Posts filed under ‘Gaming’

Many of us clamored over the beta sign up from a few weeks ago, in fact over 1,000,000 people signed up in just the 48 hours that it was open. A thank you e-mail went out yesterday to those that did sign up, along with a video I will post below from Facebook giving us a sneak peak, you know, in case we aren’t selected for the beta. However, you can guarantee your entrance into the beta by just pre-ordering the game. That’s right, “From 10th April, players who pre-purchase the Guild Wars 2 Collector’s, Digital Deluxe or Standard Editions will receive guaranteed entry into all beta weekend events and a three-day head start prior to launch, giving them the opportunity to be among the first to secure their character and guild names. As a bonus, players who pre-purchase any edition will also receive an exclusive Hero’s Band, which will provide their characters with a variety of stat enhancements as they venture into the world of Tyria in Guild Wars 2.”

As if that were enough, you can get a ton of cool shit if you go for the collector’s edition. “The centrepiece of the Collector’s Edition is a detailed, hand-painted 25 centimetre statue of the bestial warrior Rytlock Brimstone wielding his signature flaming sword. Along with the Rytlock statue, players will receive a custom frame with five stunning Guild Wars 2 art prints from world-renowned artists, a 112-page Making of Guild Wars 2 hardback book, a Best of Guild Wars 2 Soundtrack CD by award-winning composer Jeremy Soule and five in-game items, including a Mistfire Wolf that will fight alongside players and a miniature Rytlock who will accompany them on their travels through Tyria.”

Meanwhile, sit back and wait for the announcement that you did or did not get into the beta, view the video below from developer Colin Johanson. Basically he is letting you down early, just like many, many women in our lives.

Of course, you can always pre-order or whatever, but keep an eye on www.GuildWars2.com.

More info has been release about Girl Fight, the game I reported on that was sneaking around as The Foundation for a week or so. This week, they’re releasing info about one of the first ladies involved with The Foundation, Wrench.

Wrench is the most brilliant mind the world has ever seen. She entered MIT at the age of 15 and graduated at 19 with a triple major in electrical engineering, computer science, and physics. She changed the world by developing a method for safely fusing atomic nuclei and has advanced almost every field of medicine with advanced surgical inventions.

In 2012, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for her multitude of contributions to the fields of science, energy, medicine, and military transport. However, in order to accomplish so many things by the age of 26, she has sacrificed every other aspect of her life – a decision that she will soon come to regret.

She is entirely unaware that an organization operating from the shadows plans to use one of her own inventions against her…

So it looks like Wrench has probably designed the device that will enslave the girls into the virtual reality that they will have to fight each other in.  You’ll be able to choose her among other girls to take place in a 3D arcade fight. Each girl will have their own home field and Wrench’s is a weaponized mechanized battle ground. There will also be un-lockables and other customization to be found. Hopefully Girl Fight will be more about the story than just having scantly clad women getting their hands all over each other.  Check out Wrench’s home field below and if you check out the  previous article I wrote, you’ll notice that Wrench is one of the main characters in the picture. Sexy? Yes. Deadly? Soon to

I don’t mean to be one of those press release re-posters, but there isn’t much info to go on to form a nice article for you.

“Tyria needs play testers!
Sign up now for a chance to participate in one of the upcoming Guild Wars 2 beta events. Beta Signup is only open for 48 hours so players need to act quickly to obtain a place. Beta sign up closes at 18.00 GMT Friday 24 February.

To sign up or learn more, visit the Guild Wars 2 Beta Page at https://beta.guildwars2.com/.”

The site is getting HAMMERED! GO NOW!

I missed the boat on Monday the 13th when Girl Fight was announced by Kung Fu Factory and slipped in the info about The Foundation. Apparently The Foundation steals girls and make them fight their way out. They gather and often kidnap these women and plug them into a mainframe where they will have to fight their way back to reality with physical(not really if it is virtual) and mental abilities. Almost as if you used the Matrix for prize fighting. Of course, it wouldn’t be rated M if it weren’t for the fact that the women are all sexy as hell as denoted by the pictures in my original post. Behold some of the features of Girl Fight:

• Fighting Styles and Character Options: Players can select from a wide range of distinct fighters, each with their own fighting style. Players can even create their own experience by customizing their fighter’s appearance and abilities.
• Unlockables and Customization: Players will find a robust set of unlockables to further customize their characters by proving themselves as the ultimate femme fatale in the ring. Points can unlock new character skins, more varied abilities and codex entries.
• Arenas:Girl Fight takes the players all across a virtual globe in many different arenas, filled in by augmented reality constructs. From war-ravaged San Francisco to the rubble of demolished Foundry buildings, reality and fiction blur in the virtual arenas.

