Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Zynga Announces Empires & Allies

Zynga, the dominant browser-based video game developer, announced Empires & Allies today, a new real-time strategy game from the company's Los Angeles studio.

Speaking to the executive producer Amer Ajami, 1UP has learned that Empire & Allies was internally referenced as "Cityville meets Risk," and that the core development team is comprised of former Command & Conquer and The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth team members. The game blends familiar city building and expansion mechanics of Zynga's previous games (such as City-, Frontier-, or FarmVille) with more traditional elements, such as combat and a single player campaign.

Source: http://www.1up.com/news/zynga-empires-and-allies

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Respawn Entertainment hires Star Wars artist for upcoming mystery title (PC)

Respawn Entertainment, the company formed by former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella after their acrimonious split with Activision, haven't yet announced what their studio’s debut title will be. However, the project has just gained the talents of designer Iain McCaig, whose past work includes concept artwork on films such as Terminator 2, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the new Star Wars movies. McCaig's previous work in games goes back as far as design credits on Star Control 2 and the original Monkey Island...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/pc/news/respawn-entertainment-hires-star-wars-artist-for-upcoming-mystery-title/a-2011052711859105051/g-2006032219817514003

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Music video for Goldfish's “We Come Together” packs nonstop retro references (PC)

Close your eyes and listen to this new cut from South African electronica outfit Goldfish. Perfectly serviceable house-bounce, right? A little Junior Senior, a bit Felix Da Housecat? Okay, now watch the clip. If that isn't the densest, most in-joke laden, lawsuit-courting-est music video you've ever seen, clearly you come from an alternate universe where retrogaming shout-outs have replaced the English language as the dominant mode of communication...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/pc/news/music-video-for-goldfishs-we-come-together-packs-nonstop-retro-references/a-20110524112339339027/g-2006032219817514003

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Monday, May 30, 2011

New Disney Universe looks like Sackboy with mouse ears (PC)

Disney Interactive looks to be taking a page out of LittleBigPlanet's playbook with its upcoming release of Disney Universe, a multiplayer action adventure game featuring pint-sized avatars doing cutesy things while wearing costumes inspired by Disney and Pixar properties...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/pc/news/new-disney-universe-looks-like-sackboy-with-mouse-ears/a-2011052614958593078/g-2006032219817514003

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SSX comic shows off Elise

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Games that every other game should copy (PC)

Cheating off another student’s test in school isn’t cool. When that student is earning straight A’s and winning all the college scholarships, however, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a look at his or her study habits and maybe think about trying them out for yourself.

End of forced metaphor. What we’re trying to say is that sometimes copying your competitors is okay, even admirable – especially when your competitors are the bar-raising, standard-setting, envelope-pushing geniuses at places like Nintendo, Valve, Rockstar and BioWare. Gamers won’t care or complain if you shamelessly rip off better ideas, as long as that means an industry full of better games.

So steal away! Here’s a cheat sheet to get you started...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/f/games-that-every-other-game-should-copy/a-2011052315182387044

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This Week In Games

This week, well – let’s just say it’s the proverbial calm before the storm. The big release this week is Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, and… that’s about it really. (more…)

Source: http://feeds.kotaku.com.au/~r/KotakuAustralia/~3/8AN0NQyL2oI/

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Dragon?s Dogma trailer slays a griffin

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Mass Effect catch-up comic out for PC

Mass Effect Genesis has reached PC. Available for 320 BioWare Points, the 15-minute interactive comic lets players make the major decisions those who played through the first Mass Effect game were faced with. …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/tKK7jc6Vadg/

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Graphics Algorithm Becomes 8-Bit Vector Perfecter

A pair of computer science researchers have come up with an algorithm that can take a low-resolution piece of pixel art and upscale it accurately to vector graphics. Imagine seeing SNES games upscaled to HD resolution for the Wii 2.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/05/pixel-art-vector/

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Sony unveils new wireless PS3 headset

Not content with having your Bluetooth headset pull double duty for both your phone and PS3? Sony has just the thing for you, having �just unveiled their new PlayStation 3 branded Wireless Stereo …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/Di9c8hjh9Dc/

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Limited-edition Oblivion commemorative re-release on the way (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)

