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Archive for the ‘Video Games’ Category

Hacker Asked to Crack COD Creator’s E-mails

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , on May 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

So, in a rather strange twist of reality, a hacker was apparently recently asked to break into the e-mail accounts of not only the Call of Duty creator’s e-mails, but most of Infinity Ward in a suit against the company by Activision. The hacker, once denied assistance by Microsoft, went to more shady business dealings to get the job done. The details are still hazy, but apparently Activision must want to win this case something awful if they resorted to hiring a hacker to steal e-mails. Read the full story in the article sourced below and let us know what you think of this entire debacle.

Source: Hacker Enlists Microsofts Help Breaking Into IW E-mails

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Game of the Week: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , on May 24, 2012| 3 Comments »

Hello and welcome to this week’s Game of the Week. Today we’ll be covering a game I was recently allowed to borrow with a recommendation from a good friend. Batman: Arkham Asylum, first in what may be a series of games, followed by Arkham City, is an amazing step in the right direction for superhero games in general (with Spider Man 2 coming in at a close second place). With all the grit of the original and later series and a lot of interesting mechanics and gameplay nuances, Arkham Asylum makes for an intriguing time killer and fun-filling machine. The plot is interesting, deep, and peppered here and there with a bit of maturity (if not a lot ofmaturity, people DO die). Let’s get into the dissection of this game before we go any further.

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Will the 360 be Banned?

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

So, if you may or may not heard, David Shaw, judge of the International Trade Commission, has filed a case in which he states that Microsoft infringed upon five patents held by Motorola, and should immediately cease the importation of every single Xbox 360 console into the United States and pay 7% of all unsold console prices directly to the cell phone manufacturer. If the International Trade Commission (ITC for short) agree with Shaw’s statement, then their recommendation will end up in the hands of the President. I’m not sure whether or not this will go through, although I highly doubt it would be as severe as the article stated. On the other hand, if Microsoft is forced to pull the 360 from stores across the nation, I don’t know what else will happen to the console. I’m sure it won’t be pretty.

Source: 360 May be Banned from Sale

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Diablo III: Errors Abound!

Posted in Video Games, tagged , , , , on May 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Well folks, I won’t say I told you so (because technically I didn’t, but I did tell a couple of my friends it would happen), but I did indeed foresee the obvious. With Diablo 3’s release come and gone, and everyone in hot pursuit of awesome items and sweet, sweet satisfaction via gameplay, it would seem that Blizzard overlooked a couple of things…or a dozen…or a hundred. Point is, Blizzard done goofed. Now to all you purists who believe that your favorite company can do no wrong: fine, believe what you want. Everyone else? Well, listen if you want to. Now, a lot of people were skeptical about a game that should normally feature a single player offline mode to require an ‘always-on’ internet connection, and you’d be right in being so. The article I’ve linked to is one issue out of many that a lot of hardcore Diablo fans are raring about and heated by as of late. Blizzard will undoubtedly fix the issue, but I think we should dissect why there were issues in the first place. Either way, it’s not my place to say what should or shouldn’t be done. I may be studying computer science, but I’m no game developer. Check out the article for some insight into the latest D3 bug.

Source: Error 3003 is the new Error 37

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Blizzard Gives Diablo III Tips And Tricks For Each Class

Posted in Video Games, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Are you fellow gamers ready for Diablo 3? In just 2 more days, one of the most anticipated games of the decade will be released, and many servers will undoubtedly crash in the ensuing chaos and overload of people trying to play the game. Until then, check out these tips and tricks released by the masterminds at Blizzard to help you cope with starting fresh. To those of you who got to play during the Beta, these may or may not be helpful, but to the general public, I recommend that you check these out to get a feel for that super new awesome class you wanted to pick, or to help you solidify which character you want to play.

