New Games |
- Holy butternuts at this Halo rifle made out of LEGOs!
- Saints Row: The Third stations and tracks revealed
- Microsoft's Kinect branching out beyond games
- Doom 3 source code to go public after lawyer clearance
- Lineage II to see a huge update and go 'Truly Free'
- More Dota 2 beta invites are going out this week
- Voxatron Debut gets Blocks That Matter, Binding of Isaac
- Resident Evil: Revelations is $50 due to larger storage
- Holiday Kinect bundle has Fruit Ninja, Gunstringer, more
- Review: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Live show: Uncharted 3 on Mash Tactics
- Review: The War of the Worlds
- Gears of War 3 free Versus Booster Map Pack coming Nov 24
- Talking to Women about Videogames: You! Like what I like!
- Help us create this year's Dtoid Holiday Gift Guide!
- Saints Row 3 PC system requirements for that ass
- Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack is live, only 1.42mb
- Contest: Win Modern Warfare 3 & MW3 Gunnars this week
- One ring to rule them: new Halo: Anniversary trailer
| Holy butternuts at this Halo rifle made out of LEGOs! Posted: 01 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PDT Nick Jensen is a sick man, and I say that in the nicest way possible. After totally flipping out because of how awesome Halo: Reach was, he knew he had to do something big to commemorate. He studied the design of the game's Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel in excruciating detail, then he constructed this full-size model of the weapon over the course of four months. The final beast is over five feet long and weighs over ten pounds. Good gravy, the damn thing is so heavy that the barrel actually sags! Limp biscuit aside, this is quite an impressive project. You can check out some glamor shots of the gun in the gallery, or you can hit up Nick's Flickr for some WIP pics. Life-sized Halo sniper rifle built with LEGO [The Brothers Brick] | |
| Saints Row: The Third stations and tracks revealed Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PDT We have a full list of the stations and tracks you'll find in Saints Row: The Third. In the game you'll be able to pick your favorites to make your own mix tape. If you count your mix tape, that makes 7 stations and an asston of songs, from Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" to "State of Ghetto Jackin" by Baobinga featuring DJ Nasty. Hit the jump for the full list. THE MIX Stand and Deliver Fantasy Holding out For A Hero Machinehead Pepper Epic Relax You're The Best Around Return Of The Mack Live Wire Shout At The Devil No Easy Way Out My Adidas Ball and Chain What I Got It's My Life Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream) Funky Cold Medina
KRHYME Gimme What You Got Done Did It (feat. Nicole Wray & NOE) Throw Your Hands Up My Life Is A Party Power Get It In feat. Ammo & K. Madison I'm Burnt [Feat. Problem] Don't Panik Paradise Quiet Dog In The Zone Fur In My Cap Boom Bye Yeah Push Play Can't Stop Now The Countdown 93 hardcore Yonkers Mirrors feat. Bun B Good to Go Feat Bun B
GEN X Volcanology Diamond Eyes Clarion Call Stupid Grin Renegades Sha La La La La Too Fake Torture Lost Desire Animal Riot Rhythm Next Girl In Cauda Venemum Queen Dot Kong El Matador Born Free Stop Searching aka Sweatpants Paint Yourself
K12 Baggy Bottom Boys State of Ghetto Jackin feat. DJ Nasty Satisfaction A City in Florida Idealistic Pitiless Heartbeats Double Bubble OH NO U DON'T Angry Elephants Wallflower Scrub Down C.L.U.B. Neckbrace Woo Boost 31 Seconds To Die Don't Break It
The Blood Berzerker Runes To My Memory Obfuscation Perfect Weapon Suicide Jag Feel Like I Do Apocalyptic Havoc Regurgitated Disinformation WW III arma goddamn motherfuckin geddon Divinations Apologies Are For The Weak The Lotus Eater Rise, Rebel, Resist Misanthropy Pure Love? Necropolis Farewell, Mona Lisa Slow Revolution Engine Wrecker
KABRON Este Reggaeton Vamonos Hasta Bajo Get Down Ella Prende Gilla | |
| Microsoft's Kinect branching out beyond games Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PDT Remember that time Microsoft announced that Kinect would make commercials interactive? Well now Kinect will not only let you be part of advertising, it is going to be used by companies to make their products interactive. There are, in fact, over 200 businesses and 20 brands already on board. Instead of these businesses coming to your home, the interactive experience will be in the stores, public areas or locations using the technology. Microsoft has already proved that it wants people to use Kinect for more than just interactive gaming, and while I'm not a huge fan of the interactive commercials idea (making a commercial interactive doesn't make it stop being a commercial), I like that the potential this technology has is being used for more than just on-rails games. It probably won't make me like shopping more, but if it can make the task suck less, I'm okay with it. One Year After Release, Microsoft Moves Kinect Toward Business and Science [Kotaku via GamesIndustry.biz] | |
| Doom 3 source code to go public after lawyer clearance Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:30 PM PDT The impending release of Doom 3's source code has been teased by id Software's John Carmack, who says the company is merely waiting on "final lawyer clearance for release." While id Tech 4 may be showing its age -- Doom 3 launched in 2004, after all -- it's still being used by mainstream games and one can only imagine what homemade wonders will come out of the engine going open source. Patience, people. Doom 3: The Sourcening Approaches [Rock, Paper, Shotgun] | |
