All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

The necromorphs are back and uglier than ever.

EA invented an alphabet just for the game. Learn what secrets the debut teaser holds.

See what you might have missed in Isaac's effed up world.

#facebook I love Sid Meier. Not just because he's a great game designer, but because he's a generally smart guy, as evidenced in this interview with IndustryGamers in which he talks "social" gaming in terms you should all understand. More »

#akihabara With a large bus. More »

#screengrab Tecmo Bowl Throwback parties like it's 1987. More »

When the sun set on the Xbox Live service for original Xbox games on April 15, some Halo 2 players decided they just didn't want to let go. So they've been in-game and have left their consoles running past the designated April 15 shutdown, staying in Halo 2 for almost two weeks now. They're going to flip when they see their electric bills!

This thread over on the Bungie forums lists the numerous individuals still online in Halo 2, the last few people able to play the game online ever. Determined not to abandon it until they're forcibly removed by Bungie or Microsoft (or their consoles blow up, which is a very real possibility), you can clearly see each individual's commitment via their profile page on Xbox.com:

• Agent Windex
  
• APACHE N4SIR
  
• sherlok 1
  
• Rob2D
  
• Lord Odysseus11
  
• xxMAKDADYxx
  
• H2o Shoagie
  
• DirtyCajun
  
• HiredN00bs

You gotta give it to these guys for their perseverance. Sometimes, you just can't accept something coming to an end. That's why we've never gotten around to watching the series finale of Who's The Boss?.

[Via CNET]

#southkorea Certainly tamer than Russian strippers grinding on Counter Strike players. More »

The island of Ibiza is your playground.

Head to the Mediterranean Sea in style.

#republished Last summer erotic game developer Minori, developer of adult PC titles like Bittersweet Fools and Angel Type, blocked foreign access to its website in the wake of the Rapelay controversy. More »

#wow Chinese World of Warcraft players, bummed at the challenges they face trying to play expansion Burning Crusade on a PC, could always lower their already-low graphical expectations and play the game on a...Famicom. More »

We were hoping that earning a merit badge in "video games" would involve something a bit more video gamey than explaining "why it is important to have a rating system for video games," or working to create "a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming." But that's exactly what the Boy Scouts of America requires of its young padawans to get a belt loop in the subject. Well, in fairness, you also have to "play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher." Finally, some actual game playing!

For the Tiger, Cub, and Webelos Scouts looking for something a bit more daring, the more prestigious academics pin can be earned by jumping through several more elaborate hoops (as well as requiring the aforementioned belt loop). Five out of nine potential requirements must be completed, with one that involves a bit of practice in critical writing. "Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system." Presumably, writing "I like PS3 the best cuz Wee and 360 R teh suxxorz" isn't an acceptable comparative essay. Aspiring Scouts can peep the whole list of requirements for each real life Cheevo just after the break.

[Via Engadget]

#screengrab As seen by reader ZackFair at Pasir Ris Park, Singapore. More »

#godofwar God of War is a unique series, in that three different men lead the development team for each of the three games. How, then, would David Jaffe - original creator of the series - have ended things? More »

Yes indeedy -- the wait is over for you Mac types, as Blizzard has released the Mac client version of the StarCraft 2 beta. We almost didn't think they'd make that April deadline, but they did it, a scant two days before the month ends.

Those of you with a StarCraft 2 beta key can roll on over to Battle.net and start downloading right now. The rest of you can continue drooling over our hands-on of the beta, or check out the writeup on the single-player missions that we got to see last week. And if you really want a beta key as soon as possible, for Metzen's sake, get to pre-ordering!

The Legend of Ryu and Ken’s Master, “Sheng Long,” Began as a Poor Translation Job Whenever Ryu won a match during the one of the early iterations of Street Fighter II, he would say, “You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance.” Well, who or what the heck is Sheng Long? “Sheng Long” is [...]

#wii While you were probably happy seeing proof of the imminent arrival of the black Wii on American shores, retailer GameStop is less so, sending a tersely-worded email to its stores earlier today in the wake of the console's "leak". More »

We're quite smitten with Hello Games' Joe Danger -- you only need read our latest hands-on impressions to glean as much -- so you can imagine we're anxious to take the final product for a few laps around the track. According to recent statements from Hello Games' co-founder Sean Murray (via Eurogamer), it may be available for download as soon as late May or early June.

Murray said that his team has their "fingers crossed" they'll be able to meet the proposed release window. "We're in 100 percent full-on crunch at the moment trying to put that layer of finishing touches on," he added. We can't imagine how bumpy that road to release is for developers, but we can certainly imagine doing some backflips on our dirtbike off those bumps. Does that make us selfish?

... maybe a little.

Well, if you’ve been wondering what The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past would look like on the NES/Famicom, now you know! Check out this link for some more strange Chinese pirated games.

Metal Gear Solid games may be bogged down with a ton of dialog, but there’s one thing that comes from all that exposition. Solid Snake ends up feeling like a real character, with real emotions and plenty of reasons to do what he does. Perhaps things are a bit too verbose, but at [...]

#blizzard Attention, my fellow second class Mac gaming brothers: the StarCraft II multiplayer beta is now available to download from Battle.net—if, of course, you have access to the beta for Blizzard's sci-fi real-time strategy game. [Battle.net - thanks, Corey!] More »

The popular Japanese anime Lucky Star is going to see a new set of figurines, but the characters will be wearing costumes from the Street Fighter series. Why in the world are these two properties crossing paths? It looks like the Lucky Star anime has featured a nod to the Street Fighter series [...]

#legal In early April, Sony issued a new software update for the PlayStation 3 that eliminated the option to install an alternate operating system, like Linux, to the console. Now, a California man is suing Sony Computer Entertainment over the change. More »

'Other OS' feature the center of a new class action lawsuit.

Hoping to try out Square Enix's initial foray into the MMORPG realm before the company releases its next foray into the MMORPG realm? Gamestop is offering an extremely cost effective way for you to try your hand at Final Fantasy XI -- until May 3, you can purchase the game and all of its many expansions on the retailer's website for just $11. We wish they were offering this deal on all of Square Enix's titles. Can you imagine? Just Cause 2 for $2? Final Fantasy XIII for $13? Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for $3,582? Oh, wait.