Looks like Bethesda is going to try a new tactic and scare the pants off of you. They just let word out that they are making a new survival horror game from none other then the creator of Resident Evil himself, Shinji Mikami. Now this is sure to turn heads as the teaser trailer they released had lots of blood and somewhat disturbing imagery happening. The game is set to release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC and is slated for 2014. We’ll give you more info as we get it.
Deadpool release date and Pre-Order bonuses
Activision’s Deadpool game has shed more light in the form of a release date and pre-order bonuses. The games official date is June 25th 2013 and with that comes some pre-order bonuses you’ll be able to take advantage of. The press release is below with details.
Press Release:
GameStop and EBGames – Link
- MY “Merc with a Map Pack” DLC (confetti explosion!) adds two new maps – GRT Plaza and Inside the Tower – to Deadpool Challenge mode, as well as two b-b-b-b-bonus costumes – the D-Pooly and Uncanny X-Force suits only for use in the unlockable Infinite mode where your stats are tracked on a global leaderboard.
- Exclusive digital wallpaper for my PowerUp Rewards friends featuring who else – me!!! I’ll probably be, like, you know, totally ripped in it and all. No bigsies. – U.S. Only
- A (drum roll, please) midnight launch party at the GameStop with the most pre-orders (more drums!) paid BY Activision (now the bassoon!) with a LIVE appearance from ME, Das Pool! Now’s your chance, Kodiak, Alaska GameStop customers! – U.S. Only
Amazon – Link
- A $5 Amazon credit towards select Marvel graphic novels– but seriously… buy a Deadpool graphic novel.
- An exclusive digital wallpaper and digital cover sleeve, because what are you doing not staring at my perfectly sculpted body every waking moment of the day?
That’s it. Go pre-order my new game now, or else.
Pikmin 3 gets release date
There hasn’t been a whole lot of info on Pikmin 3 lately or its release date but through press release of other Nintendo games it seems that was included in the memo ever so casually. The game will launch in stores and on the Nintendo eShop on August 4th so if you feel like your Wii U is getting a bit stale when it shouldn’t be for too much longer.
Forza Horizon releases free 1000 Club DLC today!
Forza Horizon just got DLC today called 1000 Club. It ads new achievements, over 1000 challenges and two new vehicles. The challenges vary beyond racing and include jumps, crashes etc. Best part of all of this it’s absolutely free! The cars included are a 1956 Ford F100 and the 1995 RUF CTR2. Those who have download a season pass, the rally cross pack or even individual cars will also see new challenges for those respective vehicles as well. Below is a link to download so get it now.
How Xbox 720 can Win the Next Generation Console Wars
It’s no surprise that Microsoft is very close to making their announcement of the next generation of consoles. We’ve already got a glimpse of what Sony has to offer with the PS4 and while the next Xbox will no doubt have very similar to identical hardware, setting itself apart we need to come software side. Aside the ever growing shift to becoming a full entertainment hub, the Xbox 360 had unique features that wasn’t available for other platforms until recently or even at all. Apps straight from the dashboard, party chat and the indie game store is naming a few. I think that the next Xbox has a chance to become the next innovator, have an edge over the competition, even PC and change the way we play games for next generation. One key example of this is simple and it’s in the form of Mods.
Mods or modifications in its general definition is a small alteration, adjustment or change to something. This term is normally used for PC gaming and requires the original game, code and or tools from the specific game to make such changes. Some well known mods out there are DayZ (ArmA 2 mod), Dota (Warcraft III mod), Star Wars: Galactic Warfare (Modern Warfare mod) and even CounterStrike which started out as a mod to Half Life. Many say this is one of the few things that hold console gaming back from PC gaming and I would have to agree. While modding is reserved for PC this isn’t entirely new or completely foreign to console games though. We’ve had plenty of games feature their own editors before. Games like Far Cry 3, Halo’s Forge mode, Minecraft and even upcoming games like Disney Infinity’s Toy Box mode have their own map creation and game editors. While everyone can dismiss this by saying “it will never happen”, “they’ve tried this” or “they just can’t do it”, I say they can!
