After spending most of the week working on a secret magazine project, I don’t want to see any games that involve shooting or the military (or transcribing). I think I’m going to stick to Dyad and Outernauts. The former’s soothing sounds and trippy visuals should pull my mind away from realistic warfare. The latter…I’m just enjoying the hell out of. If you start playing Outernauts, then you can count on me supplying you with premium materials.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
U4iA Games has announced a “No Key Weekend” for Offensive Combat. That means everyone and anyone can participate in the beta from now until August 19. This free-to-play shooter is being made by several industry veterans. I highly recommend giving it a shot. If you need more convincing, here’s the description for Offensive Combat:
Worlds collide in this irreverent mash-up of first-person shooter archetypes, weapons and themes, including surreal fantasy, futuristic sci-fi, and modern military — PLUS lizard men in Hawaiian shirts and robots disguised as bananas! WTF? Players will experience some of the most competitive multiplayer action ever seen inside a web browser – without having to spend a penny on new hardware. Gamers of all types will be challenged to harness their FPS skills, creativity, ingenuity, and personality to win big and humiliate the competition. Oh, and did we mention that it’s free-to-play? It is! Choose your maps, load up your arsenal and get ready to pwn ’til your cold, merciless heart’s content…
The combination of heavy ordnance and robotic bananas is long overdue, don’t you agree?
Anyway, if you have some time this weekend, please check out Offensive Combat and let me know what you think (please!).
Would you rather play a flawed game with lots of originality or a polished game that’s mostly derivative? The question popped into my head after reading several reviews of The Last Story and Darksiders II. Many writers praised the former’s original battle mechanics, but also criticized them for not feeling quite done. Many writers praised the latter for being an incredibly polished experienced, but also criticized it for mimicking numerous gameplay elements from other action-adventure games. It’s almost like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t with videogame critics, but forget those guys and gals for a second. Do you value originality or polish more?
As for me, I much rather play a game that…
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, being shocked that your back isn’t sore after a week of sleeping on the floor, electric toothbrushes, or what you would do in Japan, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Would you rather play a flawed game with lots of originality or a polished game that’s mostly derivative? The question popped into my head after reading several reviews of The Last Story and Darksiders II. Many writers praised the former’s original battle mechanics, but also criticized them for not feeling quite done. Many writers praised the latter for being an incredibly polished experienced, but also criticized it for mimicking numerous gameplay elements from other action-adventure games. It’s almost like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t with videogame critics, but forget those guys and gals for a second. Do you value originality or polish more?
As for me, I much rather play a game that attempts to do something different, even it falls short. Keep in mind that I’m in an unusual situation; I’ve played hundreds of games, including many mediocre and bad ones. Most people get to stick to games they enjoy. When they come across the occasional stinker, they can just stop playing. I certainly appreciate and admire games that are highly polished, but considering all the cookie-cutter garbage I’ve had to play for work, originality is always refreshing.
Now it’s your turn! Please tell me which characteristic you value more in a videogame, originality or polish?
The big fight this weekend is Raymond vs. TV. If I win, my television will finally be fixed and I’ll get to use my glorious consoles. There’s a so much that I want to play! Sleeping Dogs is at the top of my list. Hybrid and The Last Story are up there too. Of course I have to tend to my pets in Outernauts. It’s kind of nuts that I’ve already hit level 37 in Outernauts and haven’t spent a dime (I will, eventually). First thing’s first though — must repair the TV!
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Razer has announced that the DeathStalker Ultimate gaming keyboard will be available in September 2012 for $249.99. The keyboard features an LCD trackpad/keypad combo, powered by Razer’s SwitchBlade UI, similar to the one found on the company’s Blade laptop. For gaming, the trackpad can be used to display in-game information or be used for game-specific functions. It also can run a number of apps, including:
List of Razer Apps
· Trackpad
· Numpad
· Macro Recorder
· Gaming Mode
· Browser
· YouTube
· Facebook
· Twitter
· Gmail
· Clock
· Screenshot
· Game Timer
Game Specific Apps
· Star Wars: The Old Republic Combat Logger
· And many more…
Other hardware features include:
· 4.05” touch screen able to run widget apps
· Track pad with gesture support
· 10 dynamic display keys with 80hz response time
· Chiclet style key caps
· Tri-colour backlit keys
· 1000Hz Ultrapolling
· Fully programmable keys with on the fly macro recording
· Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled
· Dedicated Gaming mode
· 5 additional macro keys
· Anti-ghosting capability for up to 10 simultaneous key presses
· Braided fiber cable
· Fixed wrist rest
Check out more images of the Razer DeathStalker below and please let me know if you’re interested in picking one up. It’s definitely on the pricey side, but it also offers unique features that aren’t available on competing models. As for me, I’m perfectly happy with the mechanical awesomeness that is the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate. Mechanical keys rule!
