Tag: gaming blogs (Page 4 of 9)

      Is Sony Ready To Enter the Virtual Reality Market?

      September 3, 2013 /

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      Continue to be skeptical about virtual reality. Go ahead, it’s ok. After all, what has the concept ever done but crash and burn in the form of one half-assed peripheral after another? Hell, if it wasn’t for virtual reality, none of us would have had to suffer through the terror of the “Lawnmower Man.”

      In fact, being cynical about virtual reality is your duty as a responsible consumer.

      That being said, that little sliver of hope that exists from countless sci-fi works that the idea can work, has to be getting bigger and bigger every time another jaw dropping impression of the Oculus Rift hits the web. It’s new approach to the concept continues to look better and better with every showing, and may just be a more significant release than any next gen console at this stage in their respective development cycles.

      Perhaps realizing this, and no doubt being aware of the Rift team’s insistence on not being bought out, Sony appears to be throwing their hat into the VR market as news broke today about a new model of their HMZ headset that will emphasize immersive capabilities similar to that of the rift. While the only official response on the subject is a cryptic “We don’t talk about that” from a high ranking Sony official (making the subject the hardware equivalent of a trip to Ravenholm), the official announcement a new model of the headset will debut in mid November (likely alongside the PS4) suggests there is some truth behind the rumor.

      Now whether or not this particular model is Sony’s answer to the Rift, or if one is truly in the works at all, is debatable, but it’s not hard to fathom other major gaming companies wanting in on the action, as any exciting idea that can potentially lures in the ultra casual gamer dollars is deeply coveted in the industry, as evidenced by the motion control craze kicked off by the runaway success of the Wii.

      It’s not irresponsible to continue treating VR as a pipe dream not ready for the big time, but ironically continuing to ignore the popularity of the idea entirely is becoming the fastest way to live in a reality truly different from our own.

      Reviews

      The “Official” GTA V Trailer is Live

      August 29, 2013 /

      “GTA V” watch continues, with the official “GTA V” trailer, Rockstar has been teasing available for your viewing pleasure above.

      Interestingly there isn’t much in the way of new reveals here (the trailer itself only clocks in at about a minute long), but eagle eyed gamers will spot a handheld minigun (being held by a man in what appears to be a heavy armor suit), as well as some pretty incredible storm effects in action for the first time. While not necessarily reveals, the bigger takeaways from this release are some tasty story tidbits (it’s becoming very clear that this is going to be the “GTA” series most involved story yet), as well as snippets of more of the game’s heists, at least one of which appears to involve that submarine shown in a few screenshots.

      No it’s not exactly anything that set the world on fire like the “GTA Online” reveal, but as “GTA V’s” release date nears, its becoming clearer and clearer that we are all due for something very special, that may just be taking the game of the year crown in a year with more potential contenders than the iron throne of Westeros.

      News

      “Wind Waker HD” Gets a Release Date

      August 27, 2013 /

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      It’s almost impossible to remember the time when fans became outraged about “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,” due to its cel-shaded Saturday morning cartoon looks. The Nintendo faithful follow their lords and masters with enough feverish intensity that it takes quite a lot to rile them up, but as soon as the first real trailer showed a childish Link feasting his buggy eyes in a bright and colorful world, you could almost feel the hatred seeping through your internet connection.

      Of course, it would all turn out to be for naught as “The Wind Waker” would end up being among the greatest “Zelda” games of all time, and even the two main releases in the franchise since, both done in the more “mature” style that fans initially clamored for, have not been able to quite reproduce its brilliance.

      It’s no surprise then that the HD re-release has been met with feverish anticipation rather than the dread that accompanied the initial release, as both those who got to experience the game the first time, and those who wrote it off and never got the chance, eagerly await the game’s HD arrival on the Wii U.

      Now those fans know exactly when to expect it, as Nintendo has revealed that “Wind Waker HD” will release on Oct. 4 in North America and Europe, and bring along with it not only the original classic with enhanced graphics, but new gameplay as well,  including an intriguing “Hero Mode” which is essentially “Zelda” on hard mode.