Do you love (and yet not own) Bethesda's 2006 classic, Oblivion – inarguably one of the finest games of its generation? Are you looking forward to the sequel, Skyrim? Do you often offend the honor of 19th-century gentlemen? Then has Bethesda got a deal for you: a strictly limited re-issue of the Game of the Year version of Oblivion, containing among the requisite extras a $10-off coupon for Skyrim. Also, it's packaged in a sturdy steel book which can easily be hidden under your shirt or coat for a surreptitious, potentially life-saving advantage in your next pistol duel...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion/news/limited-edition-oblivion-commemorative-re-release-on-the-way/a-2011052494624547047/g-20060112163636538018

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Sudokube 3D Sudoku for Android Screens

1 new shots posted.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Sudokube 3D Sudoku for Android Screens" was posted on Fri, 27 May 2011 17:07:30 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/android/puzzle/sudokube3dsudoku/images.html?sid=6316110

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E3 2011: BioShock Infinite preview - Big Daddy is nothing compared to the Songbird (BioShock Infinite)

It’s amazing how quickly things can fall apart. The floating city of Colombia, created as the 1910s’ perfect, ultimate embodiment of American pride and Jeffersonian principles, is now wracked by a civil war between the ultra-patriotic Founders and the Vox Populi, a violent group of blue-collar workers. Explosions rock the city’s platforms, gunfire erupts in the streets – people are fighting and dying all around you. And you? You’re Booker DeWitt, a rough, former Pinkerton agent, hired to find a girl named Elizabeth and get her out of this airborne warzone. No easy task – it seems everyone on both sides of the revolution hates you, Elizabeth’s out of control super powers are as likely to get you killed as they are to help, and someone called the Songbird is determined to “rescue” Elizabeth and return her to the locked tower where she grew up, like a star-spangled Rapunzel...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/bioshock-infinite/preview/e3-2011-bioshock-infinite-preview-big-daddy-is-nothing-compared-to-the-songbird/a-2011052311925406045/g-20100812105537963042

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Sony cuts back on NGP power to compete?

Reports are coming in that Sony are cutting back on the specs on their next handheld, codenamed Next Generation Portable, in order to keep pricing competitive with Nintendo’s 3DS. IndustryGamers picked up on …

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Clone Warriors: RPGs Inspired by Dragon Quest

Feature

Clone Warriors: RPGs Inspired by Dragon Quest

A look at Dragon Quest's legacy, encapsulated in the games that ripped it off.

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DRAGON QUEST East and West, Warrior and Quest: A Dragon Quest Retrospective | Clone Warriors: RPGs Inspired by Dragon Quest | Dragon Quest and the Art of Efficient Exploration | Joker's Wild: The Tale of a Dragon Quest Grudge Match | A Retronauts Dragon Quest Comic

Dragon Quest is one of Japan's most beloved game series. Like any piece of media that reaches stratospheric heights of popularity, it's inspired a host of flatterers, pretenders, and flat-out imitators hoping to capture just an ounce of its success. Some of these have been nothing more than substandard cash grabs, while others actually brought something different to the RPG party. We've gathered some of the more interesting ones as proof that while imitation may not be the sincerest form of flattery, it can be the most fascinating.

