Today, Take Two games launched a teaser site called “Something in the Sea” for Bioshock 2. The site doesn’t have much information besides a photo and a few documents. The site hints that the game may not be a prequel to the original Bioshock, but rather a sequel. It also hints that the game may take place or have some levels placed in Europe. Very Interesting.
What do you guys think of the site?
Link: www.somethinginthesea.com
This week, Amazon announced that they would be getting into the used game market. Many, including myself, felt that this would be a serious blow to Gamestop’s market-share in the game retail industry.
Obviously Gamestop CEO, Dan DeMatteo, disagrees with myself and other journalists, “I give the probability of this working at zero” DeMatteo told Edge Online. He believes that gamers prefer going into the store and receiving their in-store credit the same day, and not having to send in your game to Amazon before you recieve your credit. DeMatteo says that attempts at Gamestop and Electronics Boutique similar to Amazon’s model were unsuccessful.
While this is true, DeMatteo seems to forget that when Amazon announced their plans to get into the used game market this his company’s stocks drop 14.9%, and retail stores such as Best Buy and Toys R Us are also getting into the used game market. If Amazon fails due to it being an online site, then what about Best Buy and Toys R Us? Does he expect the same?
My question to you guys is this:
1. Would you rather get an extra 10-20% trade in value and have to send your game in to Amazon, or get 10-20% less but go to your local Gamestop?
This is a list of all the games nominated for the 2009 IGF. I will post my impression with some of the games later on. Start playing these games and get your vote in. At the end I included some links for you to visit. Let me know what you think of some of these games. Click on the underlined parts to play or download the demos. Have fun and do not forget to vote!
You Have to Burn the Rope
Play it Now!
You Have To Burn The Rope is a game about interactivity and false choices. It is a completely predetermined experience, you might call it an anti-game. Most importantly it is a joke, a parody!
Incredibots
Play it Now!
Build custom robots in your browser with IncrediBots! Design your robot by drawing shapes, joints, motors, and more! Then, pilot your machine using your own custom key bindings. How will your robot fare in the hurdles challenge? Or archery? Or off-road?
Osmos
Download the Demo for Free!
Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax… good things come to those who wait.
Pixeljunk Eden
Play it on PSN!
A game where you leap and swing among organic physically simulated ‘alien’ plantlife, smashing things and growing more plants as you go.
Between
Download the Demo for Free!
A networked game for two players about consciousness and isolation.
Musaic Box
Download the Demo for Free!
Musaic Box is a prototype of the unique music genre where you have to solve the puzzles using your ears. Your task is to collect music puzzle from original melody. If you got stuck you can try to solve it geometrically.
Brainpipe
Download the Demo for Free!
Brainpipe is an easy to pick up first person perspective game of real time spatial navigation and quick reflexes. Supported by hypnotic graphics, ear tickling sound effects and immersive dreamscape music, its free floating forward moving intensity gradually increases from serene to frenetic as you play
The Graveyard
Download the Demo for Free!
The Graveyard is a very short computer game designed by Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn. You play an old lady who visits a graveyard. You walk around, sit on a bench and listen to a song. It’s more like an explorable painting than an actual game. An experiment with realtime poetry, with storytelling without words.
The Maw
Play it on XBLA!
The Maw is a full featured 3D action/adventure game for Xbox LIVE Arcade! Returning from a routine mission, a Galactic Bounty Hunter ship crash lands on a strange planet, leaving the captured Frank (our hero) and a tiny glowing blob in a cage labeled ‘THE DEADLIEST ORGANISM IN THE UNIVERSE’ as the only survivors.
Coil
Download the Demo for Free!
Coil is an experimental ‘art’ game that plays out more like a song or painting then an actual ‘game’. I was basically trying to create an experience that put the player into an open minded space and let them question not only what the game was about, but what a game can actually be.
Dyson
Download the Demo for Free!
Dyson is a real-time strategy game about self-replicating mining machines in an asteroid belt. You must ensure your survival by colonising other asteroids in the belt and eradicating the other mining machine types that have the same goal.
CarneyVale Showtime
Play on XBLA!
In CarneyVale: Showtime, you play as Slinky, a circus acrobat trying to rise up the ranks by performing acrobatic tricks and death-defying stunts through increasingly complex arenas.
Retro/Grade
Download the Demo for Free!
Rick Rocket has just saved the universe from an evil alien armada. Unfortunately, the massive destruction he left in his wake has caused a temporal anomaly that has reversed the flow of time. The player must assume control of Rick’s spacecraft and fight through the epic space battle… backwards!
Retro/Grade is an innovative game that fuses the white knuckle thrills and over the top visuals of a shooter with the broad appeal of a music game.
Cortex Command
Download the Demo for Free!
In Cortex Command, you play as a prospector and explorer in a time where complete cybernetics and whole-body amputations are common practice. Your severed brain is able to control many different types of bodies remotely from its underground bunker: clones, robots, spaceships, defensive turrets, and so on.
Mightier
Download the Demo for Free!