Coming this spring to XBLA and PSN, see www.facebook.com/girlfightgame for more details.

If you’ve ever wanted to feel the element of RPG slightly more in a pinball game than you do in other fantasy styled pinball tables, then this week’s release of Zen Studios’ Epic Quest table is right up your alley. Zen has been thinking about this and working on it for some time now, and finally it is released to the masses for their enjoyment. “How”, you ask, “How can they fit RPG into a pinball table?” Well it is simply. You see, Officer Pinball was driving his police car and ran over a nerd with a pen and paper game under his arm… Ok that is just a bad joke. Seriously though, let me walk you through the game and show off the RPGness of it all.

Your player character is already chosen for you and given the name Max. Sorry, they had to make it the same but if you try really hard you can pretend you are special and the only Max in the world. While Max is trying to heroically fight evil and monsters, he also wants to find gold and loot while doing so. Zen Studios pushed hard on character development to really bring Max to life for the player. His heroism is epic, but so is his comedic posture and language. The development team hopes to hit a vein with those who enjoy other comedic parodies, such as Monty Python’s Holy Grail. I find the comedy light and playful and not as dirty as say, Medieval Madness.

Let me walk you through the table, and while you read me explaining I hope you follow along with the numbered picture above (open in another window, it is very large) so as not to confuse you so much. Start with the plunger at 1 trying to make the skill shot in the middle stall in the barn at 2. You’ll need to depress the plunger so that the ogre’s teeth are barely covered and you’ll have to practice this quite a bit. Even after playing for 4 days, I still can only make this half of the time. If you make the shot you will travel down the wire slot, or if you make another stall you will enter the playing field as well. If you over shoot, you’ll have your chance to enter the orcanium at 4 with the flipper at 3. (I like to remember it as the response to the statement, “I can do magic, Or can I? UM”) You can also get back up to the flipper at 3 by taking a ride on the waterwheel at 5. If you miss all of that and then miss your regular flippers and still have the quest again light, the ball will launch itself and be grabbed by the plant at 6 and then spit onto the field. This is probably so you don’t get bonuses on a play again launch. You can encounter your battles by getting into the orcanium(4) or if I remember correctly, entering the forest(7) enough by taking the loop at 6 or just a too soft of orbital loop around the outside where it drops in. Also sometimes the ball launcher at 8 will spit you there as well. Then it will spit you back on the field towards the flippers or sometimes over the smash target(9) and by Max. During battles, you can dodge an attack by taking the outside loop, you can add time until you are attacked by hitting bumpers such as the ones in the forest(7), or you can hit the smash target(9) for a big attack. Normal attacks are at the sword ramp(11) and the shield ramp(10) will defend yourself. You can also go into the orcanium to cast spells if you have been in there before and collecting them. Entering the orcanium(4) with a battle either gives you one or a spell it seems. In the orcanium(4) you use the right flipper to push 4 wood plungers out to knock the ball into holes. Going there during battle without a spell will still let you push the ball in for extra points. After a battle, you can sometimes find loot in the orbital loop, or sometimes hitting the ball launcher at 8 seems to let you “purchase” new armors and whatnot. The yellow items are regular, blues are rare, and purples are EPIC! Hidden at 12 you will find a healer, in case you take too much damage. This is in case you health(14) is low and you need more time to take your opponents health(15) down.  After heavy battles, the princess(13) might reward you. Take the shield ramp(10) and the tube will take you to her. Use your flippers to select when to drop the ball onto her dressy roulette wheel. The best part of all of this is that the items you end up finding stay with Max every time you play. You’ll level up with the XP bar(16) and it controls several things in the game such as:

• Hit Point base (HP) which includes damage base and the opposing monster’s hit point and
• damage base
• The value of loot (the score you get when you sell an unused item)
• The possibility of encountering a monster with elemental resistance / weaknesses
• The possibility of finding an epic item
• The knight’s rank
• o Progression: Minor Knight → Knight → High Knight → Champion → Monster Hunter →
• Golden Knight → Arch Knight → Veteran Looter → Epic Hero
• The Jackpot value of the Princess Multiball
• The ball out bonus (XP bonus)
• The XP required for the next level

