• Archive of "Feature" Category

    Hands-on with Dream.Build.Play

    10/01/2009 // 1 Comment »

    Sometimes technology lets us down. I’m not talking about red rings, yellow lights or even the great white unicorn of failure sightings: a busted Wii. No, this time it’s my recording of my time at the XNA booth at PAX. After spending one great big jam-packed hour with the reps, six games and one of the game finalist developers, the whole thing is lost to the tech ether. My time there, however, was way too much fun to not relive, even if it lacks the punch of quotes and footage. Indie games just rock too hard to be confined by such things. The Dream.Build.Play Challenge is for independent and hobbyist devs, and gamers dreaming of bring a game to life. Using XNA Game Studio they create a game for the chance at a piece of the $75,000 cash prize and having their game published on XBLA. This year’s competition saw over 350 entries spanning over 100 countries, and I can hardly imagine the depth of quality in that submission pool after seeing what the finalists delivered.

    DustAnElysianTail1 (more…)

    Posted in Feature, Preview, XBox360

    The Secret World is a Little Less Secret

    09/10/2009 // 8 Comments »

    Last Friday at PAX I was ushered into the most ill-conceived meeting booth ever erected on an Expo floor. Yes, room F, allocated to Norway’s Funcom, was adjacent to the Harmonix booth. Thank goodness those guys had mics. In spite of the auditory hardship, Ragnar and Martin persevered, showing off details of their game and swearing me to secrecy until today. The Secret World is intense, rooted in conspiracy theories and covert power struggles, so I was happy to comply. After all, maybe these guys know something I don’t. (more…)

    Posted in Feature, PC, Preview

    PAX 2009 Best in Show: Business Cards

    09/07/2009 // 3 Comments »

    Collecting swag is a given at a games show, and collecting business cards is just as fun. Not only does it mean I’m getting to meet people that live outside my kitchen, but I get to go all design geeky and assess the relative awesomeness of the ultimate business trading item. That’s right, I bring you the best of PAX. Stuff you didn’t even know you wanted to see. (more…)

    Posted in Feature, Industry

    My Crystal Ball is Motion Controlled

    07/17/2009 // No Comments »

    “Motion Control”, a phrase now so ubiquitous it has darn near lost its sexy. In the wake of the Wii’s rampant success with the casual-friendly Wiimote, the compression of titles into mini-games, and a family-friendly image, motion control is a veritable poster child for gaming. Arms spread wide in welcome; motion control promises none of those terrible and complex button combinations of old and instead offers animated movements, calorie-burning, general waggling and lots of laughter. Smashing through your LCD TV and the too-serious face of gaming, is our future motion controlled?

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    Posted in Feature, Gaming, IPhone, PS3, Tech, Wii, XBox360

    Qore: One Year (and one month) Later

    07/16/2009 // No Comments »

    We take a look at Sony’s subscription-based digital magazine and find out how it stacks up after your first $24.99 has been exhausted. Is it still worth the price of admission?

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    Posted in Feature, PS3

    Hands on with Inside Xbox 360

    05/27/2009 // No Comments »

    Last week I had the opportunity to speak with Brad Dobbs of Zumobi, a mobile media company focused on delivering smart phone applications. For the avid Xbox 360 gamer, Zumobi brings the Xbox Experience to your iPhone. An app made for the 360 gamer that fears leaving their console behind, Inside Xbox 360 keeps you connected to the community.

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    Posted in Feature, IPhone, XBox360

    Top 8 Game Heroes Made Heroines: A Facetious Look at Pandering to the Female Demographic

    05/05/2009 // No Comments »

    As the female gaming demographic continues to rise it is hard not to be amused by inclusivity efforts – particularly ones that boil down to little more than lame pandering.  As a verifiable chick gamer I think I have something to offer on this topic, and am here to make the dreams of any marketing department looking to woo the gaming ladies come true.  In a pixelated world of over-sized jubblies and remarkably under-dressed female combatants, it is important that the games of today emphasize that the industry really understands women and what we want from games.  I think I’m a step ahead of the brain trust on this one; what better way to jump off the Babyz train than by reworking some proven titles for the Cosmo crowd?  Below are eight characters from popular gaming franchises primed and ready for a shameless lipstick makeover.

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    Posted in Feature, Gaming

    HipHopGamer Show

    02/22/2009 // 3 Comments »

    Mr. HipHopGamer had me on the Gamers in the Street section yesterday morning (31 minutes in).    Suffice it to say I have learned a thing or two about interviews via Skype!

    Posted in Feature, Gaming

    Inside Look: PlayStation Qore

    06/12/2008 // No Comments »

    Now available from the Playstation Store is episode one of Qore, an online magazine featuring exclusive developer interviews, game previews, and behind the scenes tidbits for all those need-to-be-in-the-know gamers. You can add Qore to your downloads for the single episode cost of $2.99, or show your girlfriend you really can commit with the $24.99 investment for thirteen episodes. Annual subscribers also get the raucous good time of a download Calling All Cars, making the deal sugary sweet.

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    Posted in Feature, PS3