Glory of Heracles
Data East | Famicom | 1987
The earliest Dragon Quest clones were cynical cash-ins designed to ride the RPG gravy train; of these, the most high-profile example was Data East's Glory of Heracles. Rather than playing out in a medieval setting, Heracles was set an curiously pastel version of ancient Greece. It told the story of the man we know as Hercules and his quest to complete the 12 labors described in ancient myths. It may seem strange for a Japanese RPG to play its mythological influences straight, but when you're the source material hands you plenty of MacGuffins and "bosses" to kill on a silver platter, there's no need to muck around with it. The first Heracles mirrored Dragon Quest's solo journey, with subsequent releases adding improvements similarly lifted from its inspiration's sequels. Don't mistake the series for garbage just because of its blatant structural thievery, though; even today, Glory of Heracles remains popular in its native Japan, where it remained exclusively until the recent DS revival was localized for the U.S. That particular sequel has more in common with Golden Sun than Dragon Quest, however, concealing the series' more familiar roots.
Legend of the Ghost Lion
Kemco | NES | 1992
One clone Americans did see back in the day was Kemco's Legend of the Ghost Lion, a strange game where every part that wasn't taken directly from Dragon Quest was straight out of a fever dream. Here you have your typical overhead view for exploration along with first-person battles, but pretty much every other design decision can only be described as bizarre. You choose weapons to attack with in first-person battles a la the Final Fantasy Legend (aka SaGa) games, and rather than casting magic spells, you summon beings such as an African tribesman and a wizard who looks a lot like Moses. Did I mention your stats are Courage, Hope, and Dreams? As you may have gathered, many of these mechanics aren't that different than standard RPG fare and only serve to make the game feel odd, leaving you with a Dragon Quest clone that feels like it's trying too hard to appear like it's not totally ripping Enix off. Tellingly, it never made an impact, ensuring that it remains a weird anomaly.
Mother
Ape, Inc. | Nintendo | Famicom/GBA | 1989
Nintendo is usually the company that everyone else copies, not the other way around. But when famed Japanese author Shigesato Itoi wanted to create an RPG for Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES), Nintendo looked to Dragon Quest II for a template. The resulting game saw players gathering party members, battling in a first-person viewpoint, and exploring from a top-down perspective. Where the game differs, however, is in its setting and writing: it takes place in '50s-style American towns as seen through the lens of a Japanese point of view. Itoi's writing is what really sells Mother's somewhat bizarre themes, grounding everything enough to create a game that exudes heartfelt nostalgia. Its sequel, EarthBound, polished up the formula with a rolling hit point counter, better graphics, and an official American release. The more recent Mother 3 opted to use Dragon Quest IV's shifting point-of-view structure to tell its own heartrending story, making this one of the few Dragon Quest clones to arguably outshine its source material.

Source: http://www.1up.com/features/rpgs-inspired-by-dragon-quest

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PokerCruncher Screens

5 new shots posted.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"PokerCruncher Screens" was posted on Fri, 27 May 2011 12:09:12 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/iphone/puzzle/pokercruncher/images.html?sid=6315942

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Phishing Site Discovered On Sony Thailand Servers

mcgrew tips news that security firm F-secure has found a live phishing site running on Sony's Thailand servers. "Basically this means that Sony has been hacked, again. Although in this case the server is probably not very important." This comes alongside news that a point service run by So-net, a Sony subsidiary, was accessed by an unknown intruder, who stole about $1,200 worth of virtual tokens. "The intrusions are believed to have taken place on May 16 and 17. So-net discovered the breach on May 18, after receiving consumer complaints. So-net halted the point redemption service following the discovery of the breach. The latest breaches are relatively minor in scale compared to the massive breach at PSN and Sony Entertainment Online. Even so, it only adds to the company's embarrassment."

Thursday, May 26, 2011

SCARABEUS PEARL OF NILE Screens

5 new shots posted.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SCARABEUS PEARL OF NILE Screens" was posted on Thu, 26 May 2011 17:20:29 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/iphone/puzzle/scarabeuspearlofnile/images.html?sid=6315797

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Take-Two, Rockstar heads extend contracts

Another bit to come out of Take-Two’s fiscal year 2011 earning report is the company extending its contracts with Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto heads at Rockstar. “Sam Houser, Dan Houser …

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US PSN identity-theft protection plan sign-ups begin

Sony begins accepting applications for AllClearID Plus Identity Theft Protection for PlayStation Network and Qriocity customers.

Earlier this month, Sony announced it would be offering free identity-theft protection services for the 77 million PlayStation Network users whose personal information was compromised by the service's data breach. The company said that US-based PSN users and customers of Qriocity, Sony's music-streaming service, would receive 12 free months of coverage in Debix, Inc.'s AllClearID Plus program.

AllClearID Plus should protect PSN users from an identity crisis.

Now, Sony has begun accepting sign-ups for the AllClearID Plus program through the official US PlayStation website. To receive an activation code for the service, users should submit the e-mail address used to register their existing PlayStation Network or Qriocity account. The activation e-mail should arrive 72 hours after the application is submitted.

The AllClearID Plus service includes an insurance policy to provide up to $1 million to cover the impact of identity theft, including legal defense fees and lost pay within a year of the PSN security breach. Additionally, the company will monitor "criminal websites and data recovered by law enforcement" for users' data. If that personal information is found, the user will receive a phone call or e-mail notifying them and suggesting protective steps. Additionally, customers whose information turns up during monitoring will be able to speak with AllClearID private investigators and specialists to assist in contacting creditors.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"US PSN identity-theft protection plan sign-ups begin" was posted by Tor Thorsen on Wed, 25 May 2011 17:13:00 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/puzzle/playstationhome/news/6315466/us-psn-identity-theft-protection-plan-sign-ups-begin

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Ex-Capcom man Inafune working on 'PS3 RPG'

Plus social games for Japanese market, claims report.
Capcom's former dev head and MegaMan creator Keiji Inafune is working on an RPG for PlayStation 3.

