Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Friday, April 15th, 2011
The news is out there. Apparently there have been reports that Nintendo is going to unveil a new console this year at E3, with the ultimate goal being to recapture the hardcore gaming market. Now, whether or not these reports turn out to be true, I think that this brings up a big question for the gaming world: should there be a new console?
To quickly answer my tease of a question, the answer is yes, for Nintendo.
I want to clarify my beliefs here; I don’t think that we need an Xbox 720 or a Playstation 4, I’m totally cool with my 360 and the PS3 feels like it’s still just starting to get good. The real thing here is whether or not Nintendo needs a new system, and I think that it is pretty clear that, yes, they do.
There is no denying that the Wii was a HUGE success, so much of one that in order to get across just how big of a success it was I had to go to all of the trouble of hitting the caps lock for a word. But the Wii’s future is undeniably limited at this point; both of the major system competitors have motion control now, hell they have better motion control, and that’s in addition to their more powerful systems, better graphics, and better games. Whether you like the Wii or not you can’t deny that this generation of consoles, while successful fiscally, was not necessarily a renaissance for Nintendo software. There are great games on the system, some of the best games of all time are on the system (Mario Galaxy, Galaxy 2), but the truth of the matter is that I haven’t played my Wii for a very long time.
So now with the competition matching Nintendo in the motion control department it would only make sense that they are going to create a new console to try and get back some of that competitive edge.
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Tags: Mario Galaxy, Mario Galaxy 2, nintendo, Wii, Wii 2
Posted in Editorial, News, Quinn Anderson, Writers | 1 Comment »
Friday, March 18th, 2011
It’s been a busy two weeks at GameZombie with GDC and PAX East back to back. Both conventions had some great content. I’ll go over what I saw at GDC here, and leave PAX for later in the week.
NeuroSky
The first booth I visited was NeuroSky, who were debuting their new Mindwave device. While the device doesn’t yet replace a conventional controller, it is a cheap alternative for research into how people play games. They had a few demos on the exhibit floor, and the Mindwave looks like an interesting direction for gaming. At only $100, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some interesting uses of the Mindwave soon.
Octodad
Octodad is a weird indie game developed at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. I was a bit intrigued by the bizarre-looking controls and quirky music in trailers. It’s a silly idea mixed with an interactive environment. The challenge comes not in the puzzles but in controlling this land octopus. It’s available free on the site for anyone to check out. (more…)
Tags: awards, GDC 2011, Mark Godec, Mindwave, Minecraft, MMO, Octodad, TERA
Posted in Editorial, Mark Godec, News, Video Games | No Comments »
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
We are living during amazing times for videogame development. Year after year we see the market flooded with high profile, triple A titles that are consistently pushing the

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envelope on what the medium can be capable of. Sure, 2010 was an awesome year, but 2011 looks to be upping the ante and here are the top five games to look out for during the year.
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Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite, brink, Infamous, Infamous 2, Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda
Posted in Editorial, News, Video Games, Writers | No Comments »
Saturday, February 5th, 2011
Gamers are creatures of the Internet; if a company announces a new game, it isn’t long before the world of gamers knows about it. Gamers are plugged into their digital entertainment world. However, video games are not just something strictly reserved to the gaming world. Like any form of art, video games reach beyond the boundaries their consoles and fans. Take a look at these interesting articles and websites that might have slipped past a gaming enthusiast’s radar.
Can Video Games Make You Smarter?
I’m sure we’ve all had an authority figure chastise us for playing video games when we could be doing something more productive. There were plenty of cases in my childhood when I should have been doing homework, but opted to glue myself to a video game. It’s too bad this article wasn’t around when my parents were reprimanding me for wasting my time. “More interactive and absorbing than passive forms of entertainment like movies and TV, video games promote higher levels of engagement because observers are actively and enthusiastically involved with on-screen activity,†writer Scott Steinberg claims. I agree with him wholeheartedly.
More and more games are appearing in classrooms, business training programs, and even medical schools. Running a guild in an MMO teaches personnel management and collaboration, and it’s much easier for that nervous beginner doctor to cut open a digital body. For more readings, also check out: (more…)
Tags: Christine, Christine Motsinger, Cuba, game news, Jane McGonigal, Motsinger, Reality is Broken, science, tax game, Video Games
Posted in Christine Motsinger, Editorial, News, Video Games, Writers | No Comments »
Friday, February 4th, 2011
NEW YORK – February 4th, 2011 – Paradox Interactive and developer AGEOD/Paradox France today released a trailer for the historical strategy game Pride of Nations set in the colonial era of the 19th century.
Players take control of a country and guide it through industrialization, military conquest, and colonization. Eight nations are playable in single-player and multiplayer – USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy. (more…)
Tags: Paradox, Pride of Nations, strategy, trailer, war
Posted in News, Press Release | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Twisted Pixel Games Discusses Origins of Their New Marionette-Based Title