| Lineage II to see a huge update and go 'Truly Free' Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PDT
It seems that more and more, MMOs are adopting the free-to-play model every week. City of Heroes and DC Universe Online have already done so and by the end of the year Lineage II will be in the same boat. They aren't exactly calling it "free-to-play," since that usually implies various levels of membership for the playerbase. Lineage II is going "Truly Free," meaning that you will have absolutely no restrictions while paying nothing at all. You can, however, choose to buy booster packs of items from the L2 Store with "NCoin," the currency. If you're currently a paid subscriber you will become a Free member once the change happens and any extra paid time will be converted to NCoin. More information can be read over on the official FAQ page. Along with this new subscription model, Lineage II will be bringing a huge content update titled Goddess of Destruction. NCSoft is claiming that players will be able to experience more than 400 hours with this new update as they level up from 1-99. I'm quite surprised that every single player will have the same access with no tiered membership. I can only hope that more MMOs adopt this policy over the now-traditional free-to-play model, especially since it will likely attract more new players by not starting them at a disadvantage. Is this "Truly Free" model significant enough to get you guys to try out Lineage II if you haven't already? | |
| More Dota 2 beta invites are going out this week Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PDT Did you get an email inviting you to tell Valve more about yourself? If you had previously signed up as being interested in the Dota 2 beta, you probably did. Those who fill out the survey may get an invite when the next wave gets sent out. Perhaps best of all, every beta invite comes with two more that can be gifted to friends. Let's face it, not everyone is obsessively into playing MOBA games competitively, so this is terrific news. And, in typical Valve fashion, there's a comic for us to peruse. | |
| Voxatron Debut gets Blocks That Matter, Binding of Isaac Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PDT Well, now you have even less of an excuse. As had been suggested by a number of people, The Binding of Isaac and Blocks That Matter have been added to the Humble Voxatron Debut. All you have to do is pay more than the average contribution, which, right now, is sitting at approximately four bucks. Four bucks gets you two of our favorite commercial indie games of the year. And, better yet, both titles recently received new content: the Halloween update for Isaac, and Cocoa Levels for Blocks That Matter. | |
| Resident Evil: Revelations is $50 due to larger storage Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:45 AM PDT Look, I have no doubt that Resident Evil: Revelations will be a good game, but $50 for a 3DS title? Are we paying $10 for an erasable save spot? Kidding! Kind of. Our recent preview tells us that Revelations is huge, has full voice acting, Circle Pad support and a script by Dai Sato, but it's still a 3DS game, erasable save space or no. So why the price hike? The game requires a 4GB cartridge to hold all of that, says Capcom. "Resident Evil Revelations is an all new Resident Evil title with over 20 hours of gameplay, and cutscenes beautifully rendered in fear-inducing 3D," a Capcom spokesperson told Kotaku. "A true console experience on a handheld device, Resident Evil Revelations is an epic title that offers both a single-player campaign for that classic survival horror gaming experience, and an additional RAID mode that can be played cooperatively or single player. To handle all of that data Resident Evil Revelations requires a 4GB cartridge, resulting in a higher price point." Ow. At least they didn't say that it's $10 better than other 3DS titles. How do you feel about having to shell out an extra $10 for the increased storage requirement of Revelations? Are you still going to buy it? | |
| Holiday Kinect bundle has Fruit Ninja, Gunstringer, more Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PDT Microsoft has announced that a new limited-edition Kinect Holiday Bundle, priced at $149.99, is on the way. It's actually worth considering, if the games included -- The Gunstringer, Fruit Ninja Kinect, and Kinect Adventures -- are relevant to your interests. Having recently played a fair amount of newer Kinect titles at Conrad's place, I'm beginning to think that this month might be the right time to bite the bullet. It is somewhat irritating to see that The Gunstringer is only being offered as a download here, considering the size of my ancient Xbox 360 hard drive. Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor Holiday Bundle [Major Nelson] | |
