Podcast 12

So we do this show, it’s about video games. You should listen to it and then go rate us on iTunes.
That is all…

note: warning this Podcast is explicit

download here or listen below
 

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Podcast 11

Another podcast in the books where we talk up games like Alan Wake and some Lara Croft. Tim also has a run in with the law and of course Borga pushes my buttons. Leading to a discussion about news from some recent conventions.

warning this podcast is explicit

Download it here or listen right now!

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Change is in the wind...

Hey Readers,

The site is going through some changes again, time is becoming a factor and I need to slow down. I have some obligations in my personal life that need attending, so I am going to take some time off. A couple posts won't be coming back either.

For example; No more Blog Posts and No more AOM, I want the content to be generated by the site.

Also, you can see on the top of the side bar we finally have a Logo. It is at least a start.

Also the Podcast is now on iTunes, so please, give it a positive rating if you like it.

Thanks for reading and I will see you in a couple of weeks.

My "Final" Fantasy?

There are moments in life when people make bad decisions; decisions where every ounce of our being screams “STOP” and yet we continue. Like ordering the Double Down from KFC or having the hiccups while practicing sword swallowing. Sure, I know it is bad for me and that there is little reward waiting for me at the end of the challenge, but I have to persevere. So I went through with playing Final Fantasy 13 and came out wondering what Square Enix was thinking.

Podcast 10

We are back! Due to some technical difficulties, last weeks Podcast has been sent to oblivion. Now the usual suspects return, with a guest, Mr. Blake Meyer! We will talk about the games we’ve been playing, news and our topic this week: Price Points. Then to finish it off, a 30 minute Starcraft 2 explosion! Podcast is GO!

Download it here or on iTunes.

And if you are really dedicated, listen to it right now!

warning this podcast is explicit

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A Walk in the Woods

What starts as an overdue vacation for Alan Wake and his wife Alice, quickly evolves into a psychological thriller from the mind of Mr. Wake himself. The town of Bright Falls, located in a sleepy part of the Pacific Northwest, is anything but tired. Within their first night, in a cabin on Cauldron Lake, Alice is abducted by a dark presence. It is up to Alan to get her back. Certainly not the most original of plots, the universe that Remedy begins to develop around the characters is fascinating. This makes Alan Wake one of the most original games I have played in the past few years.

Alan Wake in your City

Alan Wake, one of the best new IPs to come out in the past couple of years, has been met with underwhelming sales. Enthusiasts are quick to blame Microsoft and their marketing campaign, but there are doubts if that is the underlying issue. Two campaigns which have captured the Internet’s attention are the billboard ads and the “machinima-esque” webisodes called ‘Bright Falls’.

Now, the billboards were very clever, but region locked. The only reported sightings were in the Toronto area and although the Internet can share, it isn’t the same as seeing one on the street. I would like to think that if these were spread to 5 major U.S. cities, it would have helped to bring in a little more buzz. Especially the giant night light, which was strange enough to draw ones attention during the day and had an awesome visual effect at night. It is a shame that for whatever reason these billboards were not brought stateside. Maybe they didn’t test well, but if that was the case, then there should have been some sort of marquee ads used (billboards, buses, train stations, etc.).

Next you have the mini-series ‘Bright Falls’, a prequel to Alan Wake, which does a good job creating the eerie atmosphere for the town in-game. Not machinima in the traditional sense, as the episodes are all live-action. The set pieces and characters do reprise their role in- game, including Mr. Alan Wake himself. At first, it had a very erratic story arc, revolving around a reporter who arrived in Bright Falls to interview someone and instead experiences a series of haunting events. I watched the series a second time after playing the game, and this allowed me to utilize my knowledge about the fictional universe that is Alan Wake. I almost immediately new what the protagonist was experiencing.

*SPOILERS* The protagonist is being consumed by the darkness over the course of the series and essentially he becomes one of the “Taken”. It is more than just a marketing campaign. The content is actually cannon to the story arc and provides an interesting perspective on what it must be like for the people of Bright Falls.

Combined with some major banner time on numerous gaming sites, it appears that Alan Wake will be achieve acceptable returns. It has combined worldwide sales of over 600,000 at this point, and should reach 1 million by the holiday season. If Microsoft is smart, they will try to bundle it with new 360’s in 2011 and make a cut off the episodic DLC Remedy is releasing. And if they are even smarter, Microsoft will release this on Xbox Live using the Fable 2 model. Play the first episode for free and then $10 for each additional episode. With 5 more disc episodes and 2 DLC, that $70! If you have yet to play Alan Wake, I highly recommend it and my impressions are forth coming. I only hope that the game sales long-term reflect the praise it deserved.