Source: Diablo III: Blizzard on Making the Most of each Class

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: MW3 Getting Face Off Game Type

Posted in Video Games, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Finally thirteen year olds (and those with the mentality of thirteen year olds) can rejoice, as the latest game in the Call of Duty series is set to receive a Face Off game mode, in which players can take one another on in sets of 1v1 or 2v2 games. I’m not sure how big of a hit this is, but with the eSports community really picking up and Game Battles becoming a big part of FPS style games, this game mode is sure to see a lot of play time, especially after the angry children asking for 1v1’s when they get agitated to any degree get to play. I don’t know if I will be picking up the latest edition of Call of Duty, or CoD for short, but I’m sure it will be peppered with the same community as have plagued the matches for a long time now. Chances are that I won’t get a chance to pick it up, but hopefully those of you who do will be able to enjoy the games much more so than I have. I think it’s a center for high blood pressure and broken televisions, but that’s just my opinion. Feel free to discuss this latest tidbit of news in the comments, I’d actually like to see what the rest of you think. Thanks!

Source: Modern Warfare 3 Getting Face Off Mode

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Investing Another 60+ Hours into the Mass Effect Franchise: Renegade FemShep

Posted in Reviews, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , on May 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Mass Effect has significantly changed my life when it comes to gaming.  I used to not be such a big video game guy as it took me nearly 5 years to finally get a PS3 after it was released.  Mass Effect 2 was among the first game I got.  While it was difficult to get into, not playing Mass Effect 1 and buying it used so I couldn’t control decisions from the first game,  I managed to eventually persevere through it and get all the correct DLC to get the way I wanted.  By the time Mass Effect 3 came out, I spent 30 hours gaining everyone’s loyalty and etc., I had successfully gotten a fairly perfect Paragon mode with all my crew members.  I spent another 30 hours playing through Mass Effect 3 and my Paragon Male Shepherd chose the synthesis route and I thought I was done and satisfied.

It was interesting that I never truly considered the Renegade route.  Even more astonishing that I never remotely considered a female Shepherd.  And after going through some forums I read some very interesting quotes regarding my decisions: “Anyone who has never played a Female Shepherd should be considered sexist” and “Playing through renegade is a completely different side to the Mass Effect universe”.  I’ve taken these statements into account and decided to knock out two birds with one stone.  So here is my journey as Renegade FemShep.

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: Valve vs. EA

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , on May 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I don’t really want to say anything about this…

So as many of you have already noticed, EA (Electronic Arts) have released their own steam-like application known as Origin, which hosts a lot of the major EA titles, many of which were pulled from steam before the release of the program. Since then…well…it’s received more than its fair share of criticism ranging from poor design to poor customer service. The interview with Gabe Newell, head of Valve and subsequently, Steam, can clue us in to how he views his ‘competition’. At this point this article could be nothing more than speculation, but I found it to be an interesting enough read.

Source: Gabe Newell on EA’s Origin Service

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Movies with Mass Effect Morality Choices

Posted in Movies, Video Games, tagged , , , on May 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Oh my goodness, I love it when movies and videogames collide in pop culture.  And Dorkly is usually the best at doing this sort of thing.  What we have here is an interpretation  of famous movie quotes as though they were given in a Mass Effect dialogue option.  Those who know Mass Effect won’t need an explanation, but for the uninitiated but still interested, the Mass Effect dialogue tree is an interactive conversation ploy that directs how you want your person to be played throughout the game.  During points of most conversations, a tree comes up how you want to respond.  You may respond neutrally, or in most cases you have a paragon/renegade option where if you choose the blue path, you’re a nice guy who plays the hero card or if you choose the red option, you’re a liscenesed bad ass.  Now take a look at the Han Solo example above.  In response to Leia saying ‘I love you’, the Mass Effect dialogue tree comes up and you have a series of choices.  Obviously you know the red option is the real dialogue and exemplifies that Han Solo is a badass.  Get it?  Got it?  Good.  Here are 4 more of my favorites below.  Be sure to check out the other 8 at Dorkly here.