| Review: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PDT Of all the games released this year, I was most looking forward to playing Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. While I loved the original Uncharted, I did agree with some people that it felt a little repetitive, especially towards the end. With Uncharted 2, though, Naughty Dog pulled out all the stops and got everything right. For me, the game was the perfect experience from beginning to end. Apparently, most of the other Destructoid editors agreed, as the game went on to take home our Game of the Year award in 2009. But how do you top something that superb? Could Naughty Dog actually deliver a new sequel that is even better than Uncharted 2? Or is Uncharted 3 cursed to always live in the shadow of its beloved predecessor? Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PlayStation 3) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception once again follows the adventures of Nathan Drake, as he hops around the world on a quest for magnificent treasures. This time around, though, things feel much more personal ... even, somehow, as you are fighting thousands of feet in the air in the back of a burning cargo plane. In the other Uncharted games, Nathan was driven by a clear and shallow focus to obtain mystical treasure. In Uncharted 3, however, this ultimate goal is less black-and-white. For the first time in the series, Nathan and the people around him begin to question why he is doing what he is doing. Are all the risks and sacrifices worth it? It is this morality and surprisingly dark undertone that drive Uncharted 3's story. And it is also this tone that sets it apart from the other games. While the two previous games had great characters, they felt more like extremely well-acted action/adventure archetypes. The rough-and-tumble partner. The sassy love interest. The intelligent, yet creepy villain. They all worked in the context of the games, but ultimately felt a little hollow. In Uncharted 3, all of the characters -- including most of your old favorites and some excellent new additions -- feel so much more complex. Not only is each character given some real, sometimes tragic emotions to deal with, but the relationships between these friends and enemies are portrayed with surprising depth. Speaking of enemies, Uncharted 3 has some really good ones. The main villain, Katherine Marlowe, is, hands down, the best in the series. (Her terrifying, mysterious cohort, Talbot, is not too shabby, either.) There is a conversation about halfway through the game between Nathan and Katherine that is easily the best written (and acted!) dialogue in all three Uncharted games. Fortunately, the game is full of moments like this: sharply written, superbly acted sequences that really expose each character and take the series to a whole new emotional level. But as great as the story and characters are in the game, let's be honest, the main focus of the Uncharted games is the action. With Uncharted 2, the bar was set ridiculously high for what can be done in a videogame. When I was going into Uncharted 3, my main concern was whether the game could raise the bar even higher. I can't believe I am typing this, but Uncharted 3 manages the impossible. It is an even bigger thrill ride than both the previous games combined. As much as I would love to spoil some of the game's best moments just so I can hold down the caps lock key and go crazy over how awesome they are, I would never do that, as experiencing certain things for the first time with no knowledge of what to expect is part of the fun. Just be prepared. As you play through the game's generous, perfectly constructed single-player campaign, you are going to be blown away. Like, seriously blown away. One sequence in particular is so impressive -- think The Poseidon Adventure meets Die Hard -- that it ranks as one of my favorite videogame moments of all time. And just when you think the game can't top itself, it does something even more out-of-control that will blow your mind and drop your jaw all over again. If anything, this review should be a testament to the incredible design team at Naughty Dog. Those men and women are some of the most talented people to ever grace the industry. The things that are done in Uncharted 3 are beyond incredible. As you jump from one stunning location to the next, Nathan and his allies are presented with a wide variety of different tasks and challenges that never once feels stale. It is this variety and attention to detail that impressed me the most. At one point you will be jumping over the rooftops of a bustling city; the next, you will be exploring the dark woods of France. After exploring the puzzle-filled dungeons of a Syrian castle, you will then be navigating a gorgeous ship graveyard off the coast of Yemen. And just wait until you start Chapter 2! Talk about an unexpected and gasp-inducing surprise! And it's not just the locations and environments that are constantly changing. The things that happen in those locations are completely unique as well. What would you say if I told you there is a drug hallucination sequence in the game? Or a sequence that tests the limit of what it feels like to be claustrophobic? Or a set of brilliant puzzles that feels inspired by The Goonies? Or a few emotional scenes that will genuinely get you choked up? ALL OF THIS STUFF IS IN UNCHARTED 3! And it is all glorious. The game just keeps getting better and better and better, until you realize how sad you are that it is almost over. I truly did not want the game to end. As for the technical details, it would be easy to say that Uncharted 3 is one of, if not the most technically impressive videogames ever created. Everything from the lighting, to the water and sand effects, to the character animation is perfect. One small detail finds Nathan touching walls and reacting to things in the environment as he passes by them. This is a nice, subtle addition, but comes into full, magnificent effect when Nathan takes part in a chase through the streets of a populated village. The way he interacts with