[nggallery id=105]
I’d love to be playing Sleeping Dogs this weekend, but I’m in New York for the next seven days. Sleeping Dogs will be a nice treat to return home to, but for now my numerous iPad games and Outernauts will have to satisfy my videogame cravings. Outernauts is so good! I’m completely addicted to Insomniac’s social game. The Pokemon-like gameplay makes it different from and gives it more depth than other energy-based games on Facebook. I’m always in the need of more Outernauts friends, so I hope that some of you will play with me.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Kindly check out this video review of the Razer BlackShark Battlefield 3 gaming headset. This baby features enhanced bass response and a unique aviator style. As RPadholic Iceman pointed out, the BlackShark looks very similar to David Clark headsets used by many helicopter pilots. Some of you will remember this headset from this E3 2012 Razer booth tour. You can see the full specs here.
Overall, I loved the BlackShark’s looks and was impressed by its comfort level. However, there could be some audio issues depending on if you use your headset for certain genres of music and certain types of movies. Also, the price for this stereo headset is up there with competing 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound models.
Check out the review and let me know what you think of the Razer BlackShark (please!).
Like millions of Facebook users, I’ve played a bunch of Facebook games. None of them have really grabbed me though…until Insomniac’s Outernauts. As a big fan of Insomniac and someone that has played thousands of hours of Pokemon games, of course I was going to fall for the game’s blend of that distinct Insomniac charm and the Pokemon-like gameplay. Outernauts is the first Facebook game that I’ve loved.
In addition to capturing monsters, training monsters, leveling up, etc., there are several aspects of Outernauts that aren’t found in Pokemon games…
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, McKayla Maroney’s sexy anger when she “only” won a silver medal in the vault, Pamela Anderson going celibate for Dancing With the Stars, or Andy Murray looking at his Olympic gold medal as if it were a piece of crap compared to a Wimbledon trophy, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Like millions of Facebook users, I’ve played a bunch of Facebook games. None of them have really grabbed me…until Insomniac’s Outernauts. As a big fan of Insomniac and someone that has played thousands of hours of Pokemon games, of course I was going to fall for the game’s blend of that distinct Insomniac charm and its Pokemon-like gameplay. Outernauts is the first Facebook game that I’ve loved.
In addition to capturing monsters, training monsters, leveling up, etc., there are several aspects of Outernauts that aren’t found in Pokemon games — cooperative levels, a deep crafting system, PVP during adventures, and more. Since it’s tied to Facebook, the social aspect is played up; you can send items to and receive items from friends, allowing you to progress your adventure or enhance your item crafting. It’s also free-to-play with premium features. You can play for free, but have to wait between sessions for your character to replenish energy and/or for your monsters to heal. In short, it marries many of the features people love about Pokemon (save for Game Freak’s stellar monster design) and Zynga’s numerous “Ville” games.
So yeah, I love Outernauts, but I’m also really worried about it. The less important problem is the hate it’s getting in some corners of the Internetz. I was appalled by some of the comments left by Insomniac “fans” on Outernauts videos posted on YouTube. There are a lot of people that are pissing on the game simply because it’s new and different…and not Ratchet & Clank. Odin forbid the company tries something new and works on multiple projects, right?!?
The bigger issue is that this is a rocky time for the social-games space. A lot of Facebook games are in decline and many pundits believe that the first round of titles has peaked. There are too many social games that look, play, and feel the same. Hell, I can’t even tell most of Zynga’s games apart. Is a Pokemon angle and Insomniac’s stellar reputation enough for Outernauts to thrive? I’m certainly not smart enough to know. Instead, I’ll defer to the much smarter and much wiser Tadhg Kelly. He recently postulated on TechCrunch that the next round of social games has to be more like HBO:
The second generation needs to be thinking like HBO, not network television. It takes research and prototyping time to develop good game dynamics, but more than that it takes the right technology, talent and faith. This last quality is perhaps most frightening because it pretty much means letting the inmates run the asylum.
