Tag: Videogames

Amazing Alex: Can Rovio Catch Lightning Twice?

Rovio’s Angry Birds is one of the most successful franchises in the history of mobile gaming. Will its recently released Amazing Alex reach similar heights? Like Angry Birds, Amazing Alex is a physics-based puzzle game, but instead of the epic birds vs. pigs war, you deal with everyday objects found in a kid’s room. I’ve played a bit of the game and found both the graphics and puzzles charming. However, I don’t think it has the “cute” factor that Angry Birds enjoyed. I’ve seen all kinds of Angry Birds merchandise used by people around the world. I sincerely doubt that Amazing Alex gear will be as popular. I’m sure Amazing Alex will do well, but I doubt it will resonate with people the way that Angry Birds did.

Of course I could be totally wrong. That’s where you come in! I’m sure that most of you have played Angry Birds. Do you think Rovio can catch lightning in a bottle twice with Amazing Alex?

The Sandbox Updated With Retina Display Support

My pals at Pixowl dropped me a line to say that The Sandbox has been updated with “retina display” support for iPad, in addition to 19 new creation elements. For those of you not familiar with this refreshingly inventive title, The Sandbox blends puzzles, pixel art, and “god” gaming. It’s free to play with in-app purchasing options. If you have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch then I recommend giving this game a go. If you check out the retina-display boosted version of The Sandbox, please share your thoughts on it in the comments section.

Amazon GameCircle Brings Achievements, Leaderboards

Amazon has introduced GameCircle for the Kindle Fire and future Amazon Android products. The service offers achievements, leaderboards, and cloud saves, similar to Apple’s Game Center, Microsoft’s Xbox Live, and Sony’s PlayStation Network. The GameCircle API has been released to developers and will be implemented in Amazon App Store games soon.

On the positive side, this is great for Kindle Fire owners. I’m totally down for anything that makes gaming more fun and GameCircle definitely fits that description. From Amazon’s standpoint, it helps keep customers in the Amazon ecosystem by offering a fun differentiator. Android detractors will point to this initiative as another form of fragmentation. I don’t think the last point matters too much though; Kindle Fire users seem content to play in Amazon’s sandbox and (generally) don’t need the broadness of general Android products.

I know that a few of you own Kindle Fire tablets. How do you feel about GameCircle? For those of you that don’t, what do you think GameCircle brings to the table?

Source via TechCrunch

Coffee Talk #496: Console Videogame Disruptors

Kickstarted-funded console Ouya received a ton of buzz yesterday. Part of the buzz was from the romanticism inherent to Kickstarter projects (people enjoy buying fantasies) and part of it was the crowd following the nerd chic. Additionally, there are some people that truly believe that Ouya is game-changer…

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, BlackBerry 10’s rocky road, Comic-Con 2012 happenings you’re looking forward to, or your favorite robot, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Kickstarted-funded console Ouya received a ton of buzz yesterday. Part of the buzz was from the romanticism inherent to Kickstarter projects (people enjoy buying fantasies) and part of it was the crowd following the nerd chic. Additionally, there are some people that truly believe that Ouya is game-changer — a product that has the potential to disrupt the videogame world. I understand the argument for Ouya, but I’m not yet sold. For reference, let’s take a look at some recent disruptions that changed console gaming forever.

Microsoft made the Internet an integral part of the console-gaming experience with Xbox Live. It was the first company to execute Internet gaming on consoles “right” and it’s arguably still the best at it. Now every console has to have a strong Internet component. Nintendo made motion a huge deal with the Wii. Microsoft and Sony followed with different takes on the motion experience. Now every console has to have motion.

There are many pundits that say that the iPad is today’s console. A lot of people (myself included) believe that Apple is the most recent company to disrupt gaming in a major way. It brought games to a huge audience thanks to the massive reach of its iOS devices coupled with friendly pricing. While AAA console games are more satisfying to many gamers, there are millions that woud be just as happy with a $1.99 iOS game as they would a $60 console game.

Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo are enormous companies with loads of money. It’s relatively easy for them to take risks in an attempt to change the gaming market. That’s one reason I’m surprised that so many people are buying into Ouya this early. There have been several attempts by smaller companies to disrupt gaming and all of them have failed. Indrema, Phantom, Red Jade, Gizmondo, and Pandora are just a few off the top of my head. Some people are arguing that Ouya has benefit of Kickstarter hype ($2,905,328 pledged as of this writing) and the timing is just right. I’m not buying that argument (yet). The argument that I (possibly naively) want to buy is that Ouya will empower developers and lead to more creative games. That would be sweet, but I’m not sold on that either (yet).

Anyway, there are a few things that I’d like from you today. First, I want to hear about happenings that you think caused the biggest waves in gaming. What were the biggest disruptors in your opinion? Secondly, do you think Ouya has a chance to change the videogame market in a meaningful way?

(For reference, the header graphics is from Disruptor, the first game developed by the awesome people at Insomniac. The second graphics is The Shocker fighting Spider-Man. I know he’s not The Disruptor…but he’s way funnier.)

Mistwalker’s Party Wave Submitted For Approval

Coming soon from Hironobu Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker Corporation is…a surfing shooter?!? It’s true. The creator of Final Fantasy is back with Party Wave for iOS. The game blends shooting and platforming elements in an atypical setting; you play as a surfer adventuring in the ocean. Party Wave has been submitted for App Store approval and will cost $1.99 when it’s released.