everything as he runs past it is incredible and, again, will blow you away (as will the highly detailed environments). As far as the actual gameplay goes, you can expect more of the same shooting and clever platforming from Uncharted 2, with a much tighter feel and a very welcome focus on hand-to-hand combat. During the game's memorable opening bar brawl, the game teaches the player how to fight using Uncharted 3's revamped melee combat system. While the fighting mechanics are not as deep as, say, Batman: Arkham City, they're miles ahead of the previous Uncharted games. While fighting, Nathan can perform easy-to-use counter-attacks, throws, and environment-based special moves (such as grabbing a bottle from a nearby table) with free-flowing ease. Fighting in a giant group of enemies is not overwhelming, as the controls are tight, resulting in much more than just a panicked mashing of the attack button. Shooting is the most similar. While there are a few new guns and weapons to play around with, this particular aspect of the game feels virtually unchanged. But that is not a bad thing, as I don't mind the sometimes tough-to-connect gun controls. It feels more realistic and makes every bullet and shot count. Honestly, though, while there are many shootout sequences, each one is designed to incorporate so much more than just a random room full of boxes to hide behind while you shoot at enemies. Whether a gun battle takes place inside a moving plane as the cover slides back and forth, or in a whirling sandstorm, the standard stay-in-cover-behind-a-crate-in-a-generic-room sequences of old are virtually non-existent. The music and sound effects are also worth mentioning. Both are stellar, with a slight nod going to the unbelievably great sound in the game. If you can, play the game with headphones. The details in the sound effects really should not be missed, and add so much to the game's already stunning environments. While I play the Uncharted games for the single-player, the multiplayer in Uncharted 3 has been improved enough to make it feel pretty worthwhile. I am not going to lie: I wasn't a huge fan of the multiplayer in Uncharted 2. Maybe it is because I am not a fan of online gaming in general, but I always felt that a game like Uncharted doesn't need a mulitplayer aspect, especially a sloppy one at that. And while I still feel that adding multiplayer in Uncharted feels a little forced, at least the multiplayer in Uncharted 3 is pretty fun. Like with Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3 features the traditional deathmatch, capture-the-flag, and co-op modes, with the addition of some pretty nice bonuses. Things called Boosters and Kickbacks, as well as customizable gun mods, add some much-needed variety and addictiveness to the proceedings. I may actually continue to play multiplayer (online and local split-screen) once the game is released next week. (For the record, I never thought I would ever say that.) Despite my near-nausea level of praise, there were a couple of things in the game that I felt were not as perfect as the rest of the experience. For one, the game ends somewhat abruptly. The last few chapters feel slightly rushed, but I think that is more a personal preference of where I wanted the story to go, rather than a slight on the quality of the ever-twisting narrative. In addition, nothing feels shockingly new in the game. It really does feel like Uncharted 2: The Next Chapters, with some fun new features and tighter controls thrown in. For a fan like me, this is all I could ask for, but for anyone on the fence about the game, or for someone who didn't like the other Uncharted games very much, there most likely isn't enough new stuff to bring you in or change your mind about the series. For me, though, videogames don't get any better than Uncharted 3. I can't even count on both hands its number of outstanding, absolutely jaw-dropping moments. Every painstaking detail combines to create a world full of wonderful characters and unequaled action. Once you play it, it is impossible to not get swept up into the adventure of it all. Uncharted 3 jumps from one extraordinary set piece to the next, pushing the way a videogame narrative can be presented. Equal parts exhilarating and emotional, I can't say I have ever played a more perfectly paced game. When all is said and done, "perfect" really is the best word to describe it. Uncharted 3 is the best PlayStation 3 game to date ... and one helluva great ride. | |
| Live show: Uncharted 3 on Mash Tactics Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PDT Today, Mash Tactics is playing the glowingly-praised Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Carnage and Wesley will be focusing mostly on multiplayer so as not to spoil too much of this highly-anticipated title. Jump on PSN and join the crossfire live. Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Wesley Ruscher 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. | |
| Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PDT In 1898, H.G. Wells published a tale of invaders from another world, descending upon Earth's cities with a terrible force. The War of the Worlds has been adapted into every form of media since that time, including a couple of videogames. The latest attempt to tell the story has arrived on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, bringing tripods and heat rays with it. The War of the Worlds [PS3, Xbox 360 (reviewed)] The War of the Worlds tells a similar story to the one found in H.G. Wells' classic novel, though with different characters and set in the mid-twentieth century. Our narrator, Arthur Clark, must make his way across the burning city of London as a martian invasion fleet is attacking. Throughout the game, the plot advances with past-tense narration from Arthur, expertly voiced by Patrick Stewart (who lends considerable weight and dignity to a decent script), and radio broadcasts discovered in stages. Presented as a 2D side-scrolling game, Arthur runs, jumps and clambors across debris, over and through buildings and even one of the martian towers. The faded, largely black and white visual design is effective at being a bit on the creepy side. Shadowy tripods, barely visible through fog, march in the backgrounds and look really cool. Some foreground elements don't really hold up their end of the bargain, though. Arthur's movements, for example, are serviceable but seem unnatural and most of the already alien invaders look really out of place against the environments. It does help in the sense that your eye is drawn towards active elements in the game but that's merely a silver lining. Arthur is a common man and not the sort of super-powered figure we're often accustomed to playing in games. He can run, jump, crouch and roll but that's about it for his repertoire until acquiring an axe mid-game (and even then, he's no warrior). He's frail to the point where falling more than twice his height could mean death and is no match whatsoever for the advanced weapons of the martians. About half the game is spent hiding from spotlights or running from them when stealth isn't an option and the timing on these sequences is nice and tight. Maybe it's a bit too tight at times. There are a few parts where the timing can be so exact that death can happen dozens of times before you get it right, the margin for error so low that it's hard to believe you haven't made it. The War of the Worlds provides checkpoints within levels where you'll return when Arthur bites it and they're very frequent but it can be frustrating for those without patience for this kind of action/platform game. When you aren't running or hiding under a piece of rubble in the hopes that a flying saucer will pass you by, there are some light puzzle sections featuring the deadly black smoke choking the city. It seeps into buildings and you must be quick to use switches that open and close doors and vents to escape. Occasionally, you'll have to explore a bit to find your way through a structure, usually riddled with some sort of nastiness or another. Bloodsucking ivy and spiders hide in these places, the only two enemies in the game that give you reasonable opportunity to defeat, and provide challenging obstacles. There's another, altogether weirder puzzle in this game which is rather interesting because it actually does force you to think outside of "switch A opens door B." I don't want to spoil anything about this particular moment, as I find it to be the highlight of the game and much of its charm lies in the discovery. The reason the puzzle is interesting is that it's wholly different from anything else in the game and all the pieces are there for you to discover. You can figure out what needs to be done based on several clues but it won't hold your hand and just point out the way. That one puzzle is very refreshing. The rest are pretty basic, with environmental hazards likely to be a greater impediment to success than figuring out what the correct course of action is. The martians are doggedly persistent in their objective to exterminate all human life. Tentacles with sweeping laser beams will pop through walls to clean out rooms where they think you might be hiding. Being seen by a spotlight from a saucer means you have little time to move, though it is possible to escape them. Some of the best thrills from this game come from areas where you're being pursued. It's decidedly from the old school and some of the stickier problems of classic platformers it pays homage to (such as Out of this World or Flashback) are present here. Arthur moves stiffly until you can get him going and has a hitbox that does not always seem clearly defined. The War of the Worlds is thankfully forgiving when it comes to grabbing ledges, which is a step in the right direction. The War of the Worlds winds up being a competent action/platform game in the end, and a fun one for fans of the genre. The debatably antiquated gameplay style and mechanics might be a turn-off for some, but those who enjoy those trappings should be satisfied. | |
| Gears of War 3 free Versus Booster Map Pack coming Nov 24 Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:30 AM PDT What are you doing this upcoming November 24? I'll be cooking and serving and baking pies and sh*t. And eating. Have you tasted my cooking? It's outstanding. Like, my baked goods are good, but my entrees and such are really nice. I may weigh somewhere in the 140s, but the inner me is a 350lb beast. If you're not a cook and you're waiting for others to cook for you this Thanksgiving, you can get down with the free Gears of War 3 DLC, Versus Booster Map Pack. It contains five maps: two favorite maps from Gears 1, Swamp and Clocktower, as well as Azura, Rustlung and Blood Drive from the Horde Command Pack. No turkey grease on the controllers, please. All of this is free on XBL this November 24. | |