Note: All videos and images are courtesy of Super Punch and YouTube

Watch the episodes of Bright Falls yourself, after the jump!

Podcast

No Podcast this week due to some technical difficulties. i.e. I didn't hit the record button apparently!

Sorry....

Blog Report

Just playing Some Alan Wake, when all this news happened. Enjoy!

Is It Legal to Jailbreak and Unlock Your Cellphone? Copyright Office Officially Says, "Yes" [IPhone]
Take A Visual Tour Of Tron: Legacy's New 'Flynn's Arcade' [Comic-Con 2010]
Darth Vader and Boba Fett class up the joint [Cosplay]
Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken X Street Fighter Revealed At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition Announced At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
LittleBigPlanet 2 Takes November With Adorable Collectors Edition [Release Date]
About The Time Darth Vader Robbed A Bank [Screengrab]
Konami Launching Retail Shop [Japan]
Meet The Guys Who Make Gaming's Fancy Editions [Packaging]
Kevin Butler and New Zealand
What Is Daigo's Day Job? [The Beast]
Rumor: Microsoft Killed Plans For "PC vs Xbox 360" Online Play [Microsoft]
PlayStation 3's 3D Games Could Get 3DS-Style Slider [3D]
Blizzard Does 180 on Real Names
Google Invests $100+ Million In FarmVille Company, Prepares Google Games [Rumor]
Dead Space 2's Miner Upgrades, Including A Solution To A Lack Of Bullets [Preview]
Six New Games Unveiled By EA Today [Electronic Arts]
Fight Night Champion Announced for 2011
Microsoft's Take On The Cost of Motion Gaming [Kinect]

Sony Style Store

Sony, like so many other manufacturers, has begun setting up show room floors across the USA. These experience centers are called 'Sony Style' stores. When I was in Japan a few years back, hitting up the Sony showroom in Ginza was a must. Now, Sony has come to my front door, setting up a Sony Style store in the Dallas Galleria. Once I found out, I dragged my fiancée there to try some of the latest Sony tech. With all the new technology emerging, it is actually one of the best ways for Sony to market all their new hardware. Showrooms like these are built around the idea of “try before you buy” and with so many choices this almost seems necessary. Take for example 3D TV’s; they come in all forms of size, shape and technologies. They are something so complex and expensive that I had no intention of buying day one, but here, they can be experienced for free. Better yet, they can be experienced while playing a Playstation 3, which is the first console outside of a PC that can do this. It may not be worth the $2000+, but having played some MLB the Show and Motorstorm I can say in confidence, it works. If you can combine this with “the Move” and a 7.1 sound system in a creative way, it may be the closest thing to Virtual Reality in your living room we have seen yet.

Speaking of “the Move”, this is another technology that I am not probably going to be adopting day one, but was happy to hear Sony will be having an event in the next month. Thereby, Sony is providing me another opportunity to “try before I buy”, in a retail space more comfortable than the local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. There are numerous other products, ranging from laptops to PSP’s, but I wouldn’t recommend actually buying anything there. I was looking through the shelf of games they had for sale and Lair was priced at almost $60!!! You look on Amazon.com and you can buy a new copy for $17, which is still overpriced since the game is shit. Other than that, I think as a marketing vehicle, this could be very profitable for Sony in the long run. Hey, it works for Apple!

Expect to see another post from the Sony Style Store @ the Playstation Move Event in early September.

Podcast 09

We are down one seat, but the Podcast must go on. Tim and Borga share the time they spend with Hothead’s new IP Deathspank, while I chat up Alan Wake. Then we hit some highlights in the news and discuss Blizzard’s recent brain fart with their forums. Ending with a new decree to all you listeners. PRIZES!

warning this podcast is explicit

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Blog Report

Here is some news!