      While it’s debatable if “Wind Waker HD” justifies the purchase of a Wii U, there are few if any arguments against every Wii U owner snatching this game up, as it’s truly timeless and in all honesty may just be the greatest “Zelda” game of all time. 2013 may be one of the busiest years in video game history, but this almost 11 year old title is still destined to be one of the top releases available during it.

      News

      Grand Theft Auto V Soundtrack Leaked; Vice City Still the Soundtrack King

      August 24, 2013 /

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      Full disclosure here, as this list of leaked GTA V songs are “unconfirmed” and were all snagged through a recent PSN update which apparently gave away the majority of the game’s tracks.

      It’s a big list complete with some station names, DJ reveals (series regular Lazlow returns, because dude apparently can’t hold a job), and of course a crapload of songs that run a gamut that includes  big names (N.W.A, Queen, Johnny Cash…umm…Britney Spears), one hit wonders, and some painfully bad obligatory choices (pretty much the entire Pop station).

      While it doesn’t feel like a complete list (there’s not near enough radio stations), it is a list that gives the impression that the series will follow the “GTA IV” route of cutting down on big names and instantly recognizable tracks, to instead offer up more of a variety of genres with bands you may not necessarily be familiar with immediately.

      Or maybe I’m just really out of touch with modern music.

      In either case, it’s looking like “Vice City” will remain king of “GTA” soundtracks with its incredible variety of 80s’ classics. That’s not really a dig at this music selection, but more of a personal preference as the nature of “GTA’s” chaotic gameplay doesn’t really allow me to focus on the music much while driving and therefore makes the whole “discovering new music angle” kind of a moot point. This could be alleviated if Rockstar allows you to listen to music outside of vehicles this time around, but so far there is no word on cribbing that feature from “Saint’s Row.”

      Still it’s going to take more than Fergie to derail the “GTA V” hype train, and if this is a slice of the real track list, there are certainly more hits than misses, meaning the “GTA V” hype train keeps rolling, now blasting some pretty sweet tunes as it chugs along to its September 17th release date.

      News

      Smaller Games Look to be a Big Deal in the Next Generation

      August 20, 2013 /

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      Though gamescon isn’t typically known for being a flashy spectacle of triple A games (that would be E3), it still has to be considered odd that on a day marked as the next major battle between Sony and Microsoft, the focus was instead on indie games.

      Both companies devoted large parts of their presentation time to how the new consoles will handle indie games, with Microsoft’s approach being the bigger deal simply because no one had any idea exactly how the Xbox One would be releasing indie games, after some ominous announcements regarding their stance on the topic.

      Long story short, anyone interested in developing indie games for the Xbox One needs to register with Microsoft to do so, and get their approval. If you get that approval, they provide you with the development kits to get started, which for an indie developer is a pretty big deal.

      While the system will be limited at first, the idea is to use the feedback of these regulated developers to help build a system that will ideally let anyone who owns and Xbox One make games for it. The exact hows, whens, and whys of this transition remain something of a mystery, but developers who’ve already been working with the system seem excited about the potential of it, so even though the average gamer may have no idea what the hell any of this means, they apparently can expect some good games out of it.

      Sony on the other hand has been continuing their keep it simple policy, and just seem to be inviting every major indie game of recent memory to be a part of the PS4. Highlights include “Rouge Legacy,” “The Binding of Issac,” and the upcoming “Hotline Miami 2.” It’s an approach that may lack ingenuity, but you have to appreciate its ability to be clearly explained in a few sentences.

      Ultimately though it’s still too early to tell which of the two will be claim victory in the indie arms race, but it’s becoming more and more clear that indies are gaining some serious muscle in the gaming world, and the time has never been better to be a programmer or designer with a little means and the right idea.

      Naturally that means the obvious  winner would be the gamers who get to reap the benefits this movement towards encouraging original concepts in and encouraging fresh talent brings. So…yay us.

      News

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