Step away from the computer! Welcome to Mightier, the action puzzler that pulls you away from the screen to solve puzzles by hand with pencil and paper. Using a color printer and web camera, the game prints puzzle pages for you to draw on, then captures the results when you’re done.
Over the past week, major video game retailers such as Toys R Us, Best Buy, and now Amazon have entered the used game market. They will accept your old games, and give you in-store credit to make new purchases. This is great for gamers. It gives them more options than just Gametsop to trade-in their old games, console, and accessories. Competition leads to better deals, and reports are saying that Amazon will offer 10% more trade-in credit than Gamestop.
This is scary for Gamestop because 44% of their gross profits come from used games. If gamers, have the option to go elsewhere then many will take advantage of it. Many gamers have a not so positive view on Gamestop due to claims of the company favoring one console, hiring people who don’t know games, and most importantly many gamers feel like they get ripped off when they trade in their games. The world will never know if the first two are true, but now with all of these major companies entering the used-game industry the consumer will finally have options on where to go. Since the announcement of Amazon entering the used-game market, Gamestop stocks have dropped 14.9%!
Overall, this is great for the gamer. Amazon has already promised to offer a better trade-in value than Gamestop. This means that Gamestop will have to improve their trade-in values, and that means more money for the gamer. Unfortunately for Gamestop, this means less money will be coming into their company. Can Gamestop do something to maintain their dominance in the video game retail market, or will companies like Amazon and Best Buy take their crown? All we know for now is that more options will make gamers much happier, and keep more money in their pocket.
NOTE: Check out the HipHopGamer’s undercover experiment at Gamestop for some laughs at Gamestop’s expense
LOS ANGELES – Chris Brown has been charged with two felonies stemming from an argument with his girlfriend, Rihanna , court documents show.
Brown is expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. The 19-year-old R&B singer remains free on $50,000 bail.
The felony complaint handed down in court Thursday morning identifies Brown’s alleged victim only as “Robyn F.” Rihanna ’s real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
If convicted, the possible sentence ranges anywhere from probation to four years and eight months in state prison, said district attorney’s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.
Los Angeles police arrested Brown on Feb. 8 and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats. Police said at the time a woman identified Brown as her attacker during an early morning dispute in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood.
A phone message left for Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, was not immediately returned Thursday. Brown’s publicist Tony Knight said any statement would likely come from Geragos after today’s hearing.
Rihanna ’s spokesperson had no comment on the charges filed against Brown.
Brown issued a statement a week after the incident saying that he was “sorry and saddened” about the incident. Rihanna also later issued a statement, saying she wouldn’t comment on the alleged beating at the request of authorities. She thanked fans for their support.
Brown’s arrest has been a dent in the “Run It!” singer’s squeaky-clean image, and compelled sponsors to drop him or not renew his deals.
The alleged attack also came hours before the couple were scheduled to appear and perform at the Grammy Awards. Both were no-shows for event.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced that Capcom Co., Ltd. is expanding its blockbuster franchise, Resident Evil, within PlayStation®Home with its launch of a dedicated game space today. Now, Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV, both Capcom properties, will utilize the technology and features within PlayStation Home to deliver compelling content allowing the PlayStation community to interact with the franchises in an immersive, 3D environment.
“As games become richer with graphics, embrace deeper storylines and character development, fans are getting hungry for more,” said Jack Buser, director of PlayStation Home, SCEA. “Developers like Capcom understand the potential PlayStation Home provides fans – a platform in which the community can come together to talk about their games, strategize, trade tips and tricks as well as interact directly with the brand.”
Capcom’s new Resident Evil 5 Studio lot for PlayStation Home is modeled after the movie set. The atmospheric and highly-detailed space will give fans of the franchise a place to meet and socialize, as well as acquire additional Resident Evil 5 themed items. Showcasing the game integration capable within PlayStation Home, Resident Evil 5 owners will be rewarded with unlockable themed items and costumes for the games main characters Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar. Resident Evil 5 users will also be able to take advantage of the game’s “Co-Op play” modes by launching the game with a friend through PlayStation Home.
The game launching features for the Resident Evil 5 space are slated to arrive with the release of the game in North America, with additional unlockable content being released following the launch.
Since E3 2008, Wii owners have been begging Nintendo for a game for the hardcore. With MadWorld less than a week, can PlatinumGame’s first game change Wii owners tune?
Madworld, is a black and white third person action game set in a city where a group of terrorists have turned the city into a game show called Death Watch. The player plays as Jack, who is fighting for his life trying to shut down the show. The game is extremely brutal and will appeal to Wii owners who want a change of pace from Mario Kart and Animal Crossing.
While many have blasted Nintendo for not giving the Wii high quality graphics, the developers at PlatinumGames have created an art style that makes the game appealing on the eyes, and does something no other next gen console has done yet. The game has a comic book feel to it, and may remind some of the Sin City comics.
The game is extremely action packed. Jack is a big guy with a chainsaw attached to his right arm. Not the typical Wii main character. The game features many over the top finishing moves and action sequences. People who don’t enjoy violence should probably not pick up this game, because it is filled with plenty of it. There is even a mini-game called “Man Darts”, in which the player hits enemies into a dart board with a baseball bat.