As most of you know, I’m a Sakaguchi and Mistwalker mark. Of course I’m going to buy this game. I like surfing. My brother lives in Hawaii and my parents are moving there soon. The game will make me happy. Most importantly, I enjoy supporting Sakaguchi-san and his awesome moustache.

Source via Andriasang

Tomb Raider: The Final Hours #1

Square Enix has posted the first episode of Tomb Raider: The Final Hours. This popular series, originated by longtime videogame journalist Geoff Keighley, takes you behind the scenes during the last stages of the videogame development process. The Tomb Raider episodes are hosted by actor Zachari Levi (Tangled, Thor). The first episode focuses on creating the new Lara Croft and features lots of footage of the sexy Camilla Luddington.

I’m a huge fan of this series and I love that Square Enix chose to do this for Tomb Raider. The first episode kicks things off nicely and I’m looking forward to more. When you have a chance, give it a watch and let me know what you think (please!).

$99 Ouya Android Console Hits Kickstarter

Ouya is an interesting Kickstarter project that aims to shake up the home-console business. Ouya’s $99 price is attractive to consumers, while its openness appeals in independent developers. The console and its controller were designed by Yves Behar, who has helped create a wide range of products ranging from fashion (Prada) to jewelry (Swarovski) to consumer electronics (Jawbone) to vibrators (Jimmyjane). The company hopes to raise $950,000 by August 8, 2012. Check out the video above for more info on Ouya and its goals. Below are the official specs:

  • Tegra3 quad-core processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB of internal flash storage
  • HDMI connection to the TV, with support for up to 1080p HD
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth LE 4.0
  • USB 2.0 (one)
  • Wireless controller with standard controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button), a touchpad
  • Android 4.0

There have been a number of home videogame consoles that have tried to change the status quo. All of them failed to take significant money away from the established players. Will Ouya be any different? I’m not yet convinced. One factor that has some people believing that Ouya stands a chance is that the home-console business is on the verge of some major change. Mobile and social games have changed what many people play and the platforms many game creators target. Streaming (hello Gaikai!) will shake up the traditional gaming model in the near future. The conjecture is that Ouya will be able to take advantage of a market that’s in transition.

Also, I can’t help but think about the Pandora open-source handheld and if it would have fared better with a resource like Kickstarter….

Most importantly, I’d love to get your thoughts on Ouya. Do you think the company will reach its Kickstarter goal? Will it be able to attract a significant amount of developers? Should Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony be concerned about a people-powered console with a friendly price that appeals to independent developers? Lastly, are you interested in buying an Ouya console?

Source

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Roger Federer’s excellent Wimbledon semifinal win over Novak Djokovic has inspired me…to play tennis videogames. Ha! It looks like a 3DS weekend for me, featuring Mario Tennis Open. I’m hoping that my copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy arrives today. That’ll mix things up nicely. I’m so amped by the possibility of another Federer grand-slam victory that I’m thinking about busting out some classic tennis games.

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

NiGHTS Into Dreams HD Remake Coming This Fall

Sega has announced that NiGHTS Into Dreams will be getting the HD treatment 16 years after its original release for the Sega Saturn. The game will be available this Fall as a digital download for PlayStation Network, Windows PC, and Xbox Live Arcade. According to Sega’s blog…

Sega has announced that NiGHTS Into Dreams will be getting the HD treatment 16 years after its original release for the Sega Saturn. The game will be available this Fall as a digital download for PlayStation Network, Windows PC, and Xbox Live Arcade. According to Sega’s blog:

This new version will bring Nightopia to vivid life with improved HD graphics and a 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as added support for leaderboards, trophies, and achievements. It will also feature an optional Saturn Mode that will let players experience the game with the original graphics intact.

NiGHTS is a beloved platformer among hardcore gamers and one of the Saturn’s shining moments. I’m thrilled that it’s making a return, but I wonder if the game will resonate with younger gamers.

Any of you psyched for NiGHTS Into Dreams HD?

Source

Coffee Talk #494: Your Current-Gen Videogame Collection

Yesterday I was doing some midsummer cleaning (I was late for spring cleaning, sue me) and tried to organize my current-gen videogames. My collection surprised me. Of course I found lots of Japanese RPGs, BioWare titles, and assorted Square Enix games. What astonished me was the amount of Nintendo products I’ve…

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, Dwight Howard being an insecure attention whore, Anderson Cooper coming out, or whether RIM will exist in 2013, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Yesterday I was doing some midsummer cleaning (I was late for spring cleaning, sue me) and tried to organize my current-gen videogames. My collection surprised me. Of course I found lots of Japanese RPGs, BioWare titles, and assorted Square Enix games. What astonished me was the amount of Nintendo products I’ve purchased this generation. I’m not talking about freebies; I’m talking about games that I actually bought. I don’t think of myself as a hardcore 3DS or Wii gamer, yet I have more games from Nintendo than any other publisher. It’s not even close.

What are your current-gen videogame collections like? Any surprises there (like RPadholic Big Blak secretly having a large assortment of Barbie games)? What genres dominate your stack of games? Any publishers or developers you lean towards more than others? Share the contents of your current-gen game collection in the comments section (please)!