| Talking to Women about Videogames: You! Like what I like! Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PDT [Talking to Women about Videogames is a series where Jonathan Holmes talks to different people who are women about the biggest videogame news of the week for some reason.] I'll never forget when the first trailer for Uncharted 3 hit. It featured a table, some books, and a logo, and that's all it took. People were already declaring that it was their game Game of the Year 2011. I couldn't believe how sure they were that they would enjoy the game that much, but more so, that they were ready to compare the game to every other game in 2011 then declare that Uncharted 3 is the best. Since then, I've seen people do the same thing with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Modern Warfare 3, and any number of high profile releases. It's such a puzzle to me! There's no other weirdness is in the world quite like it. The only thing I can compare it to is the kind of team mentality that you see with sports fans when they announce that their team is going to "take it all the way this year" before the season has even started. What's even weirder is when people attack others for being into (or not into) these games that haven't even come out yet. People are getting mad each other for saying that Battlefield 3 is better than Modern Warfare 3, a game that none of them have played. People are telling others on a daily basis that something is wrong with them because they aren't ready to declare Skyrim as the best game of the year, a good week and a half before the game even comes out. This kind of thinking is getting more and more common in gamer culture. I think I know why. Actually, there are a lot of reasons why, most of which we've gone over before. The fact that you can't compare one game's worth to another game's has been discussed heavily here on Destructoid. We've also talked a lot about how it's the reviewers' responsibility to communicate their opinion of a game, not to predict what your opinion might be. And let's not forget all the times we've talked about how some gamers identify so closely with the games they enjoy that they take it as a personal insult when those games are disrespected or criticized, and conversely, a personal triumph when those games are praised and rewarded. That's all definitely part of what's going on with this "GRRR! My GOTY hasn't even come out yet but YOU BETTER LOVE IT TOO!" mentality, but I don't think that's all that's going on here. It all comes back to the need that some people have to be perceived as "right" and "normal." In fact, one of the most common criticisms that I get for making Talking to Women about Videogames is that I am somehow making all gamers look wrong and abnormal. It's interesting to me that people would think that I am somehow doing them a disservice by making myself look like a jackass once a week. If anyone should be worried about looking incorrect and abnormal, it's me. Thankfully, I stopped putting much stock in being normal and/or whether other people see things my way a long time ago. In fact, when I do meet the occasional "normal" person (meaning, someone who is a lot like me), we quickly run out of things to talk about. There is no negative space to fill when everything is homogeneous. The differences are what give us room to share new ideas and the potential to become more enlightened and interesting individuals. Looking in the mirror is nice, but it doesn't go anywhere. Looking into the negative space allows for a lot more potential for adventure and empowerment. It's kind of like the Mega Man series. You start off the game with just one perspective/tool/weapon. As you go through life, you meet other people with totally different perspectives/tools/weapons, such as Wood Man, Hard Man, and of course, Centaur Man. At first, you might be daunted by their perspectives/tools/weapons because they are so strange and difficult to wrangle with. With perseverance and continued interaction, you'll understand how they work to the point where you have them "mastered." From there, you'll gain access to the abilities yourself, in a process we call "ego integration." Jim Sterling was only able to take on the character of Virgilio Armandio because he embedded himself so deeply in the world of gamer culture that he had learned to actually think like an art game snob. Because of these interactions, there is a little part of Jim that is really like Virgilio and can see things the way that art game snobs do. He can switch on that part of himself at any time, exaggerate the intensity of it, and honestly think in that manner for a brief time. When he gets into character as Virgilio, it's like Jim is selecting "Virgilio Man's" weapon from his internalized weapon select screen. He wouldn't be able to do that unless he'd already mastered the art of interacting with the many Virgilio's of this world. Sadly, not everyone wants to interact with people who have different perspectives/tools/weapons than their own. Some people want the stage select screen of the metaphorical Mega Man game called "human life" to look like this: These are the people who say you are wrong for not liking the games that they like in the exact way that they like them. They run to Metacritic and claim a reviewer is "wrong" if he gives a score that is too far from "the average." They're also likely to conform to the opinions of others, to follow the herd, buying whatever blockbuster game is "hot" right now, regardless of whether they want it or not, pretending to enjoy it just to fit in. These are the people who crave for normalcy and uniformity in our world. They