New Games |
- Playstation Home welcomes movie makers
- The DTOID Show: Friday live show with Hamza Aziz!
- Live show: The final episode of Backlog
- Gotham City Impostors beta kicks off next week
- SW: The Old Republic website updated with a Galaxy Map
- Watch ten minutes of Aliens: Colonial Marines gameplay
- Prepare to be terrified by Sega's next XBLA game
- TRAUMA added to the Humble Frozen Synapse bundle
- Live show: Rotastic giveaway on Mash Tactics
- The DTOID Show goes live today with guest Hamza Aziz!
- Goats defend freedom against Nazi forces in 8-bit game
- This weekend on TwitchTV: Mash Tactics at Topware
- Shinobi 3DS trailer details Streetpass challenges
- Friday Night Fights: G3!
- How I learned to stop pining for Half-Life: Episode Three
- Violence studies says blame the kid, not the game
- Sonic Generations trailer goes Dreamcast on our asses
- Latest SSX trailer brings the hype
- Weekend PC download deals: Blood Bowl, Rebellion games
| Playstation Home welcomes movie makers Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT I'm not sure if there's crazy stuff going on in Playstation Home that most of the world is not privy to, but if there is we're sure to find out now that Sony has released a new video capture tool. The Loot Active Camera gives users control of a virtual camera with which they can record whatever bizarre antics go on in that virtual realm. The tool was developed with users who want to create machinima videos in mind. David Sterling, VP of business development, hopes it will foster more creativity.
Sony Breathes New Life... [Gamasutra] |
| The DTOID Show: Friday live show with Hamza Aziz! Posted: 30 Sep 2011 03:15 PM PDT Thanks to everyone who tuned into our live show today! We gave away some Serious Sam 3: BFE pre-order codes, had special guest Hamza Aziz on to talk about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the Battlefield 3 beta, and talked about some videogame news. This week, we learned that a few games got delayed, Chrono Trigger is coming to PSN, another Warriors Orochi game is headed to Japan, and something happens to The Joker in Batman: Arkham City (but we're not telling you what.) Max also has another one of those pesky Saints Row 3 trailers for us, and I've got some Aliens: Colonial Marines gameplay footage to show off. Have a safe and drunken weekend! |
| Live show: The final episode of Backlog Posted: 30 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT After a journey which has lasted nine months and seen the end of twenty-five games, tonight Backlog comes to its conclusion. People used to joke that Fable III, the least popular game ever to appear in a round of voting would be the last game ever played on the show. And, as it turns out, they were right. It's been a hell of a ride and I have had a tremendous amount of fun spending time with all of the people in our Twitch.tv channel each night. We have one last go around this evening, so we're going to make it a good one. Come join me as I stream live and hang out with the chat goons one final time on Backlog. It all happens right now on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. |
| Gotham City Impostors beta kicks off next week Posted: 30 Sep 2011 01:30 PM PDT Hope you all signed up for the closed beta of Gotham City Impostors! It's starting Wednesday, October 5 and will be playable during evenings until October 9. Though I suppose if you're in, you would have gotten an email by now, so go check your inbox. Reactions to the game have been surprisingly positive given the beloved setting and Monolith's unexpected -- if rather fitting for multiplayer -- premise. There's a lock on what testers will be able to say publicly about the game, which tells me this is more of an actual beta than a marketing tool. One can only hope. [Thanks, Brandon] The PC requirements have also come out alongside beta instructions, although there's not a whole lot to say there. Fairly standard stuff. With a handful of high-priority, hardware-intensive games approaching soon, now might not be a bad time to start asking more of gamers' machines. Minimum:
Recommended:
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| SW: The Old Republic website updated with a Galaxy Map Posted: 30 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT If you're still bummed that EA taunted you about being in the beta, then maybe you can gorge yourself on some of the universe's lore to make things better. The official Star Wars: The Old Republic site has been updated today with a fancy new Galaxy Map, allowing you to explore the various planet and ships that will be in the upcoming MMO. It's somewhat reminiscent of Mass Effect 2's planet scanning mini-game, except that it isn't excruciatingly slow and now one is forcing it on you. There is an overwhelming amount of information here for you to uncover as each planet has a description and accompanying factoids. Adding to this, there's a video of each planet that shows what various locales will look like in-game when The Old Republic launches on December 20th of this year. |