Ok, now you should know how to play the game. I know that sometimes it is hard to catch on to how irregular pinball games are played, so I hope you feel clued in on what this table is about. Zen Studios really did their best to create a new type of pinball game without leaving the pinball purists behind. I think this table is quite challenging and believe me when I say I did not spoil it for you in the least in this review. There is much, much more for you to discover on your own. In fact, you’ll discover how hard it is to hit the sword ramp and smash target. Well, I had difficulty in doing so at least. I played a local hotseat with my wife and I think she has taken down more enemies than I have. In fact, if multiplayer would keep a high score, she would own me on this game. Meanwhile, the playful wording of Max’s lines and the excellent uniqueness of the art distract me from these challenges and my shortcomings. Truly this table is Epic!

Epic Quest, is now available for download for Pinball FX2 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 240 MSP, Zen Pinball on PlayStation®Network for $2.49, Apple App®Store and Android Marketplace™ for $0.99.

Just received in my e-mail was this picture and the following message, “THE FOUNDATION is looking for subjects for a new study. Applicants must be in peak physical condition. Interested parties should head to www.facebook.com/kungfufactory and hit “like” to receive more information in the coming days.”

So I did what anyone would do, I clicked the link and liked the page. However, I cannot sit idly by and wait for Kung Fu Factory to tell me what game they are making. No, I need to speculate. Right on their Facebook page is the photo album titled “The Foundation”. Perhaps this is the name of the game as it has been used twice or perhaps simply the major playing faction in unnamed game.  Here are the pics from that album if you do not wish to visit the page yourself.

While the first two pics seem like potential see through mammary eye candy, the third is the most “revealing”. The debriefing describes a mission undertaken by presumably the character depicted in the other pictures. In this mission the agent affixed somebody to something and activated something. Darn futuristic bureaucracies censoring good info. Now back to the first pictures sent in the e-mail which is also a wall post made by Kung Fu Factory. The game, whiled developed by them, also listed Micro Prime and Majesco who are both publishers. Nothing searched for on either subject led to any more information.

Lastly, this picture was posted on Kung Fu Factory’s Facebook page slightly further back as a teaser for a game they were working on. Is it for this game? I’ll leave it here to tease you as well as the fact that the PS Vita is coming out soon and Kung Fu Factory is listed as a developer for it. Launch game or maybe soon after perhaps?

Starting today you’ll be able to get your fix of nutty and batty gaming.  Today Gotham City Impostors is live for both Xbox Live and PSN following yesterdays release on the PC market. Gotham City Impostors allows average everyday citizens the chance to step up and fill the shoes of the local vigilante or villain. I’m not quite sure what happened to Batman or Joker, perhaps they are locked in battle somewhere. What I do know is that Gotham is free for the taking, for both sides. Whether you are playing as one of the Bats or one of the Jokerz, you’ll employ an unusual arsenal of weapons and devices to help your team control the game map.

If you hadn’t had a chance to get in on beta game-play, here is what you can be expecting. You’ll have your choice of guns, no need to be ethical here or you’ll be shot. While Batman and Joker usually have their own cash flow that provides them with tools and toys, you’ll have to make due with whatever you have. You can grapple your way across the map, roller-blade, or even hang glide. You’d better watch out for bear traps or other cleverly placed devices and don’t be surprised by a pipe bomb or two. This isn’t just all out death-match either. You’ll have to play nicely with your team and help capture objectives. Either you’ll be going after gas points that will eventually spew forth delicious death to your enemies, or transport a battery to a demoralizing device. Of course, be sure to kill everyone you meet in between those spots. Although there is no singing, this is still the most epic battle I’ve seen since the Sharks and Jets. It should run you about $15, I don’t know if anyone needs to hear about MSP anymore though.

It is fine to dress up, but leave the guns out of it OK?

Reverb Publishing has picked up Swedish based developer Coffee Stain Studios to publish the sequel to their first title, Sanctum. Reverb just struck it big by publishing the wildly popular Dungeon Defenders title virtually available on all formats. If you’re wondering what this means for Sanctum 2, it means that it too will be hitting consoles as well as the pc.  Sanctum itself sold over 300,000 copies just on Steam alone, so the spread of the formats bodes well for the studio.

Reverb Publishing (also known as Reverb Communications the popular PR company) is also fairly excited about the transition for the title. “We’re always searching for great games from passionate developers, particularly studios that have innovative ideas that get us excited to play them,” said Ted Lange, executive producer, Reverb Publishing. “Sanctum has been a huge success on Steam for Coffee Stain Studios, and bringing the next version to console players as well as the PC market is a great next step to share this unique experience. We all have logged quite a few hours with Sanctum and can definitively say that what Coffee Stain has in store for Sanctum 2 will blow the minds of Sanctum fans and new gamers alike.”