Click here to read the full article

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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Insane man selling Final Fantasy collection for insane price of $15K (Final Fantasy XIV)

Look, we know a lot of people collect video games, and a lot of those people tend to think they can make a pretty good stack of cash from unloading it on eBay. But internet, we ask you, is this freakishly awesome Final Fantasy collection really worth $15,000?

Thai seller Undkodlor – whom is in good standing, feedback wise – is trying to do just that. His eBay sale includes more...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/final-fantasy-xiv/news/insane-man-selling-final-fantasy-collection-for-insane-price-of-15k/a-20110524141731530032/g-20090602145146581065

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Duke Nukem Forever Flash game is as classy as you'd expect (Duke Nukem Forever)

Duke Nukem Forever sells itself on three things: having been in the works a long time, being the latest installment in a series known for inventive, high-action gameplay, and scantily-clad ladies. Duke Nudem, a promotional Flash game presumably released so as to lock down that name before Ron Jeremy snaps it up, features one out of those three things – presumably to get you hankering for the day when they're finally combined....

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/duke-nukem-forever/news/duke-nukem-forever-flash-game-is-as-classy-as-youd-expect/a-2011051910188323057/g-20060612161922470018

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UK Charts: LA Noire becomes fastest-selling new IP ever

“Outstanding” might be a good word to describe LA Noire‘s performance on the UK’s weekly all-formats charts with; the new Rockstar-tagged property from Australian studio Team Bondi has become the fastest-selling new intellectual …

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Highlight of the week: Inappropriate dinner-time conversation (PC)

There are some things you just don't discuss over dinner. Particularly when you've just started making a good impression and begun bonding with a new social group. If you're Agent Francis York Morgan of the FBI though, you don't care about that, because you're too nonchalantly awesome to be bothered by the same things that bother normal people.

Shop-talk is just shop-talk, right? Whatever your job.

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/f/highlight-of-the-week-inappropriate-dinner-time-conversation/a-20110520102033378084

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Microsoft Promo: a PC and Xbox In Every Dorm Room

theodp writes "Can Microsoft woo students into trying Windows 7 PCs? Well, starting on May 22nd, Microsoft will try to do so by giving away free Xbox 360 4GB consoles to high-school or college students who purchase new Windows 7 PCs priced at $699 and up. A Guess Who's Coming to College? teaser video for the promotion features a Halo Spartan's HS graduation ceremony."

Oblivion gets 5th Anniversary Edition

Those yet to play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will soon be able to do so in a highly exclusive manner; Bethesda’s releasing a 5th Anniversary Edition of the acclaimed RPG with apparently …

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The Northern Zone Screens

2 new shots posted.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"The Northern Zone Screens" was posted on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:03:34 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/iphone/adventure/thenorthernzone/images.html?sid=6315264

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Tic-Tac-Toe Notepad Screens

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"Tic-Tac-Toe Notepad Screens" was posted on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:03:36 -0700

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/iphone/puzzle/tictactoenotepad/images.html?sid=6315265

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Monday, May 23, 2011

Watch Nintendo's Wii 2 reveal live here

Nintendo's E3 press conference streaming live.
If you're reading this you've got the internet, and that's bloody good news, not just because of its abundance of free, erm... pictures and videos of all kinds of stuff, but also because you'll be able to watch Nintendo revealing the Wii successor live.

Click here to read the full article

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GameStop announces vague CoD: Modern Warfare 3 pre-order bonus (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)

The game has hardly been announced, but leaky faucets and antsy retailers are all over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, or, as GameStop refers to it, "the upcoming installment in the biggest action video game series of all time."

Today, the eager retailer verified already-verified reports that it will be offering a free poster with pre-orders, and added a bit of mystery to the announcement...

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/news/gamestop-announces-vague-cod-modern-warfare-3-pre-order-bonus/a-2011052014274699034/g-20110513154846537036

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