| Watch ten minutes of Aliens: Colonial Marines gameplay Posted: 30 Sep 2011 11:45 AM PDT Gearbox has uploaded the footage it's been showing off since E3 this year, the full live walkthrough demo of Aliens: Colonial Marines. In this video, you'll get to see the Marines exploring Hadley's Hope and encountering the Xenomorphs for the first time. What I love about the gameplay so far is the animation on the Xenos. The cat-like way they hop from left to right in order to avoid fire and their ability to slink through small gaps in the terrain is some really encouraging attention to detail. It looks like Gearbox has loved bringing the Aliens to life, and that's something I can get behind. Really glad they finally threw this video up. I can't wait to see more. |
| Prepare to be terrified by Sega's next XBLA game Posted: 30 Sep 2011 11:15 AM PDT
In honor of a "mystery" XBLA and PSN release next week, Sega's let loose a new trailer on us. Sega Bass Fishing is being re-released next week, meaning it's no longer exclusive to the Dreamcast Collection. People are probably scoffing at the game now, but it was actually pretty popular back in its day. If there's been a really successful fishing game since this one I don't really know about it. I'll admit the last times I ever fished in a game were Sonic Adventure and Ocarina of Time. For those curious the game is very 90's arcade in structure. You choose from 16 lures and 8 locations, then compete in one of four tournaments which are essentially the game's stages. I remember this game being alright, though I would have been really happy to get Sega Rally 2 instead. Anyone plan to pick it up? |
| TRAUMA added to the Humble Frozen Synapse bundle Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:45 AM PDT Yesterday, we told you about the latest Humble Indie bundle which has Frozen Synapse as its main attraction along with Trine, Shadowgrounds, and Shadowgrounds Survivor plus two prototype games. It didn't seem like the best Humble bundle we've seen so far but there's always a chance more titles will be added to make it worth your cash. Now, just 24 hours later, another game has been included; it's TRAUMA, an indie art game where you navigate various dream sequences in order to try and make sense of an accident victim's fractured mind. It's a beautiful-looking game that utilizes FMV and some lovely photography. I've had a bit of a play and whilst it's probably too clever for my feeble mind, it's well worth trying. As I've been typing this, the bundle has received over $500,000 in payments which means a lot of cash going to developers and charities alike. With 12 days to go on this offer, I think it's well worth investing in this bundle even if you already have some of the games. You never know if there's going to be more bonuses to make it even more worth your while. |
| Live show: Rotastic giveaway on Mash Tactics Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT Today, Mash Tactics will be playing Rotastic, a dizzying jewel spree from developer Dancing Dots. Rotastic comes to PC and PSN next year but is available now on XBLA for a measly 800 MS Points. Mash Tactics has an even better deal for you: tune in and you could win one of the free codes we'll be tossing out as we swing to victory in Rotastic! Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Pico Mause let loose with off-the-wall humor and discuss the issues of the day in the live chat on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics. |
| The DTOID Show goes live today with guest Hamza Aziz! Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT Happy Friday, friends and readers! Just a quick reminder that The Destructoid Show will be going LIVE at 3:30pm PST today on YouTube.com/DTOID. We'll be chatting about Aliens: Colonial Marines, Saints Row 3, and Batman: Arkham City, and Destructoid's own sharkfucker Hamza Aziz will be joining us in the studio to talk about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the Battlefield 3 beta. As always, expect some free giveaways and inappropriate sexual comments. Hope to see you there! |