Now can this game live up to the hype many Nintendo fans have put on it? Well, if the staff at PlatinumGames lives up to their reputation then it most certainly should. While the studio is new, the men behind the scenes have some of the best resumes in the industry. The producer of the game, Atsushi Inaba, is responsible for fan favorites, Viewtiful Joe and Okami. Both games have received stellar review scores, so hopefully MadWorld will continue the trend.
While, not many reviews on the game have been released yet there is one worth mentioning. Nintendo Power rated the game a 9/10. This is interesting because in the past Nintendo Power has rated games like Resident Evil 4 for the Wii with a 9/10, and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess a 9.5/10. This is putting MadWorld up there with the higher echelon of not only Wii games, but games in general.
Is this what Wii fans want though? Will they go out and buy MadWorld, or will they just sit back and patiently wait for Miyamoto to announce another sequel to one of his storied franchises? Wii owners looking for an action packed game that breaks the casual trend Nintendo is going on should check out MadWorld. The game may not be an epic, but if you’re looking for a fun time and interesting gameplay why not pick it up? This game isn’t for young kids or grandmas, but those aren’t the people begging for hardcore games for the Wii. Nintendo fanboys, go out and buy MadWorld. Show Nintendo that while gamers appreciate the Wii’s casual appeal that they still want fun, exciting, hardcore new IP’s from the company that started it all.
Voting is now open. You can play 15 of the Main Competition finalist games and vote for their favorite independent game.
The games with eligible demos or full versions on PC, XBLA, XNA Community Games or PSN are: Retro/Grade, Dyson, Brainpipe, The Maw, IncrediBots, Osmos, Musaic Box, Cortex Command, CarneyVale Showtime, Coil, The Graveyard, PixelJunk Eden, Mightier, You Have To Burn The Rope, and Between.
Go try them out and vote everybody. You got some free games to play for the next couple of weeks. Try them all out and vote. Online voting will continue through March 20th, and the winner will be awarded the $2,500 prize at the IGF awards ceremony on the same evening that the voting closes.
Screenshots for the Silent Hill iPhone Game. Looking really nice. It is already released and if you have the game and played it. Post a comment about how it is. You can buy it for 8 dollars I think.
50 Cent Returns For More Blood, But Is It Enough?
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Players: 2 Players
Developer: Swordfish Studios
My Score: 6/10
Gameplay: After finishing his last concert of his tour, 50 Cent and the G-Unit prepares themselves for a huge payoff. After hearing that the show’s promoter can’t pay, he gives the group a crystal skull that is worth $11 million. It didn’t take 50 Cent long enough to figure out that other terrorists are looking for the same skull. This game is an upgrade compared to 50 Cent: Bulletproof, the great melee finishing moves from the past are back and way more violent than ever before. The game is a plain and simple 3rd person shooter, and not a long one at that. Blood on the sand could be finished in couple of hours without skipping the cut scenes. The gun battles take time to get use to, at first it seems lame and with very simple A.I. but then it starts getting fun after a while. You could keep a maximum of 4 weapons at once, shooting through bad guys and creating melee attacks at every open opportunity. The cover system is exactly like Gears Of War. You will find yourself getting stuck to the wall on certain areas, forcing you to get shot.
Graphics: The graphics has its ups and downs. While you are playing, you can’t help yourself from asking “did the last level look better than this one?” the graphics do not look bad, except for small ugly blur spots here and there. While on cover, you will notice that 50 Cent has no facial expression at any point of the game….or anyone else in that matter.
The cut scenes look well and not very far from the actual in-game graphics. The game plays smoothly with some frame rate issues on certain areas. Some cut scenes have been rendered with some frame rate issues…..how bad is that?
Sound: The game’s dialogue is the worst! The voice actors are horrible, and you cannot force yourself to stop laughing throughout most of the game. Hearing 50 Cent yelling “It’s 50, you bitches.” or “It‘s me or you pussy!” is just down right funny. Other than that, the weapons and vehicles sounds are not bad.
The Developer‘s Eye: Blood on the sand makes good use of the Unreal 3 engine, a engine that is also seen on such games like Gears of War, and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Swordfish Studios managed to pull out some stunning visuals out of the engine. Swordfish Studios wanted to focus on the game’s A.I….but sadly failed. The team also wanted to focus on the co-op play, trying to make it work as simple as possible. The final version of the game gives the ability to jump in/ jump out of co-op very easily. The Unreal 3 engine has been used so many times that most developers are fully aware of its power. With that being said, Swordfish Studios manage to get the game playing as smooth as possible with minor hiccups here and there.
Final Thoughts: Not much can be said about this game. Better than the first but not worth the $60 bucks. While the game features 18 tracks from 50 Cent himself, 50 Cent’s voice acting is very laughable and lame. The simple shooter gets boring fast, unlockables are fairly decent, and the story couldn‘t be anymore lame than it already is. Not worth the buy, but it is worth a rental.
-3D (Joey)
