All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Is the JRPG a thing of the past?

We're no Bussinessologists or whatever, but we're pretty sure the best way to keep your fans coming back for more is to portray them as hideous, ill-mannered freaks who bathe with their Xbox 360 headset on. It just makes sense, right? It's the only way we can explain Apt. 117, a real thing that's apparently coming to Halo Waypoint "soon."

Developed by Powerhouse Animation Studios in collaboration with 343 Industries, the animated series follows "a boring average guy who lives with a Halo-obsessed idiot." Head past the break for the announcement trailer.

Contrarian Corner: Gender, perception and the emptiness of space.

- Vitality Sensor fires a light beam on one end - Vitality Sensorr has a photodetector on the other end - Hemoglobin absorbs some amount of infrared light since a player’s finger is in between the light source and photodetector - a person’s pulse rate goes up under stress, which increases blood flow, and the concentration of hemoglobin [...]

Microsoft's Kinect may have jettisoned controllers from the living room, but Atomic Accessories isn't ready to be swept away in a sea change. "Game Boat is de facto the first accessory for the peripheral which doesn't need any," mumbles the product description, tasting the cold steel of a gun barrel. "Ideal to comfortably play in 2 gamers simultaneously, still without being clumsy in the living room."

Hey, Martha. I love what you've done with the place! It seems so elegant now, which is the opposite of clumsy. The giant dinghy centerpiece really ties it all together and -- oh, are these stitched barnacle cushions on your whale couch? I love it.

Perhaps we're being unfair and ignorant of the real genius behind the Game Boat -- as a brilliant plan to save face. Remember when the head of product acquisition got drunk out of his mind because his cat choked on a stapler? "Sir, I don't think we need that many. Or any," Susan argued. But noooooo. "Shooshan, order the goh, goddamn boatsh! Twenty twelf ish jusht around the bender. You shaw the mooovie."

Aside from the tenuous anchoring provided by Kinect Adventures (which features people standing in a boat as they hurtle through an unrealistic river slalom), the Game Boat is tethered to the "reality of your home" because, well, it's so gosh-darn useful. It's easily inflated within minutes with the included pump, compatible with any model Xbox 360 (and possibly other systems), supports two seated people, and is fully functional "at the sea or at the pool." Why?

BECAUSE. IT IS. A BOAT.

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service has decided that, despite EA's recent moniker change of "Taliban" to "Opposing Force" in Medal of Honor's multiplayer component, that its decision not to sell the title "remains unchanged."

In a statement, the AAFES's Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella said, "Out of respect to those touched by the ongoing, real-life events presented as a game, Exchanges will not be carrying this product." He continued, "I expect the military families who are authorized to shop the Exchange are aware, and understanding, of the decision not to carry this particular offering."

Last week, the AAFES was "engaged in a thorough review to fully understand the extent of the modifications." Apparently it wasn't enough. We've contacted EA for a statement.

#salesget Another week, another few hundred thousand copies of Pokemon Black and White snapped up by Japanese gamers. The Nintendo DS game appears to be on track to break the 4 million mark any minute now. More »

In a followup to EA's legal victory against declared trademark "troll" Tim Langdell earlier this week, a U.S. district judge has proposed the cancellation of Langdell's trademarks filed with the Patent and Trademark Office. The trademarks are for various phrase combinations using the word "Edge" (e.g., "Cutting Edge"), confirms GamesIndustry.biz, and have been used by Langdell for years to force companies to change their game titles or pay settlements to him -- until EA stood up over the "Mirror's Edge" dispute.

Evidence provided by EA in its counterclaim showed that Langdell used doctored Edge magazine covers and box art to support his claim to the trademarks. The court's judgment to strip Langdell of his trademarks is currently pending agreement from EA and Langdell (which is expected), but does not address possible criminal penalties that Langdell could be subject to through further litigation.

#diversions Remember paper football? I never learned how to properly fold up the notebook paper into a triangle. My older brother did. We played it on a coffee table given to my great-grandfather by an admiral in the Korean navy. More »

Hi everyone,

In late September, we announced that select PlayStation Plus subscribers would be invited to participate in the PlayStation-exclusive Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood beta. Today, we are happy to announce that we have worked with Ubisoft to open this opportunity to all PlayStation Plus subscribers! Gamers interested in getting a first glimpse at the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood multiplayer mode can access the beta from the PlayStation Plus category on the PlayStation Store.