The Man Who Will Bring Us To The Fourth Dimension [Feature]
Dragon Age II's New Look, Now In Screen Shots [Bioware]
This Chun-Li Has Tiny Thighs [Gameface]
Which Version Of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Should You Buy? [Deus Ex: Human Revolution]
The Dumb Reasons Publishers Passed On PS3 Hit Joe Danger [PS3]
Large Kinect Kiosk Sets Up Shop In Mall [Xbox 360]
Does The Gears Of Warring Of Harry Potter Go Too Far? [Ea]
Help Defend Gaming: Sign the Gamer Petition
God Of War Movie Trailer Is...Unexpectedly Brilliant [Clips]
Amazon As Market Research (For The Lonely Gamer) [Nsfw]
How to Hack Your Nintendo DS for Easy Backups and Single-Cartridge Playback [Gaming]
Questions And Answers About Blizzard's Real ID Plans [Blizzard]
A Guide To Building The 'Perfect Arcade' From Scratch [D.i.y.]
Kmart's Peer Game Reviews Gives Power To the People [Well Played]
Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer [Patent]
Scandal May Have 'Permanently Damaged' Tiger Woods PGA Tour [Golf]
Rumor: Namco vs Capcom, Capcom vs Namco In Development [Rumor]
Sony Commercial Ripped Off [Top]
Infants Found Wandering Streets While Father Plays PC Puzzler [Crime]
Learn The StarCraft Storyline In A Hurry [Blizzard]

Amazon Gold Box Day for Xbox 360

If your reading this and have not already heard, there appears to be a Gold Box sale today for Xbox 360 games at Amazon.com! You can reach it here.

Transformers: War for Cybertron will be on sale for the Gold Box Price: $42.98 all day.

Then every couple of hours another game will drop in, limited stock, at a ridiculous price point. Right now, you can get Singularity for $39.99 (33% off).

The hints for the rest of the day, with my predictions on what the game is, are as follows:

0900 - Go West, young man. = Red Dead Redemption
1100 - Journey to a land of legendary combat. = Deadliest Warrior
1200 - Street Fighter IV button mashing. = Probably some Madcatz Fightpads or Arcade Sticks
1500 - The first modern day spy role-playing game. = Alpha Protocol
1600 - Hone your stealth skills. = Splinter Cell Conviction
1800 - Life 23 years from now. = Metro 2033
2100 - Explore the deadly, shadowed world of an Assassin. = Assassin's Creed 2

So get out there and buy some Xbox games, while they are still on sale.

To Hell and Back with Dante's Inferno

                                     

Somewhere in the depths of Hell, a crusader travels in search of redemption for his lost love. It is only with the help of Death’s Scythe, his lover’s cross, and some magic that he finally finds the redemption he seeks.

Podcast 08

Borga pushes my buttons as we talk about Deathspank, Sin and Punishment, THQ games and Dante's Inferno. After that its more news with fresh NPD numbers and Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. Then just when we were supposed to settle down the podcast explodes over the changes in future RPGs.

*warning: this podcast is explicit

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blog report

Trying to burn through Dante's Inferno before the weekend, because then I am going camping!!! In the mean time, here is all the news you have been pining over.

GameStop's One-Hour Red Dead Redemption Sale Falls Flat [Doh]
Zangief Vs. The Universe [Clip]
Dragon Age II Seems Like It Will Be Very Different [UPDATE] [Bioware]
Here's What Inspired Vanquish [Shinji Mikami]
May NPD: Free Is Not Free
Summer of Arcade Titles Dated
Blizzard's Real Name Forum Policy Has Fans In An Uproar [Blizzard]
The 25 Least-Loved Wii Games, Maybe [Wii]
When Arcades Die [Arcade]
Hulu Plus For PS3 Doesn't Require PlayStation Plus After All [Hulu]
Microsoft Takes Third Stab At Showcasing Xbox Live Arcade [Xbox 360]
Bobby Kotick: Frustrated by Xbox Live Biz Model
Street Fighter High Enrolls Some New Students [Humor]
Average Reviews Mean No Second Helping Of Alpha Protocol [Sega]
Report: Here Are Kinect's Technical Specs [Xbox 360]
Square Enix Honcho Calls World Cup Interview "Deplorable" [Yoichi Wada]
Weighing Morality in Gaming [Morality]
When Britney Spears Meets Japanese Hack-And-Slash [From Software]
Hey Ebert, Play This Game [Art]
It's Better To Deathspank With A Friend [Clips]
After Nearly Four Years, The PS3 Finally Turns A Profit [Sony]

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 2

Now for the exciting part: one of the most impressive arcades is waiting for you in the belly of Chinatown.