are both afraid to be different and of those who are different. These people are missing out on a lot. Besides all the knowledge and power that they lose out on by only seeking social interactions that feed their narcissism, they're also dropping the opportunity to show the world who they really are. When you tell the world what games appeal to your unique interests, it says something about you. What games you like reflect your values, your perspective on the world, and your priorities. When you tell the world what game is your favorite, that shouldn't be seen as an opportunity to "try to fit in." These are videogames we're talking about! In my day, not fitting in came with the territory for everyone who admitted to liking videogames. No, when you tell the world what videogame you like the most, that's your chance to interact with the world, to be potentially known, and as a result, to be understood for who you really are. Trust me, it's much more satisfying to be accepted for being the real you than to gain fake acceptance by pretending to be just another penguin in the herd. Now, I'm not saying people should go out of their way to like weird games just to seem special. Like I've said in the past, working towards non-conformity is just another way of conforming. The idea here is to be excited, not threatened, by the fact that we all like different stuff. I know it's easier said than done. Underneath it all, we all have a primitive side, and we all want our favorite games to "win" once GOTY time rolls around. That said, I believe we can all do better than that. When Mass Effect 2 got so many Game of the Year awards in 2010, my gut reaction was "Super Mario Galaxy 2 was robbed." But after a few seconds, I realized how stupid that was and instead went about trying to understand exactly how Mass Effect 2 manage to outdo so many other excellent games that were released in 2010. Admittedly, I'm still trying to figure it out (something about having sex and forming really meaningful relationships with aliens and/or sexy ladies?), but the fact that I still don't know keeps me intrigued. Some of the most interesting, elightening conversations I've had about gaming have been with Maurice Tan, Max Scoville, Conrad Zimmerman, Jim Sterling, and countless Dtoid community members who have very different reasons for playing videogames than I do. Once you get past the initial "I can't believe you like that crap!" stage, the amount of fun you can have talking with gamers of different tastes is nearly endless. Without different textures, there can be no friction; without friction, there can be no heat; without heat, things get dull fast. So I encourage you all to go on liking whatever games you like, never be ashamed of what games you enjoy the most, and never bash others for having different interests than you. Train yourself to take that instinct to attack and turn it into the instinct to explore. Get good at swapping perspectives with strangers, gain new tools and weapons, get stronger and more comfortable with your unique qualities, and truly get to know all the fantastic and amazing people available to you through the vast reaches of the Internet. If we all work at that, then eventually, instead of having a reputation for being a squabbling, nitpicking, infighting group of grumps, the world of online gamer culutre will be seen as the million-strong group of enlightened, super-genius badasses that I know it can be. Even though I don't agree with her, I honestly see why someone might like Spyro more than Skyrim, at least at first sight. Killing a dragon is cool, but on the surface, being a dragon might be even better. If you're at all threatened, angry, or confused by that idea, then you're still doing it wrong. Past Episodes: Talking to Women about Videogames: 3DS 2nd nub panic Talking to Women about Videogames: Gears 3 isn't perfect? Talking to Women about Videogames: Sexy vs. sexist? Talking to Women about Videogames: What makes you want? TtWaV teaser: Sony's online sucks now? Talking to Women about Videogames: I'm not a real gamer? Talking to Women about Videogames: Fear for the future Talking to Women about Videogames: Going mainstream TtWaV teaser: Battlefield 3 Vs. Modern Warfare 3 | |
| Help us create this year's Dtoid Holiday Gift Guide! Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:45 AM PDT For some, the holiday season is about spending time with loved ones. For others, it's about spending money to buy gifts for said loved ones so that you don't have to spend time with them. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you likely have opinions about what games and game-related products are worth a damn; now's the time to share! This year, as we work to craft our official Destructoid Holiday Gift Guide, we'd like to hear what you think the perfect gift is. Whether it's something you'd like to receive yourself or something you can't wait to buy for a friend, we want to know! Some of our staff have already expressed their interests, but something tells me you folks have even more unique ideas. Don't be shy! So what do you say? Got a great, gaming-related gift idea that you'd like to share with others? Head on over to the forums (or just leave a comment below) and let us know so we can put it in our guide! | |