We would also like to thank you for your continued feedback on PlayStation Plus. Your comments and submissions to PlayStation.Blog Share truly do get taken under consideration and help shape the offering as we move forward.

Be sure to visit Ubisoft’s forum page to submit feedback on the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood beta. Enjoy the beta!

Klei Entertainment's stylish murder-em-up, Shank, has been dated for Steam, according to the latest trailer issued by EA. On October 26, anxious arterial-spray aficionados can work their craft via Valve's Steam service -- as seen in the image above, pre-ordering the game also knocks off 10% of its $14.99 asking price, bringing it down to $13.49.

Oh, you don't believe us? Really? We thought we got past your trust issues, Reginald? Well, head past the break and check out the trailer for yourself, then feel super guilty for ever doubting us.

#psp PSP game God of War: Ghost of Sparta has one more incentive that might convince serious fans to pick up the soon to be released action adventure, the option to play as Kratos' brother, Deimos, in God of War III. More »

#iphone EA Sports' decision to indefinitely delay NBA Elite 11 doesn't affect plans for the mobile version of the game. It will arrive later this month for iPhone and iPod Touch, and will take advantage of the iPhone 4's high-quality display. More »

We poured many, many hours of our lives into the original GoldenEye -- so much so that even the smallest changes in Eurocom's reboot of the shooter are ... noticeable. For example, in the trailer below: You still drop down on a dude using the toilet in the Facility, but now you do it Spider-Man style.

Get into bar fights and battle to be the last man on the track in this free racer.

Hey Nintendo of America, what about us?

EA wants to makes sure you can play Battlefield no matter where you are -- provided you can access the App Store's version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Just like all your favorite video games, BF:BC2 mobile sees you fighting in "the jungle, snow, desert, room-to-room, and in the air" -- no word on a lava level, unfortunately.

GameStop seeing record pre-orders again.

#expansionism EVE Online's character generation is getting a much-needed facelift in next month's Incursion expansion, paving the way for players to eventually get out of their ships and walk around. So far the paving looks quite fetching, doesn't it? More »

Will Wright and ex-Nickelodeon president Albie Hecht have teamed up with Current TV to create a new show -- this much we knew. Now we know what it's called: Bar Karma.

According to the announcement, the series will put viewers "in control via an online application," which runs on technology created by Wright, called "Current TV's Creation Studios." Through this app, users (who register via the site) weigh in on "a rough outline" for the week's show and are able to contribute "storylines, plots and have direct communication with the production team." Viewers browse and merge ideas, voting on final proposals, before the production team turns the audience's vision into a 30-minute episode.

"We will be taking our cues from the viewers, working with them and then quickly producing high quality, original content," said Hecht. "This is truly a paradigm-changing project that will showcase the creativity of the general public in shaping a television series." Bar Karma is set to premiere sometime in early 2011.

The Wii version of the Tom Clancy franchise feels like you should be playing it on a coin-op machine.

#sega With Sonic Colors coming later this year and actually looking pretty damn good, Sega's top men say they want to get Sonic the Hedgehog's recent misfires off store shelves, part of an effort to "increase the value of the brand." More »

#ps3 You want to play a light-gun game with a PlayStation Move, but you want to hold something shaped like a gun. What can you do? You could wield this official Sony PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment. More »

3 of the most remarkable and legendary WWE Superstars of all time are yours to treasure as part of the roster in SmackDown vs Raw 2011 as we unveil yet another Thursday Legend reveal. Don’t try any of these moves at home, for Legends only! Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka (Legend) Jake “The Snake” Robert (Legend) Terry Funk (Legend)

Just Dance passes 4 million units worldwide.

If you've got a bizarre hang-up about playing video games on consoles that don't have Pokémon branded upon their hulls, you'll be pleased to learn that you'll soon be able to add the DSi to your list of allowed devices. On November 20, Japanese store shelves will be stocked with limited edition Pokémon Black and White DSis, each of which come with a copy of the appropriately hued monster-catching title.

Each handheld prominently features Black and White's main Legendaries, Reshiram and Zekrom -- a premium for which shoppers will have to pay 19,800 yen (a tad more than the DSi's standard 15,000 yen price point). Is it worth the extra cash? We're not sure, but as far as special edition Pokémon-branded handhelds go, this one's kind of ... classy? Yeah, classy.

This was just posted up over at the official Nintendo of American Twitter account… Want some help in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs? Summon the mighty Entei by drawing this symbol in the game Having Entei around to help out should make your adventure a bit easier to handle!