Site Update

Stand by as the site is being updated, some things may be moving around, disappearing, reappearing, etc. Hopefully the transition will be smooth and everything will be in working order, with a fresh new look!

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 1

Seeing Rockstar advertise Red Dead Redemption on one of the largest billboards in Times Square it became clear how much video games have integrated with modern culture. Most would think that video games would be last on one's mind in New York, surrounded by an incredible mix of culture, food, and spirits. Should that be the case, you might miss a couple of gaming gems hidden throughout the big apple.

I am Engaged!

On July 4th 2010, Lauren and I went with some friends up to the Empire State Building. While we were on top of the world in NYC, I asked Lauren if she would marry me and she said yes! For your viewing pleasure, watch the video of the event unfolding. Cheers!

Josh and Fallon's Wedding

Congratulations Josh and Fallon! Thank You for inviting Lauren and I to share in this wonderful evening with you two. It was a fantastic experience and I am still hurt from the chicken cordon blue poppers and open bar. We wish you the best of luck in your new life together. There is a video bar after the jump of some of the highlights from the wedding.

Nintendo Rewards their Fans

So Nintendo has a service online where you can go register Nintendo Products called, Club Nintendo. This service is pretty common for publishers and even crosses into other industries. By doing so, Nintendo provides its fans the opportunities to earn points, which can be redeemed for unique products which you cannot buy in stores, as well as providing you a sort of "status level" in the program. At the end of June every year those points are reset and you have to start all over. Luckily, I reached the highest level (platinum status) before the reset and have thus earned myself the following trophy

                             

Not too shabby Nintendo! Gold members received a calender, but that really seems like the type of thing I would throw away after 2011. While, this little statue is a keeper. Anyway, the new year has started, so if you have a whole stack of unregistered Nintendo products maybe it is time to join Club Nintendo. Stay tuned later this week as I post my experience from the Nintendo World Store in NYC!

AOM - July

There is something special about Patrick Brown's art. It has a very stylistic interpretation on many of todays video game heroes, but he also has a professional level of quality to each piece. Whatever he does to bring this together, I like it and if you do too, you can visit him here.

Vacation Time!!

Heading to New York for a family wedding, plus a long over due vacation . Updates will be sporadic at best, but I will try to keep you all informed. See you on East Coast time!!

Podcast 07

We have survived the wave of news coming out of E3 and return to our regularly scheduled program. Sam and Max, Alpha Protocol and Blur await your ears, as we discuss our highs and lows of gaming this past week. In addition, we will get all philosophical on your ass and discuss how games affect your brain. BOOM!

You can download it here, or listen to it below

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Play it NOW! - Red Dead Redemption

John Marston is single-handedly the greatest protagonist that Rockstar has ever created. The game's ability to capture his personality and simultaneously recreate the picturesque Wild West setting, makes for a compelling narrative rarely accomplished in games. Much of this has to do with the excellent voice acting and animation, making the scenes very cinematic. There are also the usual Rockstar tropes of dialog containing social commentary on American life, but Redemption executes these without disrupting the narrative.

With solid gameplay mechanics, ambient challenges, and believable characters, there is incentive to go beyond the main storyline. Rockstar develops this in a variety of ways; from the hunting of animals, to the picking of flowers, to the various random NPCs the user may find himself either helping or hurting. No decision you make can truly affect the outcome of the story, but instead your actions affect how NPC’s treat you. Sure, John is an honorable outlaw in personality, but Rockstar allows you to play the game anyway you would like. Therefore, if you want to go around being a generally unsavory fellow in the Wild West, the choice is yours. In the grand scheme of the storyline, the outcome does not have the same impact if you play the game as a villain. That said, this is the Wild West, and ultimately you are going to kill many people. Luckily, the combat mechanics have improved significantly over at GTA 4. Marston is able to utilize cover and execute a series of attacks sequentially, using a slow motion targeting system called Dead Eye. Dead Eye comes in handy when riding horse back and trying to shoot at the same time.

