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      It Looks Like that Long Rumored “Walking Dead” DLC Has a Name

      June 7, 2013 /

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      Besides working on that increasingly more intriguing “Fables” project, the fine folks at Telltale Games have also been making vague mentions of a “Walking Dead” DLC project that will carry on the original game of the year series, and tide over the hordes of fans until season 2 is complete.

      While many assumed that the short clips the company has been uploading to Vine are related to this project, further confirmation the add-on is upcoming was recently found on Steam where an encrypted file named “400 Days DLC” has been added to the original game.

      Along with the title, the only other thing that can be discerned from the vague hints and leaked info regarding the highly anticipated add-on is that it will follow a completely new group of partially revealed characters as they struggle to survive in the zombie apocalypse.

      Other than that, a host of unanswered questions remain about “400 Days,” including what timeframe it takes place in during the apocalypse, and what, if any, geographical or emotional relation the new characters have with the original cast, and of course when the game’s release date is.

      The bigger question though is whether or not Telltale can maintain the choice and consequences gameplay of the original titles over what we can probably assume will be standalone new adventure. While it’s hard to imagine they would consider dropping such a defining concept, it will be intriguing to see if the lone episode format hinders that idea, or encourages their ability to produce even more varied and intriguing scenarios within a single episode, less dependent on the entry before, or the one after, in terms of the drastic effects of your actions.

      While I personally believe it will be the later, we should all expect to hear the first definitive news on “400 Days” at, or soon after, this year’s E3.

      News

      Michael Phelps tries his hand at World Series of Poker

      June 7, 2013 /

      The ultimate poker event is about to begin in Las Vegas with the World Series of Poker, and as usual it draws all sorts of people from around the world. The buzz is definitely our there online with qualifying tournaments and WSOP poker “classes” and prize packages, and Vegas will be buzzing with side games and all sorts of extracurricular activities as players and fans descend on Sin City.

      Las Vegas always draws celebrities, and with the World Series of Poker you have another event that brings in the big names. The latest chatter involves Michael Phelps, who is known to be a poker fan and is now reportedly going to enter the World Series. You have to respect great athletes who take their competitive spirit to other challenges. Michael Jordan is a great example with golf, as is Tony Romo. Yet there are cautionary tales there as well, as Jordan allegedly had some problems when it came to gambling. His legendary confidence and competitiveness was actually a huge problem for him.

      Phelps has discussed his very aggressive betting strategy, and while that suits some players well, you have to wonder if he has a ton to learn and whether his ultra competitiveness will be a liability at the poker table.

      Still, at the end of the day this is all about fun. If Phelps keeps his head on straight and understands that poker is a skill that has to be developed over time with practice, then he doesn’t have to worry about squandering the millions he’s earned through endorsements. It will also be interesting to see if he can function in the setting of the World Series with all of the distractions that a celebrity must face.

      The World Series is such an awesome event, and the celebrities just add to all the hoopla, so I’m glad to see guys like Phelps develop an interest in the game.

      Gaming

      Where “The Last of Us” puts Naughty Dog Among the Best Developers Working Today

      June 5, 2013 /

      So, remember when I mentioned “The Last of Us” and how it is getting some great early buzz?

      Well, now that the first wave of reviews has hit, it appears that was just the early leaks of the wave of gushing love for the PS3’s biggest game of the year, as some are already calling it the best game of this generation at the least.

      While that’s all great, it’s also time that we start viewing the game’s developer Naughty Dog in similar terms. As the winds of video gaming shift with the coming of a new generation, it is time to step back and examine who are the very best developers working in gaming today, and where Naughty Dog ranks among them.

      5. Bethesda

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      The thing about Bethesda that almost took them off the list is that really, they’ve only  focused on two major franchises (“Elder Scrolls” and “Fallout”) in the last eleven years.

      Yet the fact remains that all of the titles in those franchises get serious consideration for the top of several best of lists. It’s admirable that Bethesda has learned that they do one thing well (open ended RPG’s) and have worked to insure that they are the very best at that field, and that every entrant into the genre not only sets an impossible bar of quality, but also sends shockwaves throughout the entire industry.

