All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#pullquote Frank Lantz, the man who brought you iPhone time-sink Drop 7 and who has dropped many a wise word to me about games over beers, provides a bravura take on gaming's potential — during a TEDx talk mostly about poker. More »

#gamescom2010 Ubisoft's Michael Jackson The Experience will be playable at this month's GamesCom in Germany, alongside Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, R.U.S.E. and a slew of other upcoming titles. More »

Luc Bernard’s Mecho Wars is coming to WiiWare at some point down the road. We don’t know when, but it’s going to happen. If you don’t want to wait to have some fun, you could try out the free version of Mecho Wars on the app store. You’ll be paying for more [...]

Rock n'shock'em fun with your favorite BlazBlue chibi characters.

From the knocked-out teeth of developer GRIN comes a new studio: Whiteout. GI.biz reports the team is currently working on a CryEngine 3 project, for which it has already created a playable prototype, and will generally focus on downloadable titles. This is likely a wise direction to take, considering Bionic Commando: Rearmed was GRIN's one real success amidst the retail disaster trifecta of Bionic Commando, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Terminator: Salvation.

Whiteout is at least the third studio to respawn (which is a totally different studio) out of the death of GRIN. Outbreak Studios formed before the corpse was even cold, while Might&Delight -- made up of the Rearmed team -- is also grappling new projects.

Nexon revenues, players jump.

function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf", "mplayer", "420", "340", "8", "#000000"); so.addParam("wmode","transparent"); so.addParam("swliveconnect", "true"); so.addParam("allowscriptaccess", "always"); so.addParam("allowfullscreen", "true"); so.addVariable("pid", "goni001"); so.addVariable("siteId", "485"); so.addVariable("videoId", "181673"); so.addVariable("file", "http://cms.springboard.gorillanation.com/xml_feeds_advanced/index/485/3/181673/"); so.addVariable("pageUrl", document.location); so.write("flashcontent_485_goni001_single_181673"); } getVideo()

#xbox360 Get a head-start on populating the world of Fable III with the Fable III Villager Maker, an easy way to add a new non-player character to your game without having to be a virtual slut. More »

Take a pet with you wherever you go.

EA's hoping you'll take off that silly santa hat and don a thinking cap this holiday, when you play "Create," a new game from its UK-based Bright Light studio. "Create uses families' imaginations to develop new ways to play together that are both fun and challenging," said Harvey Elliot, VP and general manager of Bright Light.

So, the game's about ... inventing stuff? Not quite. The actual nuts and bolts of gameplay are about completing "level-based challenges" and solving Rube Goldberg-esque puzzles in ... creative ways. The more you complete, the more objects and tools unlock to customize the environment.

The game is set to launch on PC, Mac, Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Create will support the PlayStation Move, though no indication is given that the Xbox version will employ Kinect. Based on the first trailer (see it after the break), the game seems comparable to LittleBigPlanet -- though it's lacking that adorable little sack guy -- and The Incredible Machine. Create will arrive at retail sometime this November.

Middle Age Awesomeness FTW!

This Wednesday, August 4th at 2:00am (Pacific Time), the ModNation Racers Title Update 1.02 goes live improving many of the issues the community has been concerned about. On behalf of UFG, we want to thank everyone for supporting ModNation and being patient as we’ve worked hard to make it the best experience possible. If you didn’t see the patch details on the IGN last Friday, here is a run down:

Load Time Improvements
While there are still loads, you will see decreases in load times throughout the game.

New “Casual” Difficulty Mode
We’ve added a “casual” difficulty setting in the options screen.

Challenge friends in XP Series
We’ve added the ability to invite your friends to XP Races & Series.

No more “Hot Lap” Cheaters
We fixed a bug that allowed players to cut the track and post unbeatable times in Hot Lap.

Get into Online Races Quicker
Along with improved load times, we’ve removed the online game room from the ModSpot so you can get into the race faster.

Improved Server Stability
We’ve addressed issues to improve intermittent disconnects that players were experiencing.

Three Challenges now more attainable
We wanted to provide you challenges, but didn’t want to sacrifice fun. We found 3 challenges that proved extremely difficult and changed the conditions to complete them. This includes:

• Devastator takedown on Wild Run
• Devastator takedown on Modobahn
• Sideswipe 3 opponents on the cliff side on Fracture

The Tin Bucket Unlocked!
Finally this is an item is unlocked and available to everyone by default.

Collector Card Improvement
Now see all player creations in their entirety.

Improvements to ModNation Racers don’t stop here, we are still constantly listening to the community and are committed to making ModNation Racers one of the most enjoyable experiences you’ll have on your PS3.

New features on Community.ModNation.com

We added features to the Community site Community.ModNation.com to make the experience better too, including:

Race Logs
Check out your series and XP race stats here.

See your Favorites
Now view your favorite creators as well as others’ favorite creators.

Search for Friends
Search for other players using the new icon next to login.

Rep Check
Check out you reputation under each creation type.

DLC Voucher Codes giveaway!!

Stay tuned, I’ll be giving away some voucher codes for Nathan Drake, Ratchet & Clank, and Kratos DLC in the comments section.

Nukular and Kart available tomorrow!

Previously only available via special pre-order offers, this week’s DLC is Nukular and Kart is finally available. They can be purchased separately or as a bundle from the PSN.

ModNation Racers: Creations of the Week

Amazing creations in ModNation get shared every day and we are playing a ton of them. If you are interested in submitting your mod, kart or track to be a future “creation” of the week be sure to visit up on the official ModNation Community site and who knows? You might see your handy work on the PlayStation.Blog.