Star Wars: Galactic Warfare action (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare mod)
Now some people may be wondering why this even matters to them? Well here are a couple of key points to why modding in games would not only change the way you play, but benefit and even be successful as well.
• Infinite possibilities with mod creation
• innovation coming from gamers and developers alike
• Letting gamers possibly experience things they never have before in console games
• Longevity of games would increase exponentially
Before diving right into the actual process of how these can be achieved, there are two key factors of what’s needed to make this work in the first place.
• A set of consumer friendly developer tools need to be available when a game launches
• A Mods for games section in the marketplace would need be in place for them to show up on
So how would this work? Getting into what is listed above, game developers would need to release a set of tools that could be used for PC or maybe even a console friendly version like Halo’s Forge to make small or big modifications. This would let someone create something that can be then transferred into the game. While mods raise the question of possible bugs, malicious code or exploits that could be transferred, a small certification could be run through each before it appears online.
Where would this go? As one of the points above, the indie game store is available on a section of the Xbox dashboard today. The same can be reserved for mods that users create. It can be listed by genre, game title, popularity, recent and most downloaded. If the tool set in the next Call of Duty allowed you to create/modify vehicles, weapon type/look and character models, that would appear on the Mod store for download. If the next Street Fighter allowed you to create character skins and possibly new moves in a game mode, that too would also be there, so long as someone has created it. The possibilities are endless and ever growing.
Xbox dashboard Mod section mockup
Why does this fit for next generation and not today? With new hardware comes new possibilities that could not be achieved with what we have currently. Sony announced a new record and share feature that would be built into the software for the PS4. It allows you to playback and record a moment from which a person had just been playing, much like a DVR. Such a thing while probably not impossible would have proven difficult on the PS3 but with better hardware and integrated software makes this much easier to do. Same can be said for the next Xbox if integrated into the platform itself. An example is the music override feature for the Xbox 360, this feature while introduced on the original Xbox wasn’t meant to perform such a task and wasn’t integrated to begin with., nor was it for the PS3 making that feature not available for it.
There are so many questions and concerns and while I have them as well they all have a way of working out if pursued in the correct manner. A big one for example is “how would developers make money on DLC. or why would we even need it?” The answer is quite simple actually, the tools that developers would release to make modifications would or could be restricted to certain modes, stages or elements within the game. Call of Duty for example can reserve a game mode or anything that is not ranked to allow mods to happen. This let’s gamers play competitively in the respective modes while playing a modification someone created in a noncompetitive mode. Same can be said for single player focused games. A developer can release tools that allow you to make modifications but only to a single section of a game or stage/s to use. If someone wanted to create an entire small campaign or story surrounding a single stage or two in game it can be done, so long as the developer released the tools for it.
An example of something small yet effective is tools set for a game such as Skyrim could allow a creator to manipulate textures and behaviors in a game. As big as adding a new town, as small as a set of armor or even a co-op patch that someone created to play in a section of the game. When DLC from the developer is released it will be new content that can’t be created by the tools given, and to take it a step further possibly be used for new modification with the DLC after release.
While gamers would be the biggest beneficiaries and users for this, that doesn’t mean developers can’t use or even learn from what’s out there. Instead of a developer having to wait to release content through higher means and several forms of certification or even pricing schemes, if they wanted to add something small like co-op in a game, a vehicle or new skins they can through the mod section. Dota is an example of a small mod created by someone for World of Warcraft III which took on a life of its own from the community. The popularity allowed a team at Valve to create a stand-alone sequel Dota 2.