| Saints Row 3 PC system requirements for that ass Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:15 AM PDT Want to play Saints Row 3 on your PC? Me too. Volition has added a Saints Video Record mode that allows you to take clips and share them. After launch we'll see other enhancements, like Team Fortress 2 bobblehead mask add-on. If you're in it more for the tech side, you'll be glad to hear that SR3 supports advanced depth of field, reflections, and ambient occlusion quality. SLI? Yep. There's AMD Eyefinity support, DX9, DX10, and DX11 support, and it's Crossfire enabled. Play it on PC if you can. Hit the jump to see the full PC requirements for Saint's Row 3. OS: Windows® XP Processor: 2GHz Dual Core Processor (Intel® Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon™ X2) or higher Memory: 2GB System RAM or more Graphics: 320MB Video RAM GPU w/ Shader Model 3.0 support. NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 series or better. ATI Radeon™ HD3800 series or better DirectX®: 9.0c Hard Drive: 10GB Sound: 100% DirectX® 9.0C compliant sound card or equivalent onboard sound Co-Op Play: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 cards require 640MB of Video RAM. ATI Radeon™ HD3800 cards require 1GB of Video RAM Online Steam Account
OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Processor: Any Quad Core Processor (Intel® Core i5 or AMD Phenom™ II X4) or 3.0+ Dual Core CPU Memory: 4GB System RAM or more Graphics: 1GB Video RAM GPU w/ Shader Model 4.0 support. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 400 series or better. ATI Radeon™ HD5000 series or better DirectX®: DirectX® 11 Hard Drive: 10 GB Sound: 100% DirectX® 9.0C compliant sound card or equivalent onboard sound Online Steam Account
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| Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack is live, only 1.42mb Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:01 AM PDT We told you that the Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack was delayed a bit, but now it's good for downloading. And I'd bet the download finishes before you can finish reading this article. It's 1.42mb! Less than 2 mb? $10 isn't a lot of money for this much DLC, but it feels strange to give that kind of change for such a small download. It's like a software switch. Try not to think too hard about it. If you're not hung up on technical details, this is a fair bit of content for 800 Microsoft points. You get three new characters, three new maps, two weapon skins and new Achievements. Oh, and fortification upgrades. Go now! | |
| Contest: Win Modern Warfare 3 & MW3 Gunnars this week Posted: 01 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PDT This contest is a short one, so I hope you're paying attention and didn't get here too late! We have two brand-new licensed Modern Warfare 3 GUNNAR gaming eyewear to give way (valued at $99, includes a MW3-branded pouch and carrying case) and we're also giving away the full game (any region, any platform) to give away to some lucky readers. They're slick-looking and have a really nice weight/feel to them, and I bet they can take a beating. I own a pair of GUNNAR Anime and I've dropped them at least 10 times and they still look like they belong to someone that isn't an uncoordinated butterfingers. Anyway, these can be yours! Pry them from my cold dead hands, people! To enter the contest just click here to tweet @GunnarOptiks with the hash tag #MW3GUNNARS and you're entered to win. Feel free to personalize your tweet, just keep the hashtags intact. You can be as voracious as you'd like, as winners will be selected at random on midnight November 6th, and two winners will be announced. Win yours before the game comes out! All territories are eligible to win. Good luck!
Check them out at GUNNAR's web site: Our fully-loaded Call of Duty MW3 Gaming Eyewear packs every advanced feature of our eSport eyewear into a future-warrior inspired design. Spring hinges, precision engineered into a magnesium / aluminum body, provide a custom fit. Wide coverage lenses give an ultra sharp view into the furthest ranges of your peripheral vision. Adjustable nose pads accommodate a wide range of facial features. With venting details inspired by the latest technology in military machinery, the entire frame is covered with a brushed battle-scar finish. Stay focused, play longer, and protect your eyes. Includes the Limited-edition eyewear, branded pouch, and branded carrying case. | |
| One ring to rule them: new Halo: Anniversary trailer Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PDT
With only two weeks away from release, 343 Industries has decided to pay respect to franchise history and to its loyal fans with this new Halo: Anniversary trailer. Hitting retailers on November 15, the game will feature enhanced visuals, redesigned maps and Kinect support, to name just a few of the new additions. Executive Producer of Publishing, Dan Ayoub said, "Halo: Anniversary is a token of gratitude to our fans for the passion and dedication they've shown for the franchise over the past ten years...We've poured all out passion and energy into making Halo: Anniversary a truly faithful remake of the original classic, and we can't wait to join the fans online...' So far, it's looking like a great remake of the original, and you do end up getting a lot of content for a fair price. I can still remember late night Halo LAN sessions with my friends; traversing the frozen wastes of Sidewinder, the sterile textures and haunting obelisks of Hang 'Em High and the satisfying grunt of frustration from a friend getting killed a 5th time by my ridiculously overpowered Pistol. Those were the days. |
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