Weapon variety is fantastic for the period, offering up everything from bolt-action rifles to high-powered pistols. Even mini-guns make an appearance on occasion, increasing the blood shed in some missions significantly. There is also an open world component to the online play, where up to 16 people enter a free-roam session. In the multiplayer one can posse up to run gang hideouts, complete a new set of ambient challenges, or even run through some of the free co-op DLC. There are also some competitive modes online like deathmatch, capture the flag, and various objective-based matches. Really, the only thing missing are some of the mini-games from the single player like blackjack or poker. I do not understand what limitations are in place, but the option of gambling amongst your friends after running through town causing a ruckus would fit this game perfectly. I hope that they can release a patch, but if not, it is still one of the must own games of 2010. Play it NOW!

Note: All images are the result of a Google image search

Get Blur for $20!!

Best Buy has Blur marked down to $39.99 from June 20 to June 26. Combine with the $20 off manufacturer's coupon ([www.blurgamepromotion.com]) for a $19.99 copy of Blur. I personally took advantage of this if you saw my tweet. You should too!

Thanks to the guys at http://www.cheapassgamer.com/ for the heads up.

note: image courtesy of Google image search

Blog Report

Just picked up a subscription to the new Sam and Max Penal Zone. So far I am enjoying the new psychic powers Max brings to the franchise. It really help to have a party member that can see the future in a adventure game. Too bad you don't have them too, otherwise you wouldn't have to read all this news. Enjoy!

Hello Kitty motor oil
New Xbox 360 Warns You Of Possible Doom [Xbox 360]
Def Jam Rapstar's Online 'Data Porn' Rolls Deep [E3]
Brink Delayed Until 2011 [Bethesda]
37% of the internet is porn [Dubious Conclusions]
How To Trade-Up To The New Xbox 360 For $90 [GameStop]
You Could Use A DualShock Instead Of The Nav Controller...
Cross-Section Of A Castlevania Castle [Xbox 360]
How To Control The Next Zelda Game [E3]
Lovely Alan Wake ads
Mario's Creator On The Mystery Of Women (And Cats) [Pullquote]
The New Mortal Kombat Cuts Deeper Than Ever Before [E3]
Star Wars lightsaber replica causes blindness, cancer [Lasers]
The Shirts of Pac-Man [Screengrab]
How To Troll The Xbox 360 Kinect Users You Know And Love [Kinect]
Fallout MMO Now Accepting Beta Sign-Ups [Fallout]
Final Fantasy Designer Would Like To Make A First Person Shooter [Tetsuya Nomura]
Premium "PlayStation Plus" Subscriptions Coming to PSN [E32010]
The Definitive Guide To The Nintendo 3DS [Top]
Gaming as Performance [Arcades]

Mommy, Where Do Dead Pixels Come From?

Just laughed my ass off when I read this web comic and wanted to share it with you.

as seen on Dueling Analogs

Podcast 06

It is time for the Super E3 podcast with the usual suspects; Sean, Tim, Brian and Steve! We will go over most of the press conferences and games we are excited for in 2011.

You can download it here, or listen to it below.



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E3 Wrap Up

Click the jump for my impressions of E3 and what the "big three" had to offer.

VR - Pixel Junk: Shooter

Apparently you cannot upload a video over 10 minutes in length. Not sure how I missed that, but therefore in the interest of time, I simply split the latest video into two parts. So watch below if you are interested in seeing Lauren and me’s experience playing Pixel Junk Shooter.

Blog Report

In the final act of Red Dead Redemption and it is building to be some of Rockstar's best work. But E3 is here so I guess the finale will have to wait. News!

The Giant Video Game Banners E3 Didn't Want You To See [E3]
Creative Boss is Said to Walk Out on Assassin's Creed [Rumor]
This Tuesday: PlayStation Move at Best Buy stores throughout Los Angeles!
iPhone 4 in Tokyo
Playing Rock Band 3's New Keyboard, 102 Button Guitar Controller [Mtv Games]
Metal Gear Solid: Raiden Has Changed [Cover Story]from Kotaku by Luke Plunkett
Play Zelda II As A First-Person Shooter [Zelda]
The Disappearance Of SimCity [Simcity]
The Dreamcast Returns! (As Digital Content) [E3]
New Mortal Kombat Coming, Will Be Most Gory Ever [Fighting Games]
Old Lady Complains To Google About Pac-Man [Humor]
Sony Shows Its Faith In 3D [Playstation]
Is this elementary school secretly the Starship Enterprise? [Star Trek]
My Four-Year-Old Son Plays Grand Theft Auto [Grand Theft Auto San Andreas]
"You Gonna Read This, Fisher?" The Art of Enemy Taunts [Republished]
My Own Private Architecture [Republished]
Watch The Entire Red Dead Redemption "Short Film" [Clips]
Pissed-Off Parents Find Math Game Too Violent for School [Education]

Podcast 05

While I am still playing Red Dead and FF13, Tim and Steve start a new journey with Alpha Protocol. As E3 draws closer, news is slowly trickling in about upcoming titles. Brian and I get hyped about the prospect of a new Mortal Kombat movie and of course, Steve says something funny at the end of the show.