Street Fighter 4 PC skin mod on Ken (Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury)
How do we get developers to incorporate these features? Much like rumors swirling around about the next Kinect having to always be on all the time. There is a reason this debate is still going on and that’s because Microsoft wants Kinect to have some functionality in every new game to be released for the next Xbox. If Microsoft was to make it the standard to have a set of tools right out of the gate when being submitted then every game as you know it would have custom downloadable content in the form of mods that would make it much more worth while to own on the next Xbox then the PS4 addition.
As we move into an age of next generation consoles and having the ability to download everything it only seems fitting that something like this can exist moving forward. There are still many unanswered questions and those concerns should be commented on but at its minimum should be recognized that this should be a reality. Some may think it will never happen and it might not but whether it be the next Xbox or PS4 to be honest the possibility could change everything we know about console gaming.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Debut Trailer
Rockstar has given us all what we’ve been waiting for … at least a week ago when they announced it was to come out today. None the less this is a really exciting time as we’ve learned that there will be multiple characters to be played out in this iteration. Expect more trailers and news to be buzzing in all the way up to its release next year.
For now enjoy the first debut trailer of Grand Theft Auto 5.
Forza Horizon Review
Forza Horizon is the direct result of what you get when you put an elite group of racing developers, who practically bleed gasoline and make a game for every kind of car enthusiast. It’s the perfect blend of great looking cars, customization options and a giant open world playground to tie it all together. Lending mostly from all kinds of other racing games but in the best way possible.
The game surrounds it’s narrative around a car festival which has taken over the Colorado countryside. Like any other racer your no big shot and simply trying to get your name out there by starting at the bottom. Rising until your champion. A good thing to note is that this format offers more then menus and single races like Forza 4 but driving to locations for races. The narrative also doesn’t come off as cheesy, giving it just enough to tie the entire event together.
The racing types you end up with here are of the highest variety. Point to Point, circuit, winner takes all and pink slips are some of the few familiar events but you also get to experience racing against other mobile units. This really gives you a sense of all the highs and lows upon speed that can be accomplished with a single car on the open road. Street racing can also be had while on your way to a race or even driving around as the roads are filled with other AI racers getting around. You gain experience throughout the races and earn wrist bands to enter more profile ones as you get ahead.
In a lot of ways this game retains some of Forza 4’s best eye candy nature but easily benefits from its altered scenario and location. The cars look just as good in the showroom and almost as good on the road as Forza 4. Everything in the dashboards of your vehicle work, auto daytime running lights, all animating as it should. Looking at the interior of a 13′ Genesis Coupe as I own one myself never looked so spot on and the Real time night to day transitioning brings the cars to life.
Engines roar, tires screeching, fans going wild. Easily one of the best sounding car games lending that form factor from Forza 4 the sounds never get old and sound great mixed into one. The music was also great to me. A mix of everything across the three radio stations although if you didn’t know fully what dub step was, you’ll know now. I enjoyed all of it but since the genres of music were separated onto three stations being Horizon Rock, Pulse and Bass Arena it definitely got tiresome. One radio station for a mixed playlist would have been great to have.
The guys at Playground games have thrown around a word they like to call Forza DNA. essentially the essence that is Forza ties all their games together. If your a Forza 4 player then everything should feel all to familiar with most racing options intact. I can tell you that my decked out Ford Fusion with a Shebly engine felt just like it did before. If you like your game more arcade then the driving aids provided can easily take it there, if more simulation the turn off what you feel works best. Car customization is also no slouch as I got all the upgrades I need while also including Forza amazing vinyl creation system. You can easily import a set vinyl group from Forza 4, which could have also come from Forza 3 as that’s when groups started. There’s something about designing on your car for this game and the open road that feels more natural.
It’s hard not to get into the multiplayer aspect at this point as that as well has a lot to offer. This is where you can create a car club and race types. The game types include your usual batch from the single player along with a slew of new events. Cat and Mouse which lets teams of a fast car and a slow car try to get in first place by any means necessary. Infected which starts off as one person being infected and having to go after other cars until every car infected at the end. King which starts off as one person having a flag and trying to hold on to it as long as they can until someone catches them. This is all there with the addition of having free roam which allows you to mess around with others on the entire map along while doing challenges that require a set amount of other players to accomplish.