Feb 2, 2011 – Austin, TX – “Puppets are just something I’ve always loved,â€
says Michael Wilford, CEO of Twisted Pixel Games and closeted marionette
aficionado. “What makes games great is that they are such a collaborative
process. I have over three hundred puppets in my basement, and Bill Muehl,
our Game Director, collects Western landscape photography. Oh, and of
course we have Dan Teasdale, our Design Lead, whose family was brutally
murdered by drug lords when he was a child, and who’s been on a mission of
vengeance ever since.†(more…)
Tags: The Gunstringer, Twisted Pixel
Posted in News, Press Release | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

“Together you must go behind enemy lines…and uncover his dark plans.â€
Citizens of Middle-earth…the darkest enemy of the lands of the North will be revealed to you in the newest trailer for the upcoming Action RPG The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Lurking in a yet unseen and unexplored theatre of Middle-earth, foul sorcerer Agandaûr —twisted descendant of the Black Númenórean — joins forces with Sauron in his assault on Rohan and Gondor.
Revealing more of the unexplored lands to the North, only whispered about in canon, the battle for Middle-earth’s fate wages on in this newly released trailer from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. A Fellowship of three….Human, Elf and Dwarf… join together and go behind enemy lines to uncover the dark plans. Traveling under stealth to Mount Gundabad, the way is treacherous. The power of the three together must be enough for victory. If they fail, all of Middle-earth is lost. Developed by Snowblind Studios, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North features online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players, as gamers join forces to do battle with the enemies of this world, while developing and upgrading weapons, skills and abilities to strengthen their party. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North embraces the mature and brutal combat of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth—forcing players to play together or perish.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is slated to launch on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows in 2011. For more information please visit the official website at www.warinthenorth.com, the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/lotrwitn and follow on Twitter @WarInTheNorth.

Tags: lord of the rings, LotR, Middle Earth, News, trailer, trailers, War in the North
Posted in News, Press Release | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 31st, 2011

Sony has finally unveiled their next generation portable gaming device. Â Codenamed “NGP” which stands for Next Generation Portable, this handheld gaming behemoth sports a plethora of new features that really set it apart from current generation handhelds.
These features include dual analog sticks (not analog nubs like the original psp); A 5-inch OLED touch screen; a touchpad on the back of the handheld; 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS; a motion sensor similar to the Sixaxis and Move controllers; and cameras on the front and back of the handheld.
These new features could easily open up many new gameplay mechanics. Â The touchpad on the back of the device is a very interesting concept. Â It could allow one to navigate menus and use touch controls without having the player change his or her grip. Â Another interesting feature is the front and rear facing cameras. Â The main use for these cameras will most likely be video chat, but they could also be used for things like augmented reality.
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Tags: NGP, PSP, Sony
Posted in Kevin Durham, News, Video Games | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 31st, 2011
Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword Announced
Announcements trailer released
NEW YORK – January 31, 2011 – Paradox Interactive and Taleworlds Entertainment today announced the newest addition in the action RPG series, Mount & Blade. Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword features great new additions such as fully customizable troops, new siege options, and an exciting new age of weaponry and is set for a Q2 2011 release.
“This is a fantastic addition to the Mount & Blade franchise,†says Armagan Yavuz, Lead Developer & Founder of Taleworlds Entertainment. “The features included in With Fire and Sword fulfill many of our fans’ requestsâ€
Get an overview of the war to come by checking out the announcement trailer! (more…)
Posted in News, Press Release | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
Nintendo has announced that the 3DS will be available in the United States March 27th, 2011. It will be available for $249.99. With a five hour battery life and a three hour recharge time, will launch titles like The Sims 3 and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked be enough to keep major interest? I know I’m certainly not dropping $250 on a handheld that will basically require me to have it plugged in at all times. Did Nintendo get too ambitious with the 3DS? Maybe not. According to Geek.com’s article, the 3DS comes with more than just a charger and stylus. It also comes with:
•AC adapter for Nintendo 3DS
•SD Memory Card (2 GB)
•AR cards (6), reflecting the play outside the camera using the compatible software
It looks like it just might be worth its high price tag, but how many of you are going to wait until the alleged Ocarina and Star Fox remakes hit the shelves before picking up the 3DS?
-Jes Richards
Tags: 3DS, nintendo, Ocarina, release date, Shin Megami Tensei, Star Fox
Posted in Editorial, Jes Richards, News, Video Games, Writers | 1 Comment »