Download it here or listen to it below:

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Marketing 101 - Blur Ad Campaign

With the latest generation of video game consoles reaching full stride, popular culture has created a menagerie of different gamers. This results in more mainstream ad campaigns for video games, and the opportunity for creativity. Bizarre Creations’ newest IP, “Blur”, is an arcade racer, heavy on vehicular combat and multiplayer. The latest ad campaign features a foodstuff named “Brock Lee”, who is tired of driving in kart races for babies and marvels at the “big boy” racing in Blur. It is all very tongue-in-cheek and clearly a shot at the traditional kart racing genre and its current leader, Mario Kart Wii. Despite any qualms you have with the “sharing” of ideas across IPs, I feel the marketing is effective and succinctly explains the games overall theme. After seeing this, a post appeared on Kotaku showing the French ad campaign behind Blur. The approach towards the ad campaign is significantly different, taking the more “traditional” approach to advertising a product. Let's look at the two ads after the jump and go from there:

Play it NOW! - Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Run, jump, and climb your way through Ubisoft’s latest iteration in the Prince of Persia franchise: The Forgotten Sands. Anyone familiar with the franchise and its recent reboot will immediately notice this is not the Nolan North prince. Instead, we return to the Sands of Time era, as Ubisoft attempts to bridge the gap between the first game and its sequel, The Warrior Within. Why the departure? In my opinion, this was done to act as a companion to the recent live action summer movie, which is set in the same universe. After the first hour of play, it will be clear this is the Prince of Persia we all remember, but the game quickly evolves into a unique experience.

Blog Report

Why is it that John Marston always a sucker for scumbags and philanderers?

I just made it to Blackwater and I already hate the new mission characters more than the ones in Mexico or Armadillo.

That's saying alot since Armadillo was home to slimey, nun-robbing, necrophiliacs...

NEWS!

Tetsuya Ishida's surrealist self-portraits
Red Faction: Armageddon "Emergency Transmission"
The War Game Where Nobody Gets Shot [Politics]
Microsoft Changing Xbox 360 Box Art [Coverstory]
Results are in on PAX's Booth Babe Ban Poll [Pax]
Kim Kardashian As Lara Croft? That Can't Be Right, Can It? [Rumor]
Porn Empire Can't Penetrate the PS3 [PS3]
Radiohead Has Good Taste In Video Games [Music]
Contra Returns Without The Contra Name [Konami]
First Batch Of BlizzCon 2010 Tickets Hit eBay [Blizzard]
Enjoy Your Massage! No, Really. Enjoy It! [Wii]
Oh, BTW, EA Sports Confirms NBA Live's Name Change [Sports]
PlayStation Move Gets Another Supporter [Playstation 3]
Man Accused Of Killing Kitten For Unplugging Game Console [Crime]
Foxconn Employee Dies After 34-Hour Shift [Foxconn]
Hulu Coming To Xbox 360? [Rumor]
Sony Remembers The PS3 Is A HD System [Hd]
Rockstar Won't Be At E3; Game Reveal Purportedly On Hold
Surprise! No Portal 2 Party at E3 [E3]

Hitting it off - Pixel Junk: Shooter

For our latest edition of "Hitting It Off", join Lauren and I, as we spelunk through the "Depth's of Disaster" in Q games latest IP, PixelJunk Shooter.

Podcast 04

Sean, Tim, and Steve return; with special guest Mike Poole to talk more video games. We will spill our guts over Red Dead Redemption and POP: Sands of Time. Then, move into a little topic on Marketing video games to consumers and whether or not those Marketers should be gamers.

Download it here or

Listen to it now

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VR - Super Street Fighter IV

Check it out!

Bitmob - "Fog of War" Homework

Bitmob contributor Michael Rousseau issued a challenge to the Bitmob Community for the month of May to improve the readability of our posts. Using a series of algorithms, we could either write a new article or improve an existing one. I chose to improve upon the first editorial I ever wrote on my blog, which you can find here. The readability results are below and the re-written post with my conclusion, is after the jump.