      Sure it’d be great to see them broaden their creative horizons, but only because they are so impossibly good at what they do now.

      4. Naughty Dog

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      A fun fact. “The Last Of Us” marks the first time Naughty Dog has worked on two franchises in one generation, as the PS1 got the “Crash Bandicoot” games, the PS2 had “Jak and Daxter,” and the PS3 has had “Uncharted.”

      Yet, much like Bethesda, instead of this being a hindrance it has instead allowed them to focus on doing one thing well. Unlike Bethesda, that one thing isn’t a single genre, but rather an intense focus on exploring the cinematic possibilities of gaming, while perfecting the “gaming” part itself. This started to become clear with “Jak and Daxter II,” but it was “Uncharted 2” that let everyone know that Naughty Dog was simply capable of creating experiences no other developer can.

      It sounds like “The Last of Us” is continuing that trend in a big way, and at this point there can be no doubt Naughty Dog will be the first company to really show people the first true next gen PS4 title.

      3. Valve

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      Hey, I’d love to put Valve higher, but the last 5 years or so haven’t exactly been filled with many actual games.

      Still, does anyone need a reason for this? If so, I submit “The Orange Box,” which contained one of the greatest games of all time, it’s two equally good add ons, and just for the hell of it, the best multiplayer game of this generation, and another legitimate contender for the best title ever. Oh, and the whole changing the landscape of how the gaming industry works with their Steam system thing.

      So while it would be great if you couldn’t nearly measure the time between full entrants to the “Half-Life” franchise in decades, it’s impossible to deny Valve their rightful place in the hierarchy of developing giants.

      2. Rockstar

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      In 2001 Rockstar changed the way many developers approach video games with “Grand Theft Auto III.”

      Since then? Along with maintaining that same revolutionary quality with each new “GTA” entrant, they’ve also managed to create the perfect Western game, adapt a cult classic 70’s film into a cult classic video game, and, most importantly, consistently pursue some interesting new gaming ideas and franchise revivals that may be hit or miss, but have never been dull (well…except for table tennis).

      Rockstar may have the advantage of being made of several large studios, but each branch can claim the development of at least one classic video game, and all put them under the same logo that has become a stamp for quality.

      1. Nintendo

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      The champ is here.

      It almost seems impossible that Nintendo would have stayed on the throne as long as they have, but since 1985’s Super Mario Bros., they have been the one company not only synonymous with video games, but with the best gaming has to offer. No one can match the stable of classic characters and franchises that Nintendo boasts, and no other company is as dedicated to maintaining a level of quality with each new title over such a lengthy time frame. How they have managed to create revolutionary titles out of some franchises over two decades old seems impossible, yet they do it year in and year out.

      What really puts them over the top though, is that they are the only developer on this list who also creates their own best selling systems. To quote a song from their 80’s roots, they’re simply the best…better than all the rest.

      News

      Landmark Video Games and Their Film Equivalents

      June 1, 2013 /

      If you haven’t heard, Empire recently broke the embargo date for their “Last of Us” review and, though it has already been taken down, leaks of the review reveal impressions as glowing as could possibly be, including a quote that the title could give gaming its “Citizen Kane moment.”

      While that remains to be seen, that quote does bring up an interesting point that sometimes games and films run parallel to each other not in their themes or plots, but in the impact they leave, and the greater ideas they exhibit.

      So even though some may initially appear to be as far apart as can be, here are five video games with historically speaking film equivalents.

      The Game – Braid

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      The Film – Reservoir Dogs

      What They Have In Common:

      There were indie games before “Braid,” just as there were indie movies before “Reservoir Dogs.” Yet both usually come to mind first when considering the word indie, mostly because they each achieved a level of success across every measurable aspect that was unprecedented for independent titles, and opened the door for smaller creators to get their films and games out there with a legitimate chance to make it that simply didn’t exist before.

      The Game – E.T.

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      The Film – Plan 9 From Outer Space

      What They Have In Common:

      Hey, they’re not all great.