| Goats defend freedom against Nazi forces in 8-bit game Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT You read that headline right. Finally, Allied Forces will be tapping the underutilized resource of goats to combat the fury of The Third Reich. GOATS vs NAZIS is a unique top-down, 8-bit, co-op action title from the mind of Jim Welch. GOATS vs NAZIS will feature seven action-packed levels with an interesting power-up system. Players will be able to find tin-cans, helmets, and rifles that they can eat to restore some health or modify their combat abilities. One example given, eating rifles will bestow upon your goat the ability to spit bullets at enemies. Take that, freedom haters! If that isn't enough, Jim Welch is looking to distribute this game for free to the gaming community, with the hopes of also making some physical cartridges and even porting onto mobile devices. If you enjoy the concept of Hitler being taken down by a pack of goats and would like to help Jim make his game, he has a Kickstarter page full of a wide variety of pledge options, with some pretty nice benefits, including: the full soundtrack, early access to the game, or even you own customized title edition. Hopefully we will get to see more tin-can chewing action from the game in the coming months. |
| This weekend on TwitchTV: Mash Tactics at Topware Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:45 AM PDT Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel is committed to bringing lots of great gaming-related entertainment even during the weekends. From playing games on the stream, to discussing them in a talk show format, we bring a wide range of entertainment with that unique Dtoid flavor. As Bill Zoeker mentioned yesterday, this weekend Mash Tactics will be presenting a special Saturday show from TopWare interactive, where they will be playing the new DLC for Two Worlds II, Pirates of the Flying Fortress, showing off some upcoming titles, and giving away prizes! For the rest of this weekend's programming, read on below!
Saturday Morning Hangover with Conrad Zimmerman and Jordan Devore airs from 10:00am to 12:00pm Pacific. Come watch as they play the latest Xbox Live Indie Games demos for your enjoyment, and revel in the beauty of Conrad's mustache! This week, the guys wlil attempt to play TF2 Arcade on the stream while getting their drink on, so tune in to see how it goes!
Mash Tactics has a special show this Saturday starting at 12:00pm until 5:00pm Pacific! Not only are they streaming live from TopWare, but they will be playing the latest Two Worlds II DLC and give away prizes! Its also Pico's last official show on the channel, so make sure to tune in to tell her how much you'll miss her!
321gocast is Destructoid's only live show/podcast hybrid airing on Sunday, from 2:00-4:00pm Pacific starring Johnnyviral, Jesse Cortez, Analoge, and Ryu89. This week, Philanthropy, host of Skill with Phil lends his streaming services while Brett Zeidler joins as special guest!
Destructoid's live community talk show, Also, Talks, starring Bill Zoeker and Johnnyluchador is committed to bringing interesting conversations about videogames, Destructoid, and other stuff on Sunday at 4:00pm Pacific. This week, because its Lucha's anniversary (congrats!!!)l, Philanthrophy and Johnnyviral will keep Zoeker company while they entertain your questions on the live chat. Catch these shows and more on Twitch.tv/destructoid! |
| Shinobi 3DS trailer details Streetpass challenges Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT
Shinobi's 3DS outing will have Streetpass functionality that brings extra challenge gameplay to the table. It's all detailed in the above trailer, which helpfully spells it all our for us. Good going, SEGA! I was encouraged by what I've played of Shinobi, but I'll need to get hold of the whole thing before I'm fully confident. I used to adore the old Shinobi games, so I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed. |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:15 AM PDT This Saturday, October 1, the Gaming and Giving for Good (G3) Charity Event to benefit Extra Life will be taking place on Xbox LIVE. For those of you unfamiliar with Extra Life (or the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals), they're a charity whose sole goal is to raise money for sick children across the globe. If there's a better cause out there, I can't think of it! So how can you help? I'm glad you asked! Dtoider manasteel88 has volunteered to host a team, and he needs your help to meet his goal! Whether you choose to simply donate or go so far as to volunteer your own time, sick kids all over the world will be eternally thankful. Click here to find out more! To go along with this, Microsoft is offering a free weekend of Xbox LIVE starting tonight, meaning anyone and everyone can play along! So what are you waiting for? Go get your game on (and do some good while you're at it)! New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames online! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join in or even host something yourself! The planning for FNF starts in the forums, where community members volunteer to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Then, every Friday, reminder posts go up in the community blogs followed by a recap post here on the front page for last-minute planning. To join in, simply send a friend request to the match host! (Don't forget to say you're from Dtoid!) If you'd rather host something yourself, sound off in the comments section below! We hope to see you online! Tonight's Hosts:
Tonight's Hosts:
Check out the 360 FNF community blog for more details! Tonight's Hosts:
Check out the PS3 FNF community blog for more details! Tonight's Hosts:
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| How I learned to stop pining for Half-Life: Episode Three Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT In May of 2006, Half-Life 2: Episode Three was announced. It was said that the project would be wrapped up and pushed out just in time for a Christmas 2007 release. I had no idea what Valve Time was. I didn't have much experience with the company. I had yet to plod through the five stages of grief over the release of a game. It has been nearly four years and the game’s whereabouts remain unknown. What began as a seemingly final installment to the story arc set in motion by Half-Life 2 is now a puzzling affair. I initially felt the need to demand to know what was going on at Valve. Now, I'm content with waiting. This is how I learned to stop pining for Episode Three. Experience It wasn’t until Half-Life 2 was re-released in The Orange Box, in the Fall of 2007, that I sat down and played through it. I tossed aside my expectations and went in relatively blind, despite hearing good things.
I was initially patient, thinking Valve was hard at work on it. I told myself they couldn’t keep this going for more than a couple years. So I moved on to other games and Half-Life was soon off my mind. Since the game's delay, no further information has been released outside of blips during interviews. I wanted to know more! Why did the studio’s acknowledgment of the game seem to fade out after 2007? Enlightenment Why do we keep coming back to Episode Three? Why does nearly every interview, news article, and forum thread concerning Valve come back to the next entry in the Half-Life series? Usually, if something is good, we want more of it. Valve has a persistent track record of polished games that lead the pack. They're known for experimenting and taking calculated risks. It’s easy to lose hope in a concept that remains unseen. I knew what direction Episode Three was supposed to head in. I knew it was supposed to be the last of the story arc set in motion. This was going to be as epic as epic could be defined. Perhaps even epic enough to have the term redefined. My discovery of The Final Hours of Half-Life 2 and The Final Hours of Portal 2 further expanded my understanding of the company. Both features helped paint a vivid picture to the trials and tribulations both projects put the company through. Creative Freedom So what did I learn about Valve that changed my stance on Episode Three? This leads to the company's founding principle: non-linear development. Valve does whatever it believes its time is best spent doing. A project starts with a collection of passion and interest. From there, the concept continues to be refined until the company believes it meets their own standards. So why has Valve been noticeably quiet about the happenings of the Half-Life series with future installments? Because Half-Life 2 had moments that severely damaged the morale of the company and led to cracks in the company's carefully crafted environment (see: the leaking of an unfinished Half-Life 2 build). The company has since learned it’s best to give a project time to hide from the public eye, as an idea in its infancy can be shattered if subjected to the cruelty of a general audience. What makes the company work, as a whole, is that they don’t have to answer to shareholders looking from the outside of the company and the industry. The head of the company, comparatively, works directly with employees on projects. Can you imagine what we'd have if the company had shareholders and suits dictating its projects? Half-Life 5? A non-existent mod community due to the hampering of “unauthorized use” of the Source engine? Left 4 Dead 4? No hats in Team Fortress 2? Understanding “That’s all interesting,” you may say, “but what’s wrong with wanting to know more about the next Half-Life game?” There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know more. By nature, we’re curious. It’s when we feel the need to unkindly say that we deserve to know more that a problem arises.