Coffee Stain Studios seems fairly excited about the deal as well. “With their combined public relations, marketing, sales and business development experience, Reverb Publishing has more than enough chops for us to be honored that they are publishing Sanctum 2,” said Anton Westbergh, producer and CEO for Coffee Stain Studios. “Reverb’s unique publishing model allowing us as the developer to fully retain our IP and keep the lion’s share of the revenue from the game made it a no-brainer. Their success with Dungeon Defenders proves they know how to take a digital title to market and make it a winner, and we can’t wait to see what they can do with Sanctum 2.”

I, for one, am excited to see how Reverb’s unique publishing model, which supports their developers, helps Coffee Stain Studios produce an even better version of their already popular game. The original already proved the effectiveness of a first person tower defense shooter and I cannot wait to see what is next. To learn more about Sanctum and whether or not you should be excited for a sequel, please read my review or play the game.

A week or two ago, I was browsing Reddit and came across a post from a developer who had some leftover codes for a game he had made with his friends. He was nice enough to pass a code to me as well as a few others. Feeling that no good deed deserves to go unnoticed, I felt that this game needed some light shone upon it. Behold to thy open eyes Cavemen VS Aliens.

Now before you get all gun ho on me, I don’t want you thinking of Cowboys & Aliens as that is a movie, has different letters in the title and was a complete waste of Daniel Craig’s talent. No, Cavemen VS Aliens is a simplistic RTS from the Xbox Live Indie Game section developed by WeAreColin. In the midst of working and being sick, I finally had a chance to play a few levels. Gameplay is broken down to this. There are four Pterodactyls. One carries cavemen to spots,One takes them back, one supplies them with rock and one with health. Each has a cool down time, so sometimes it is strategic to move men if you can’t heal them. You have to bring them to different zones to help capture the territory or defend it. Hold enough territory for a certain amount of time or kill all the attacking aliens and you win the round. Do I need to tell you that the aliens are bad and want turn the planet into a giant communication repeater that would kill all life? NO? Good!

Now I know what you are thinking, that this incredibly well drawn game sounds just too easy. Well I tell you that it is not and that I certainly struggled. As of right now, I have not made it very far at all, having only conquered the first three levels. My mission right now is to attack more points and, I think, leave the forest area. There are a few other types of environments and supposedly they affect gameplay, but I cannot tell you how yet. You see, even though I have a super powered caveman named Colin (the chief’s top hunter son who you can’t let die) I still seem to be overpowered. I haven’t figured out how many cavemen I need to placed in the zones before I attempt to take them over. Hopefully you do better. At least while doing so I am not looking at some horrendous art or listening to crappy music. No my friends, WeAreColin does not make you suffer visually or auditory.

So if you are thinking you want to pick this game up with a Pterodactyl of your own, swing by the Xbox Live Indie section and snag it for a $1 (80Msp if they haven’t changed the currency yet.) I found it fun and will continue to work towards redemption of my failure to complete it. Also, I’ve got my eye on the developer that dropped the loot in Reddit. He stated that besides being busy working on 100 player crowd games, he was about to release something for WP7. Ooh, mysterious.

If you had read the earlier article I posted, you would have know that last Sunday, the 29th, there was an online record attempt to have the most players online in a first person shooter. I myself was sick and woke up only few minutes too late to join in, but I think I would have had to been ready to click the button to join for hours as MuchDifferent filled all their slots fairly quickly, only shy of 1000 players during the duration, but well past the amount needed for a record. The CEO Christian Lönnholm had this to say, “It was amazing. We did not imagine the amount of interest that this game would generate, so the system went down shortly after we had reached the peak of 999 players. Within minutes we were able to adjust it, and the battle continued for about two hours more. Almost until the end we were averaging around 980 players at any given moment. It was a blast! Obviously, this would not have been possible without the players, so I’d like to send a special warm and loving ‘thank you’ to them! Thank you for bringing such creativity to both the battlefield and to the chat. You had me laughing, giggling and spilling coffee throughout the event!” It just goes to show that I missed out on a great event, but I look forward to seeing who picks up and uses their server technology in future games. They say it can be used in any game engine, but I wonder if any console developers would ever plan to use it. Here’s hoping!