboot:

We’re handling a precious gemstone with Thief. Fans remember the original games very fondly and we want to preserve that essence which we have excellent experience of doing at Eidos Montréal, whilst also introducing Thief to a brand new, next-generation, audience. Our goal is to deliver the fantasy of being Garrett, the master thief, and we’re building this game around that core experience.

Thief was a groundbreaking first-person game. Prior to its 1998 release, first-person games were mainly shooters, with an emphasis on action. Thief brought smarter sensibilities to the mix, adding in several adventure and role-playing elements. It changed the perception and expectation of what these kinds of games could be. It sounds kind of quaint in 2013, but 15 years ago this was a big deal.

Any of you remember those early Thief games? If so, are you looking forward to the new one? If not, are you at all intrigued by Square Enix’s announcement?

Green Throttle Android Gaming System Arrives

Back in November 2012, I wrote about Green Throttle Games. The company is being headed up by the guys that helped start the Guitar Hero craze. For its next act, CEO Charles Huang and crew want to turn your Android phone or tablet into your new videogame console. Unlike several of its competitors that are using Android and mobile chipsets to create dedicated consoles, Green Throttle is offering an app and a controller to complement phones and tablets people already have. That’s what the Green Throttle Arena app and Green Throttle Atlas controller are all about.

To give you an idea of how the Arena software works, check out VentureBeat’s video below.

What do you think of Green Throttle’s system? For you Android users out there, it this something you’d buy? For you iOS fanboys, do you think Apple will do something similar with a Bluetooth controller and an enhanced version of Game Center?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

March is going to be a great month for videogames, with loads of great franchises coming in like a lion. Kicking things off is Tomb Raider. Lara Croft’s return has been getting some great reviews and there’s just something comforting about having her back in the gaming world. MLB spring training is underway, so baseball fans will want to pick up MLB 13 The Show and MLB 2K13. Since my beloved Yankees are old and broken down, the videogame version of the team is probably the closest they’ll get to the world series. If you need to get your ninja on, then Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is your game of the week. Has a recent overdose of Twilight given you the urge to slay bloodsuckers? Thankfully, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror Fate is here. Lastly, Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk will bring a smile to those of you that miss quirky Japanese RPGs with turn-based combat.

Any of you picking up new videogames this week?

Handmade Gamer/Nerd Jewelry at Fangirl Emporium

My Facebook friend Amanda has a really cool Etsy store called Fangirl Emporium. Right now she has a bunch of awesome necklace pendants for sale. Gamer neckwear includes a Pokeball from Pokemon, the Umbrella logo from Resident Evil, the Halo symbol, and more. Nerd neckwear includes a Klingon symbol from Star Trek, the bloody smiley face from Watchmen, the Starfleet symbol from Star Trek, and more. It’s pretty sweet stuff!

Kindly check out Fangirl Emporium when you get a chance and leave a comment if anything from Amanda’s store catches your eye. I’d totally wear the Pokeball…but put it on a necklace that’s more masculine.

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Kellee Santiago (thatgamecompany) Joins Ouya

Ouya has announced that Kellee Santiago has joined the company as DBF (Developer’s Best Friend). She’ll be heading up the company’s developer outreach. Santiago is best known as cofounder of thatgamecompany, the creators of Flower and Journey. In the official announcement, she said:

Oouya gets it. This is the first console company that really understands how important it is to remove the barriers to development. By freeing up the development process, Ouya is opening up new doors in console gaming.

This is a big score for Ouya. Santiago has a great reputation within the gaming business. Ouya will be leaning on independent and small developers to make games optimized for the system. Those kinds of companies will feel like they have a sympathetic ally in Santiago. Journalists view her as an “indie darling,” so it’s additional press for the company too.

What do you think of Ouya hiring Kellee Santiago? Will she help differentiate the company from others that are trying to console-ify Android?

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What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I have a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for OS X. It feels like the iPad and Windows versions were released forever ago. I kept getting annoyed when submission after submission was rejected by the Mac App Store. The good news is that it’s available now for OS X through the Beamdog client. The bad news is that I have a bunch of App Store credit, $20 of which was reserved for Baldur’s Gate. Should I be patient and wait for the Mac App Store release? Or should I go with Beamdog? The former would require waiting and cost me nothing. The latter would give me immediate gratification, though I’d be dealing with an unknown client. What to do?!?

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?