Conjecture “Fair enough,” you say, “but what’s happening, then? I still want to know if Episode Three is on or off!” The company saw potential in the episodic model and viewed it as an opportunity to talk about other stories in the Half-Life universe. Something changed in 2007. From company behavior, word-of-mouth, and past events, here are three speculative answers for the whereabouts of the next Half-Life game. One, Episode Three is proving to be an ambitious project and no deadline has been set to allow the team time to create a product that satisfies the company’s standard. Time Every scenario will eventually lead to the public once again taking the helm of Gordon Freeman. From what I know about the company, Valve will eventually return to the series and get behind a concept they believe in. It’s just a matter of time. We aren’t entitled to anything from the company. Having been guilty of this myself, I can no longer understand how people can say “I don’t care about that game. Where’s Episode Three?”
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| Violence studies says blame the kid, not the game Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:45 AM PDT No sh*t. But at least someone is backing up what we already knew with some science. Here's the short version: If you've got a kid that has mood issues, or sometimes acts unfriendly, then you should probably keep him away from the violent videogames. It's the kid that's mostly to blame, and not all the game. This is the meat of what Psychologist Patrick Markey of Villanova University presented at the American Psychological Association recently. Markey had the published in the Review of General Psychology. It was based on responses from 118 participants collected in 2009, where half played violent games and the other half played non-violent ones. "If you're worried about a video game turning your son or daughter into a killer, don't worry about that," says Markey. "But is your kid moody, impulsive, or are they unfriendly? It's probably not the best idea to have that child play violent video games." "Video games are not simply good or bad for everybody,” he told USA Today. “But for some individuals who have certain dispositions, if they play video games they’re much more likely to be negatively affected.” Another study in the journal Psychology of Violence backs this up: "It appears that competition in games is what may influence aggression, not the violent content," says study author Paul Adachi. "We found — irrespective of violent content — the two highly competitive games produced more aggressive behavior than the two less competitive games." U Mad? |
| Sonic Generations trailer goes Dreamcast on our asses Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT
SEGA has released yet another trailer for Sonic Generations, this time detailing the "Dreamcast era" levels that will be available to play through as both Classic and Modern Sonic. That said, I am fairly certain Sonic Heroes wasn't a Dreamcast game. Anyway, it's a cool trailer, and furry fans will be jizz their pants when they see Shadow at the end, being all broody and sexy as he is. Oh, that Shadow! |
| Latest SSX trailer brings the hype Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:15 AM PDT
While it seems most people have come back around to SSX after a questionable start, anyone still not feeling this modern take on the series ought to give this new trailer a chance. Prior videos have also shown that this game is still in the realm of familiarity, though none of those were particularly lengthy; we're given a nice, solid look at SSX today, including those wonderful wingsuits. And the music by The Qemists isn't half bad, either. |
| Weekend PC download deals: Blood Bowl, Rebellion games Posted: 30 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT As someone who quit his job on Monday, today's scant pay packet will only be used for the most vital deals this weekend. Steam has a glut of offers available and Good Old Games has some interesting ones as well. What's on offer on both services is The Witcher 2 with its new and free 2.0 update, £20.99/$29.99 on Steam and $29.99 on GOG (until 6th October). Good Old Games have their usual 50% discount this weekend, this time it's the games of Rebellion that are on offer. Probably most famous for their espionage themed dungeon builder, Evil Genius, but there's plenty more to Rebellion including the Ground Control and Empire Earth franchises. Prices range from $2.99 to $4.99 and you can purchase the whole Rebellion bundle for $40.89. Steam has a variety of offers this weekend, the most eye catching one is Blood Bowl Legendary Edition for 80% off. Also on offer is the recently released Dungeon Siege III for 50% off and Post Apocalyptic Mayhem for 50% off. P.A.M. is also available for free this weekend so that's going to be tempting to try especially at this price. |
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