      In fact some are just the worst. Both “Plan 9” and “E.T.” are usually the poster children for the “worst ever” argument, even if “Plan 9” didn’t become the scapegoat for the fall of its medium, nor did it get buried in a New Mexico landfill. The real reason that these two are siblings though is because despite their image as the worst, they actually aren’t. Instead both are so bad they have achieved a cult status greater than their actual quality should have allowed for.

      The Game – Grand Theft Auto III

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      The Film – Easy Rider

      What They Have In Common:

      The American dream, violence, rebellion, controversy, and freedom are all themes prevalent in “Easy Rider,” and “GTA III.” Both challenged the mainstream conscious with their brazen attitudes and controversial style, yet both would usher in new eras of thinking where suddenly the establishment was no longer what had to be, and anything seemed possible. Hell, both even had rocking soundtracks, and the “GTA” series would later feature “Easy Rider’s” stars Peter Fonda, and Dennis Hopper.

      The Game – Myst

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      The Film – 2001: A Space Odyssey

      What They Have In Common:

      It’s not easy to make an artistically acclaimed and financially successful work that forces people to reexamine their perceptions, but “Myst” and “2001” did just that. Experiencing either was a watermark moment that made you expand your mind, yet both also achieved some unusual financial success considering their ambition. Need further proof? Both also happen to be very confusing, both featured validation of technological innovations (“2001’s” special effects, and “Myst’s” CD-ROM format), and both honestly haven’t aged that well.

      The Game – Super Mario Bros.

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      The Film – Star Wars

      What They Have In Common:

      Sharing a theme with other entrants in this article, “Star Wars” and “Super Mario” were not the first of their kind, which in this instance means blockbusters.

      However, they are both icons of the word blockbuster, because of the impact they made. “Star Wars” would usher in a new era where films were financially viable beyond just box office receipts, and “Super Mario” showed gaming could be successful once more. Even though both would be surpassed by their true successors (“Empire Strikes Back” and “Super Mario Bros. 3”), there is a mystique and undeniable quality regarding these works that makes them not only landmarks, but have maintained their ability to be successfully introduced to new generations.

      News

      A Tim Schafer Designed “Game of Thrones” Style Strategy Game? Yes, Please

      May 30, 2013 /

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      After Tim Schafer was done with one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time for his studio Double Fine’s entrant into the adventure genre Schafer once helped perfect, many expected to not hear from the company until “Broken Age” was completed.

      It’s somewhat of a surprise then to hear today that Schafer and co. are already working on another Kickstarter title before “Broken Age” even has a confirmed release date. While it’s initially troubling to think of Double Fine’s new offering “Massive Chalice” as a reason for them to reach into your pockets again, once you actually begin read about the game, you may take up that internet joke and start willingly throwing money at your screen.

      Described as a turn based tactical RPG that sees you command generations of heroes and try to repel demon hordes from a vast and intricate fantasy land ruled by factions, “Massive Chalice” cites its inspirations as games like  “Fire Emblem,” “Final Fantasy Tactics,” and “X-Com,” but also mentions the influences of TV shows like “Game of Thrones.” Collectively, of course, those are known as some of the best things ever.

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      In, fact, much of “Massive Chalice” reads like a best of. You’ve got the feuding factions of “Game of Thrones,” the permadeath system of “Fire Emblem,” the tactical map design from the “Total War” series, and the combat style of “XCOM” all blended together and topped with that unique dialogue and general feel that Schafer studios usually provide.

      It’s that last part that really matters, as if this was Peter Molyneux preaching a game where you control a faction over generations in a multi-faceted, kingdom consuming war involving mysticism and a variety of in-depth strategy elements, it’d be easy to dismiss it as all hype. However, Schafer (and for that matter project lead Brad Muir), have a history of always delivering an experience that may not be perfect, but is noteworthy and unlike anything else regardless of where it draws inspiration.

      By the project’s own admission, “Massive Chalice” is unlike anything the studio has ever attempted. Whenever one of the most creatively exciting developers out there decide to step out of their comfort zone, that’s a cause to take notice of, and one that may easily be worth the $20 backing price.

      News

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