Category: Videogames

Scared of Gotham City Impostors

When I first heard about Gotham City Impostors, I was psyched. In my head it combined the multiplayer gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood with the awesome characters of the Batman universe. I had visions of diving through the Gotham skyline as Nightwing, hot on the trail of Killer Croc.

Then a few of my journalists friends told me more details about the game and I read the press release. On paper, the game sounds like a standard shooter featuring characters “inspired by” Batman and The Joker. Here’s a clip from the press release:

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Gotham City Impostors, an original download-only first-person shooter where players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker.

Yeah, that sounds pretty lame. It could very well turn out to be a nice little downloadable game, but a shooter is not what Batman fans want. The “glorified tag” gameplay of ACB sounds perfect for a multiplayer Batman game. The Bat Family’s no-gun policy fits in with that style. Instead it sounds like Gotham City Impostors will be a fairly generic shooter.

What do you think of this game? Will it be a vanilla shooter with the Batman license slapped on? Or will the talented people at Monolith be able to make something cool?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

After a huge release last week, there are a handful of interesting games coming out this week. The Nintendo 3DS gets a big franchise and big-boob jiggling in Dead or Alive Dimensions. Dirt 3 should keep racing-game fans happy, though fans of actual dirt might be disappointed. Last, but not least, is a move tie-in — Kung-Fu Panda 2 brings the adorable martial artisan back to consoles, but with some motion-control goodness this time around.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #355: Where’s the Hot Battery Tech?!?

Phones have dual-core processors these days. Handheld consoles and tablets are capable of displaying high-resolution images in 3D. Yet most devices are still using some form of relatively old lithium battery tech.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Verve’s El Salvador La Montañita, the countdown to Lady Gaga’s new album, or Lady Gaga’s new album cover making her look like a Terminator reject, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Why hasn’t battery technology improved as rapidly as other technologies? Phones have powerful dual-core processors these days. Handheld consoles and tablets are capable of displaying dazzling high-resolution images in 3D. Yet most consumer electronics are still using some form of relatively old lithium battery tech. This results in amazingly powerful devices…with single-digit battery life hours. Just look at the HTC Thunderbolt and Nintendo 3DS for example.

I’ve been reading about incredible advancements with hydrogen, polymer, and zinc batteries for years, but none of these technologies have found their way into consumer electronics. Let’s get on it battery people! Electronics are becoming more powerful and portable every day, but they’re being handcuffed by old battery technology.

I want my phone, laptop, tablet, and portable consoles to have battery life that’s measured in days, not hours. At the very least, their battery life shouldn’t be measured in single digits, don’t you agree?

Coffee Talk #354: Multiple Gamer Personality Disorder

Do you guys have multiple PlayStation Network and/or Xbox Live accounts? A lot of videogame journalists have two or more — one personal account, one work account for playing with readers, and…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, David Beckham’s underwear line, the awesome NBA conference finals, or the diving prices of 3D HDTVs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Do you guys have multiple PlayStation Network and/or Xbox Live accounts? A lot of videogame journalists have two or more — one personal account, one work account for playing with readers, and one work account that’s private. This explains why several videogame journalists are a step away from insanity. It’s not easy juggling three personalities.

I’m pretty sure that most “normal” people stick to one account, but I wanted to check with you guys and girls. So how about it? Do you have multiple online gaming accounts? Or are you one and done?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Like millions of other gamers, I’m going to be spending a large chunk of this weekend playing Rockstar Games’ L.A. Noire. To break things up I’m going to play a bunch of Let’s Golf 2 and Chaos Rings on my iPad 2. The latter is actually on sale for a limited time, so if you want some Square Enix RPG excitement on your iOS device then this is a great time to pick it up.

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

iOS Cheapies = Big Fun for 99 Cents, Less Console Sales

I bought a bunch of 99-cent games for my iPad 2 last weekend. They were all on sale for a limited time, so I figured, “What the hell.” I’ve played all but one and I’m floored by their value. Sure, they’re not as deep as their PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS equivalents, but they’re close. And besides, similar games for those platforms cost 30 times as much. Here’s what I picked up:

Let’s Golf 2 — It’s like Mario Golf lite. The control options aren’t as extensive, but I’m still having loads of fun with this game.