Readability Results for original post:

Flesch Reading Ease – 54.8

Flesch – Kincaid Grade Level – 11.4

Gunning Fog Index – 14.16

Blog Report

How about the Microsoft "Wave"?

No, then maybe Playstation "Move"?

Alright Mr. Pickey, try the Nintendo "Waggle"?

Yeah, that'll do. Check out the rest of the news from this week.

New Promotions for PSP this June!
Remote Control Mario Kart Has Shells, Bananas [Nintendo]
It's Ghostbusters, Like You've Never Seen Them Before [Pachinko]
Tropical storm Agatha opens up massive, horrifying sinkholes in Guatemala City [Disaster]
Coming Soon to PSN Store: Joe Danger for PS3
Whose Car Is This? [Yours]
Man Spends Six Months Plotting Murder Of Counter-Strike Rival [Crime]
Left 4 Dead 2 Mutates Into Single-player Game [Valve]
Teen Werewolves Do Not Like The Xbox 360 [Nsfw]
Dear Apple, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft [Open Letter]
PAX Surveys Alternatives to Its Booth Babe Ban [Pax]
Should You Be a Gamer if You’re Marketing a Video Game?
Marvel vs Capcom 3 Screenshots Will Kick Your Canon In The Face [MvC3]
Don't Cheat In Guild Wars, You Will Be Killed [Mmo]
Red Dead Redemption "Short Film" Looks A Lot Like A "Trailer" [Clips]
THQ Announces Partners Division
Sonic Colors Streaks To The Wii And DS [Game On]
Kung-Fu Live for PS3: You Are the Controller
The Real Halo Rifle That Shoots Nerf Darts [Halo]
J Allard's Parting Advice To Microsoft [Microsoft]
Insomniac's Next Franchise Will Be Multiplatform
Father of the Xbox, Head of Gadgets and Fun Leave Microsoft [Update] [Xbox Shakeup 2010]
Do We Need Fair Trade Games? [Republished]

AOM - June

Sesame Street Fighter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My head just exploded! Made by a most deviantartist who goes by the moniker, gavacho13. You can find more of his work here. Shoryuken!

Podcast 03

We have a special guest on today's show, ScrewAttack.com's own Brian Baker. He will be here to guide us through a number of games, like Red Dead Redemption, FFXIII, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Backbreaker?! Also, our topic this week is the issue of Save systems in modern gaming, and whether or not it is acceptable that some save systems can still ruin games.

Download it here.

or listen below.

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Personal Gaming Metrics

Being a recent MBA graduate and working in corporate America, statistics are what I do. Most employers like meaurable objectives, customers love them. It is our ability to display progress that can mean the life or death of a project. With this in mind, I was always curious what trends exist in my gaming habits and whether or not it was something I could "easily" measure.

As luck would have it, there's an app for that, if you have an iPhone. Developed by Hooked in Motion, titled "My Games", the app helps you categorize your video game collection. You can input all the information in manually, or you can use the camera and scan the barcode (much easier). Sure some data still needs to be filled in manually, but it is an easy way collect all that data. Afterwhich you can back up the data to a text file, import it into Excel, text to columns, and wa la! Columns and columns of data regarding my gaming collection habits. For more information about the app, go here. For more information about my addiction to games, hit the jump!

Is it sad that I only have beaten half of the 102 games in my collection? >_<

Blog Report

Went on a video game bender since the girlfriend was out of town this weekend. Played for about 36 hours and put a major dent in FF13. Also hit up Red Dead for some good times online, but the world didn't stop for my gaming addiction, so here is the news!