Forza Horizon isn’t without some issues which may be worth noting. While the AI with certainly present a challenge sometimes it has been noted that certain event which stock vehicles of a certain car restriction in fact has had computer character have a turbo in the car making him far superior in a race.
It has been a long time since I’ve seen a game of this nature have an actual replay mode and is certainly welcomed but it is strange that the two good standard camera angles are missing which are the “Fly By” and “On Track” camera angles. This is worth mentioning as all the camera angles here and when making your own movie are glued to the camera in shaky cam fashion which after awhile can make you dizzy. Traffic is eliminated when playing online in any fashion which could have presented some great turn around races and stories. We are slightly disappointed that their is no actual team racing other then cat n mouse and considering their are car clubs it just seems a bit strange. True customization is out as well only leaving you the parts in which to play with which might make some unhappy.
Forza Horizon is not a full arcade racer giving you options that are just out of that realm, it is also not a full sim as options like tuning your gear ratios is out. What I can say is that it makes a very satisfying blend of the full car experience which anyone can appreciate. It has the presentation style of Dirt, the open roads of Test Drive, the graphics/look of Forza and overall high adrenaline of Need for Speed. It also makes me excited for the future of what Playground Games can present. It’s not the easiest thing to breakdown what Forza Horizon’s true genre is and quite frankly I don’t care, all I can say is that I’ve been waiting for a game like this for a long time.
Apple Announces iPad Mini!
Welcome to the gamingsphere iPad Mini! Like the new Wendy’s commercial, small is the new big. The small wigs at Apple announced today the Apple iPad Mini, a 7.9″ tablet (current iPad is 9.7′) with a 1024×768 screen resolution the original iPad has. Weighing in at .68 lbs. and as thin as a pad of paper, the iPad Mini will be running the A5 chip, use the new Lightening connector, and come in black or white with slate or silver backing. The iPad Mini Wifi 16GB model will be priced at $329. 32GB and 64GB are priced at $429 and $529. Pre-orders start this Friday, with the WiFi models shipping November 2 and the 4G LTE two weeks later.
NYCC 2k12: Injustice Gods Among Us
The past week I traveled to the Big Apple to attend New York Comic Con and got play Warner Brother’s Injustice Gods Among Us. The build that they had on display was the build with Green Arrow. Most likely because WB has their TV show Arrow being displayed all over NYCC for ad purposes. Besides the fact, Injustice looks and plays very well. The character art and animation pop with beauty, and the interactive stage is fun to use to increase style to your combos. Playing as Green Arrow, shooting arrows wasn’t as fun as getting in close range to smash people with his bow.
So far there hasn’t been anything about the story line that was said in the demo, but being able to play as one of your favorite DC Heroes was enough for me. The only thing that was missing was a finishing move (not necessarily a Fatality), not sure if they’ll add it in or not but it is definitely warranted.
EA Sports cancels NBA Live 2013, 2k remains top
It takes anywhere from a couple of day to a couple of years to make a great game. For sports games, however, it only takes about a year to make another installment of the series. It’s easier for sports game developers to remake the game and spruce it up for the next year, because the bare bones of the entire thing is already there. I say this with the utmost respect to those very creators. In the eyes of the fans of these sports games, they want in new installments what the older versions of the games didn’t have. In the case of NBA video games, some people want their Live back. If you can remember, the last authentic simulation basketball game to enter the video game market from EA Sports was NBA Live 2010, featuring Dwight Howard on the cover of the game. Fans were given hopes of a revamp of the series in the console-fail-but-mobile-success NBA Elite 11. The name was a pitch made by EA Sports to show how the game was being completely redone – most notably the change in analog stick dribbling, something EA hoped would change the way the game was played.