Games are no different than any other creative outlet in this respect though, but it’s hard for some people (managers, investors, producers, quants) to accept that. They think that games should be much more like software: predictable, mappable and about process engineering but games and players disagree. You may wish that game design was a process, but it’s an art.
That’s why the second generation of social games is unlikely to come from any of the current big players. They think too small, just as network television executives tend to think too small and need to be shaken out of their equilibrium by an HBO. By which I mean investing in providing real value rather than only playing the equivalent-value game.
Will Insomniac be the HBO of the social-games space? Will Outernauts be Facebook’s Sopranos/Curb Your Enthusiasm/Game of Thrones? It’s quite possible. The company has the experience and talent to make great games on any platform. It’s also relatively small and independent, allowing it the luxury to move and iterate quickly, unlike a large company. It also has the luxury of not having to worry about legacy social games (one of Zynga’s several headaches). Insomniac could have the perfect storm of factors to help determine the next generation of social games, with Outernauts leading the way.
As a fan of Insomniac and Outernauts, I hope the game kills it. I’m curious to see how it performs. In the meantime, I hope some of you give Outernauts a shot and play it with me (please!).
Bethesda has announced the voice cast for Dishonored. Talent includes Lena Headey, Carrie Fischer, Michael Madsen, and more. The game impressed at E3 2012 and the star-studded voice cast makes it all the more impressive. Check out the awesome lineup:
Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
Susan Sarandon, an Academy Award winner and five-time nominee, will make her videogame debut as the former aristocrat, Granny Rags – an intriguing old blind woman now deranged after years of street life. Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe-winner Brad Dourif takes on the role of the inventor Piero, creator of the iconic mask worn by Corvo as well as a wealth of gadgets Corvo can use. Emmy winner and Hollywood-icon Carrie Fisher can be heard broadcasting government propaganda over loudspeakers throughout the city of Dunwall, where the game is set.
The all-star cast continues with John Slattery (“Mad Men,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) who takes on the role of Admiral Havelock, a Loyalist who helps Corvo on his quest, as well as Michael Madsen who brings his videogame voiceover experience to the role of Daud, a mysterious assassin. Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass,” “Hugo”) portrays Young Lady Emily, the Empress’ daughter who is kidnapped after her mother’s death while Lena Headey joins the cast as Calista, Emily’s caretaker. In addition to the star-studded voice cast, Composer Daniel Licht (“Dexter”) lends his musical talents to create the game’s original score.
It’s awesome that Cersei Lannister, Princess Leia, and Hit Girl are all in the same game.
I would kill for Google Fiber. Maybe not kill…but I’d punch someone really hard to get it. Part of it is the 1Gb/second Internet speeds, not having to worry about data caps, the 1TB of Google Drive storage, and the included Nexus 7 that serves as a remote control. The thought of downloading a 1080p movie in five minutes or less sounds…amazing. Google Fiber is the stuff nerd dreams are made of.
Another reason I dream about Google Fiber is the lovely thought of being able to give cable and telephone companies a big FU. I’m tired of…
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, NBC getting heat for its coverage of the 2012 Olympics, Amish people giving it a go in Manhattan, or overdosing at a churrascaria, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I would kill for Google Fiber. Maybe not kill…but I’d punch someone really hard to get it. Part of it is the 1Gb/second Internet speeds, not having to worry about data caps, the 1TB of Google Drive storage, and the included Nexus 7 that serves as a remote control. The thought of downloading a 1080p movie in five minutes or less sounds…amazing. Google Fiber is the stuff nerd dreams are made of.
Another reason I dream about Google Fiber is the lovely thought of being able to give cable and telephone companies a big FU. I’m tired of the Internet duopoly held by AT&T and Time Warner Cable in my part of Los Angeles. I hate that my two choices for Internet service are “mediocre” and “worse”. I hate that my apartment building only has one (woefully overpriced) choice for television. There are times when I wish that Time Warner Cable were a person so that I could him in the face.
Right now, Google Fiber is only available in Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO (I have no idea which one has the baseball team). I can’t imagine living in either city and I sincerely doubt that Google Fiber is coming to Los Angeles (or any large city) in the immediate future. It’s great the Google is showing people what Internet service could be like, but I don’t see this happening in big cities any time soon. I’m sure I’ll spend several nights over the next year or two dreaming that I’m wrong.
What do you think of Google Fiber? Is it the kind of Internet and television service you dream of? What would you do with that godly amount of bandwidth? Would Google Fiber significantly change your gaming habits? Share your Google Fiber dreams in the comments section (please)!