Baseball Superstars Pro 2011 — It’s like Mario Baseball lite. This game blends arcade baseball with RPG mechanics.

Eternal Legacy — This is a Final Fantasy-like RPG. Out of the games I picked up, this had the most depth. It’s on par or deeper than several RPGs I’ve played on the DS and PSP. It doesn’t have as much polish as most Square Enix games, but it’s also much cheaper than most Square Enix iOS titles.

Death Rally — I haven’t gotten around to playing this vehicular combat game, but I’ve been hearing great things from friends. It’s made by Remedy (Max Payne, Alan Wake) and I was curious to see what a traditional game developer would do on the iPad.

These kinds of games are indicative of a major shift in the gaming business. Some analysts are predicting doom and gloom for traditional consoles. I wouldn’t go that far, but I definitely see more and more people spending more and more money on Android and iOS games. Most people think before dropping $30 to $60 on a console game that will entertainment them for a dozen hours or more. Buying a dozen hours of entertainment for a $1 is a no-brainer.

Additionally, most people need phones to keep in touch with family, friends, and work. Playing games on something you already have is a bonus. Compare that to a gaming console, which is a pure luxury purchase.

What do you guys and dolls think? Will cheap gaming on phones and tablets cut into the console market?

Infinity Blade: Arena Adds Multiplayer and More

One of the most impressive iOS games is taking it to a new level on May 19th. Epic Games and Chair Entertainment have released details on the Infinity Blade: Arena content pack. Here’s the list of features included in the free update:

  • Enter the Arena: Assuming the role of Titan or Knight, Infinity Blade fans can now challenge their friends to multiplayer matches online via Game Center!
  • Survivor Mode: Players face off against a legion of Titans to see how far they can go!
  • New Holiday Helms! A new helm for every season, ready to be played and mastered!
  • More than two dozen new magic rings, swords, shields, and helmets for players to collect and master.New Facebook integration allows fans to view their character on their profile and take a screen grab to share with friends.
  • Much more! New Achievements, additional Leaderboards, and some new surprises!

I’m psyched for this update. Infinity Blade is a sterling example of what mobile games can be. I’m looking forward to swinging my sword (get your mind out of the gutter!) in multiplayer. Any of you down to play with me?

Source

Coffee Talk #353: Game and Movie Check-Ins

Check-in services are hot right now — I’m talking Hansel hot. One recent trend in the check-in space is allowing people to check into the media they’re enjoying. More than one-million people use…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Yankees sucking, the return of sucky AJ Burnett, or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bastards, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As some of you know, I enjoy foursquare, the check-in service that lets you keep tabs on your friends and discover new places. Check-in services are hot right now — I’m talking Hansel hot. One recent trend in the check-in space is allowing people to check into the media they’re enjoying. More than one-million people use GetGlue to check into the movies and television shows they enjoy. The recently launched IGN Dominate allows people to check into their games. Would you use any of these services?

For some people, all of this is nonsense — just new ways and new toys to waste time. Some people get checking into physical locations; foursquare is a great way to discover new restaurants, spas, coffeehouses, etc. Checking into media seems strange to some, but totally cool to others. You can discover new games, TV shows, and movies to enjoy, similar to how you can discover new physical venues with foursquare.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all these services. Would you use them? Do you find them useful? Do you think they’re weird? Or is this all just a technologically advanced way to waste time?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s only one notable game coming out this week, but it’s a huge one — Rockstar Games’ LA Noire. As with most Rockstar titles, this game has been getting a ton of hype. Will it truly be the unique and stellar game some are making out to be? Or will it just be another good game? More importantly, are you buying it this week?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m supposed to spend this weekend playing one of the biggest releases of the year. It’s a huge title from one of the hottest publishers in gaming. Can you guess what the game is? Naturally I’ll be taking iPad 2 breaks to clear my head. I’m still loving Civilization Revolution and Final Fantasy III.

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