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Game of the Week: Maplestory

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2012| 2 Comments »

Is that nostalgia I smell? No? Sadness and Grinding? Okay…

Oh dear, what have I done to myself. Brace yourselves folks, it’s time for an emotional and critical Game of the Week featuring none other than one of the most time-wasting, grind-heavy, non free player friendly MMORPG, Maplestory. Now, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this game, a lot of good mixed with a lot of bad. I did, and still do have fun playing this game with a group of friends (that may or may not include a certain movie blogger ;)) and feel like I have come to terms with the fact that despite all the changes, all the fancy skills, and the drastic change in leveling design, this game is at its heart a grind-fest designed to test both your patience and at some points your ability to keep change in your pocket (meso sacks and permanent pets, I’m looking at you). I originally started playing Maplestory some 5 or 6 years ago, maybe more. I started playing before Ludibrium came out, before even Orbis was really established, back when grinding to level thirty was almost a years worth of work and it was impossible to get anywhere beyond that. I was playing when people still wore Beta Bandanas, and Perion channel 1 was essentially the free market. Things were a lot simpler back then, harder yes, but simpler nonetheless.

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Game of the Week: Starcraft 2

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Ominous text to a degree...let's roll with it.

Well folks, it was bound to happen eventually. Here’s my coverage of this week’s Game of the Week: Starcraft 2. Heeded as one of the greatest real time strategy games of all time, following predecessors such as Warcraft, Starcraft and Red Alert, Starcraft 2 has improved upon the already complex system of the original. Before I move further with this article, however, allow me to preface it by saying that it has been a while since I’ve played, and I may or may not murder character names…that is all. With an abundance of troops, an interesting storyline, and a major graphic overhaul, Starcraft 2 is definitely a fun game to get into, but I suggest looking elsewhere if you aren’t into it for the multiplayer. While the story is set up well enough, the true playability of this game comes from clicking that ‘find match’ button and improving your micro/macro and overall strategy. I myself was guilty of that initially, but came to embrace (and fear) playing against others to see where I ranked against the rest of the world. (more…)

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Video Games Can’t Afford to Cost This Much

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , on April 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In this rather enlightening article, we discover why it is that EA and Activision (among other companies) have decided that they will churn out half-assed games with downloadable content as an already pre-established medium. We have seen the decline in quality for the past decade, with game rising in price by what appears to be a meager 10$ at face value. However, this in turn has had a profound effect on the way gamers view their games nowadays. I cannot begin to sum up why games are heading in the wrong direction with ‘planned DLC’ for games that have yet to launch, so I’ll leave it to WIRED journalist Chris Kohler to lay down the facts and explain what’s wrong with the industry today.

Source: Video Games Can’t Afford to Cost This Much

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Pikmin 3 at E3 2012?

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Hooray!

Alright, so as you may or may not be aware, Nintendo has recently announced that they will indeed be previewing or at least discussing a Pikmin game for the Wii-U or Wii, we aren’t sure which. Pikmin, a well received game for the gamecube, along with Pikmin 2, it’s successor, are two of the best-selling games on the console with their addictive gameplay and light-hearted adventure storyline. Previously, you controlled Captain Olimar as he crash lands and later explores an alien world filled with what seem to be gigantic pieces of trash scattered about everywhere. Along his journey, he discovers the Pikmin (and their predators) and befriends them, getting them to help him rebuild his rocket and get himself back home. In the sequel, you join Captain Olimar once more, this time joined by his sidekick Louie as they return to the Pikmin world and reunite with their companions. Hopefully the third game of the series will have just as much promise and fun-filled escapades as its predecessors, but only time will tell.

Source: Pikmin 3

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: 6 Awful Jobs That Must Exist in Video Games

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

They look to be having fun...at the expense of who?

When we play through our various collections of video games, saving the world or racing against friends, we usually do it without thinking about what goes on behind the scenes. Who fixes Mario’s kart, or anyone’s kart for that matter, when they crash into the water or get hit off the course by a shell or other forms of trickery and sometimes douchebaggery (here’s to you, Blue Shell, bane of my existence). What about Link’s neighbors, always being woken up by his terrifying battle screams (NYA! HYA! HAAAAAAA!) in the middle of the night with no explanations, and do those item chest noises always have to be so loud? (DA NA NA NAAAAAAA!). After reading through this article, I assure you that you may have a different take on your favorite video game characters and how they treat those around them. To be fair, most of them already treated everyone else around them like a sack of dung.