Mass Effect: The Movie Is Really Happening [Hollywood]
Here's Your Special Launch-Day Halo: Reach Hat [Microsoft]
First Killzone 3 Screens, Official Details [Playstation 3]
Little Girls Writes A Letter To Nintendo, Gets A Free DS? [Ds]
Ubisoft Ruins Prince Of Persia Box Art [Ubisoft]
Maybe The Greatest Baseball Pitch You'll See Today [Japan]
Dead Skate: Code Unlocks Isaac and Board [Unlockable]
I'm your huckleberry
The Sony Situation: SCEA's Rob Dyer Speaks
Blur Punches Mario Kart In The Balls [Clips]
Watch the Dallas Cowboys football stadium implode - from inside [Explosions]
From The Wayback Machine
Walmart Unveils Shiny New Online Gamecenter [Retail]
No More Heroes 2 Inspires The First Video Game Lingerie Collection [No More Clothing]
World Of Warcraft Remote Auction House Is Free To Browse, Pay To Bid [Blizzard]
Code Required for UFC Undisputed Online Play [Dlc]
Unlockable Celebs Will Return to NBA Jam [Wii]
Exclusive Showdown Reveals...Pointlessness Of Exclusives [Xbox 360]
Beware This Ruinous Prince of Persia Glitch [Spoilers] [Glitches]
PixelJunk Shooter 2 in Full Production!

Play it NOW! - Super Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV was the fighting game for a new generation. Not only has it fleshed out the idea of what a 2.5D fighter can be, but it has sparked a revival of the genre. It is only suitable that Capcom, the father of 2D fighters, be the one to lead such an ambitious journey. Much like their previous installments, SSFIV is an expansion on the foundations laid in Street Fighter 4. Some gamers may be taken aback by the idea that they have to procure another disc. Let me assure you: this is a new game.

First and foremost, the character selection screen is initially completely unlocked, and a few new characters are available. Some are from the original Super (Dee Jay & T-Hawk), others from the Alpha series (Guy, Cody, Adon), and still others from Third Strike (Dudley, Ibuki, Makoto). Rounding out the 10 are some new faces with Hakan and Juri. This article will focus on the new characters, since the existing are similar to their predecessors.

Juri - Is primarily an offensively oriented character, with few defensive moves. Most of her attacks are kicks and her fireball technique can be charged. If you choose to charge, she does a high kick first and can unleash her fireball at any time after that by releasing the button. She has a counter move in which she taunts her enemy into hitting her. If she is hit; she can move backwards, jump into the air, or appear behind her opponent. Combined with her aerial dive kick, this counter is especially painful for her opponents. Her super unleashes a flurry of fireballs and juggles the opponent, ending with a fireball that hits the opponent as they are falling. The first Ultra is the Feng Shui Engine, which is a timing move that allows her to do combos at ease. The second Ultra is the Kaisen Dankairaku, a devastating attack in which she kicks her opponent up, then down where the opponent lands on her foot. She taunts them before slamming them into the ground.

Hakan – An oil wrestler whose technique revolves around the application of oil to his body. The primary move is called the Oil Shower, but the overall move set remains the same regardless of the presence of oil. The difference made by applying oil shows in the strength and agility of the character. Moves like the slide attack, will reach further with oil applied. Since he is more of a grappler, his throws are also more powerful with oil. Applying the oil also makes him "glow" for a short amount of time, acting as a timer of sorts for his current oiling. His super involves grabbing his opponent, sliding back and forth across the floor of the stage. The first Ultra is the Oil Coaster, which is like a more powerful version of his Oil Rocket move. He grabs, then pops the opponent up into the air, and slides them into a wall. The second Ultra is the Oil Combination, where Hakan lays down on the floor and waits for his opponent to fall into him. Once an opponent does, calamity ensues and they will wish they had not executed that last jump.

Additionally, all characters have been given a second Ultra. You choose which Ultra to use before the round begins, much like Third Strike. The game also features a few additional online modes: Team Battle (up to 8 players), and Endless Battle (winner plays against a rotating group of up to 8 players).

Another great feature is the Replay Channel, which allows players to save and view replays from around the world. It provides users some excellent footage, despite the lack of any character specific filters, which would help in finding a match up you may be struggling with. Fans of the series will notice the return of the car and barrels bonus stages. I found these to be fun bits of nostalgia to remind people of Capcom’s roots. Rival battles are still prominent from the previous game, which feature a unique dialogue sequence whenever a certain pair of characters face-off against each other.

A downloadable Tournament Mode is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2010. This will allow people to create their own tournaments, with victory belts. This will be cool if only for bragging rights and Capcom has mentioned sanctioning a few tournaments of their own DLC is limited to a number of costume packs for the various characters. These are not essential, but certainly add some variety to the already numerous costumes and color combinations. The game itself is at a price point of $40. If you don’t already own a fighting game, it makes Super Street Fighter 4 essential for any console owner.

*note: all pictures are coutesy of a Google Image search