Mods of the Week

Mod Name: PlayStation Move
Creator: TapDatApp

Mod Name: MNR Policeman
Creator: Adr3nalin-e

Karts of the Week

Kart Name: MNR Police District
Creator: Adr3nalin-e

Kart Name: Green monster van
Creator: Donor

Tracks of the Week

Track Name: Arctic GP
Created by: dragon_Bremen

dragon_Bremen says: “This track is based on Arctic mountains. It goes from ice-cold seaside to a high mountain peak. From the mountain peak, a big, nasty switchback goes to the finish. Be prepared to have a full action track with mean obstacles and jumps.”

Track Name: New York
Created by: Adie23

Aldie says Inspired by New York, this track has several jumps, traps and sights to see!”

Hot Lap Roster for this week

Continuing with the trend we started week’s ago this weeks Hot Lap roster features all new community created tracks.

• Monday: Mountain Madness by dragon_Bremen
• Tuesday: Once A Scenic Drive… by StealthReborn–
• Wednesday: Dawn Patrol, by maverick—07–
• Thursday: Broken Paradise by lneon_Inoodle
• Friday: Mystery Track of the Week
• Saturday: Hurghada Morning by DjTechnics
• Sunday: Gardens of Deception by ArgorokX

More news next week, until then… see you in the ModSpot!

#igaming Risk : The Official Game takes a unprecedented drop. We Farm for iPad proves iGamers are still not tired of FarmVille knock-offs, and everyone has gone crazy for the Choppers. More »

Though the target audience for EA's just-announced puzzle/creation game, Create, would seem to skew younger, my take on it from a recent press event was that gamers of all types could find something to like. And don't write it off as "My First LittleBitPlanet" just yet. Create features entertaining puzzles powered by a robust customization engine.

Create's title screen is its opening level. I spent nearly a half hour on this stage (it actually looks like a theater), learning the ins and outs of the extensive customization tools while a producer tinkered with the big 'Create' letters -- reminiscent of Mario's interactive face at the opening of Mario 64. The actual game is a lot like World of Goo in that you build the components of a stage rather than stplay through them. The levels are designed on a 2D plane and task you with various objectives (get a coin to a particular part of the map, for example). To complete these objectives, you have a mixed bag of objects with which to assemble a Rube Goldberg-like contraption that sprawls across the level. Once you've completed your creation (or exhausted the level's item constraints), you press "Play" and watch what happens.

Guildford, UK, August 2, 2010 – The Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced CreateTM, a must-have video game this holiday for the whole family that is powered by imagination and rewards players for being creative. Available this November for the WiiTM, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system featuring PlayStation®Move compatibility, Xbox [...]

Namco Bandai shares details and screens for its new Tales games, all due for PlayStation 3 and PSP.

#limitedediton Are you a North American BlazBlue fan that's upset that Aksys didn't offer a collector's edition for BlazBlue: Continuum Shift? If so, then these UK/European exclusive special editions will really piss you off. More »

Last Thursday, Amazon discounted a random trio of Square Enix games for its Deal of the Day. Today, three more Squeenix games receive a temporary discount -- and this time, none of them are Nier.

If you have yet to decide whether the time-release fun of Final Fantasy 13 is for you, the decision is slightly easier today: it's available for $29.99 on both Xbox 360 and PS3. It's joined by revolutionary mayhem simulator Just Cause 2, which is down to $36.99 on the same two platforms, and $26.99 on PC. Finally, Supreme Commander 2 is supremely cheap at $26.99 on Xbox or $19.99 on PC. Given Amazon's recent Deal of the Day history, if you were planning to buy any other recent Square Enix releases, perhaps you should sit on that purchase for a week, just in case.

Something's going down later this week.

In keeping with tradition, Fable 3 is offering fans a web-based experience to tide them over until the game's fall launch. While Fable 2's web-based promotion promised in-game prizes - like a three-piece chicken suit, for example - for completing the "Hero's Tale" puppet theater, Fable 3 is offering a different kind of in-game prize. "If you preorder Fable 3, you're going to get a special code," Microsoft's Larry Hryb revealed on last night's Major Nelson podcast. "You go to Xbox.com [...] you drop in this code, and then in your browser you're going to create a character that's going to be in your game." The so-called "Make a Villager" feature should be available "in the next day or two," Hryb said.

Eager to try your hand at making a non-playable villager but not interested in pre-ordering Fable 3? Even without a pre-order, you'll be able to play with the character creator; you just won't be able to actually import your creation into the retail game. But here's what you can do: You can select male or female, you "decide where you want to encounter them, in what town or in what region of the game," you can decide if your character is good or bad, and you can select from five different heads, 23 different hair styles, 23 different body outfits, "for over 2000 different combinations."

When you're all done, you can share just about everything (short of that "Frank Lee Disgusting" name you chose) with your e-buddies on Twitter and Facebook. At the moment, xbox.com/fable3 says to "Look for this and more next month!" We've asked Microsoft to clarify when we can get to work on our pitch-perfect Peter Molyneux doppelganger. "Oh, I'm afraid I've already said too much."

[Thanks, Joe & Liam]

What will you create?

#movies The actor behind Resident Evil: Afterlife's Chris Redfield isn't a gamer, so how did Prison Break's Wentworth Miller prepare to play this iconic character? With a montage - a Chris Redfield montage. More »

#blizzard Blizzard Entertainment plans to host an art exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei this month. More »

A master class in master crafting.