Sources
6 Awful Jobs That Must Exist in Video Games

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An Alternative Mass Effect 3 Trailer

Posted in Video Games, tagged , , , on April 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is the video of an alternative fan made trailer of Mass Effect 3 that incorporates more in-game graphics than the movie production values of the original trailer.  This trailer gives you all the goosebumps you want.

The original is below.  Compare.

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Game of the Week: League of Legends

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to the League

Well folks, it’s that time of the week again. Time for us to once again to dust off our swords and shields, to restring our bows and polish our magic gems, to rise up against the forces of evil or combat the forces of good depending on your alignment. Time for us to clash with other players from all around to world in a test of might, magic, and patience. That’s right, you’ve guessed it, this week’s game of the week is League of Legends, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA, style game, that has gained considerable and deserved praise for the way it revolutionized…or defined a genre of gaming. Now, that last statement might get me into a heated debate about the first MOBA game of all time. Well I do agree that DotA and HoN are also games of this genre, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere near the level and sheer size of acclaim this game has gotten in comparison to the others. (more…)

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Webcomic Spotlight: Penny Arcade

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , on April 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

All this and more could be yours, just visit the Penny Arcade website!

Take a break, sit down, relax for a while. While you’re not out there grinding for the next level or trying to destroy some nubs and get some achievements or other load like that, take some time out of your day to get a good couple of laughs out of the geeky comic strips from the guys at Penny Arcade. Loaded with tons of inside jokes and great humor, Tycho and Gabe deliver endless amounts of entertainment from comics to coverage of major gaming events. One that stands out in particular is the latest coverage of PAX 2012, despite them being there as artists. If you’re ever feeling down and want a little pick-me-up to feel better about yourself (whether it concern your ELO tanking or being demoted a league in SC2, they’ll understand), take a breather and cycle through some of their strips and hopefully you’ll feel a little less grey.

Sources:
Penny Arcade!

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Free Mass Effect DLC?!

Posted in Video Games, tagged , , on April 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

From what I expect to be a move from EA after they received the worst Video Game Company award, they used their most recently popular game Mass Effect 3 to try and win back the hearts of fans with free DLC.  There’s plenty of content to be had here with a plethora of new characters and maps.  I personally can’t wait till I’m able to play with these characters on these new maps, as the multiplayer was beginning to get a little dull and repetitive for me.

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Darksiders II Customization Elements

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , on April 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Talk about BA.

Alright, so if you’re hyped up for Vigil Studios’ sequel to bestseller Darksiders, you’re in for what appears to be an incredible treat. Not only have the devs allowed you to wield the power of death himself, but they’ve also allowed you to customize how death kills all the things. With branching skill trees and a slew of weapons with which to beat the evil things that go bump in the night senseless, Kotaku’s latest misleading title cues us in to the level of diversity (which I highly doubt there can be much, but I can be wrong) in which one can customize their character in this GoW-esque hack and slash. Now I for one may not be persuaded to pick it up on launch day as of right now, but with the right shiny things and the promise of endless hours of gameplay I may just change my mind. Unfortunately, with games such as this I find myself skeptical of just how much ‘customization’ one can really do with a character. In the end there are always skills that outshine others and will undoubtedly be maxed out in terms of usability. I won’t say too much more, however, as things could change. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?

Sources
Kotaku Article

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: Mass Effect Hoodies!

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For all of you Mass Effect fans it is time to rejoice! Despite being an idea created by deviantart user lupodirosso, this idea has gained some backing through internet forums and news aggregation sites alike, including Kotaku and Reddit. Though we don’t know how long it will take before people start sporting Wrex or Garrus inspired hoodies, the fact that someone has taken time out of their busy (or not so busy) day to craft these for us means that at least someone, somewhere will definitely want to be paying for something along these lines. Kotaku has already stated that similar designs have been released by BioWare, meaning that these designs could come into production whenever they so choose to hire this man. For now, however, I know that I’ll be sleeping soundly, dreaming of a collection including the very chic and stylish ME hoodies. BioWare TAKE MY MONEY!

Sources:
Lupodirosso’s DeviantArt Page

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