GameStuff

Some Xbone Postivity

Mike — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:10:22 +0000

I’m not sure if this is the coming out party Microsoft was hoping for. The actual presentation was kind of boring, focusing on stuff I don’t care about like TV integration and not showing anything exciting on the games front. Still, the real mess came afterward, when conflicting messages from the company got everyone worried that the “always on, no more sharing games” doom and gloom rumors were true.

Everyone says wait until E3 before we write the Xbox One off, and I guess they’re right, but I still think they really missed an opportunity They didn’t have to wait for E3. They had this day all to themselves. They had every gaming site streaming their conference and writing a couple dozen stories exclusively on their new system. They had Spike TV running the entire event live on TV. All eyes were on them now. So why not come out strong and blow everyone away when you have their attention? Now you’re going to have to try to compete against Sony and Nintendo for eyes and minds during E3.

Actually, maybe not Nintendo. At least not at E3, anyway. For everything they’ve gotten wrong lately, they’re killing it with the Nintendo Directs. They effectively made the idea of the big E3 press conference irrelevant. Sony and Microsoft just haven’t gotten the memo yet.

Final Xbox Predictions

Mike — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:55:30 +0000

New console reveals are always exciting. I remember when MTV had that weird special hosted by Elijah Wood that unveiled the 360. Much of the show was dedicated to Perfect Dark Zero, which everyone was pretty sure would be the next big thing. Lolz. Of course, this being 2013, there’s no way that the vast [...]

The Best E3

Mike — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:37:58 +0000

I’m actually not going to E3 this year, so it’s a bit of a comfort to know that I can play some of Nintendo’s games from the show at Best Buy. I actually remember when stores getting demos for games was a big deal. I have especially fond memories of playing Wind Waker for the [...]

Grand Turismo

Mike — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:25:57 +0000

This used to confuse the hell out of me. I am not a car person. I mean, I like cars. I appreciate being able to travel so quickly in a metal box. I just don’t get into the whole culture of it. I wouldn’t be able to tell you what kind of engine is in [...]

Those Other Marvel Guys

Mike — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:49:11 +0000

I don’t really watch any TV besides sports and the Food Network, which makes me a bit of a weirdo in a time when shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead seem to be far more revered than any contemporary movie. But I’m kind of excited for this Agents of Shield show, even [...]

Poker Night 3: Silent Night

Mike — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:50:30 +0000

I enjoy Telltale’s poker games, mostly because I enjoy playing poker but can’t really find a lot of people to play it with. Competing against a cast of characters from games, TV, and movies is a decent compromise. Of course, I think most people enjoy the series just for the chance to listen to a group [...]

Dyack Buy Back

Mike — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:48:36 +0000

So Denis Dyack and some other people involved with Eternal Darkness, a game that came out during George W. Bush’s first term, want to make a “spiritual successor,” and they want you to help pay for it. It’s not even a real Kickstarter campaign. They just created their own thing that looks exactly like Kickstarter. The difference is that they get to keep your money even if their project isn’t funded.

I am encouraged to see that they’re not suckering too many people into this scheme. I guess that’s what happens when you’re exposed as a hack. Oh, that Kotaku story also talks about how they already tried to make an Eternal Darkness 2, funding the prototype with money they got from Activision for “making” X-Men Destiny. No publisher wanted it because it didn’t look good. So, you know, something to think about if you feel the urge to give these guys money.

EA Strikes Back

Mike — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:59:56 +0000

I mean, why not? As much as we “hate” EA, they happen to own some talented studios. The idea of the Dead Space guys making something similar but with a Star Wars flavor sounds pretty nice. I mean, it’s not like the Star Wars brand had been giving us great stuff lately. The last few [...]

Fire Crack

Mike — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:57:09 +0000

Let’s see you censor that, Nintendo! You evil…censoring…jerks! How dare you impede upon the sanctity of the bottom bikini piece? How can I trust your artistic integrity when you won’t allow your fantasy characters to be seen in skimpy beach wear in fan-service DLC?

Pain and Game

Mike — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:02:21 +0000

Dark comedy usually isn’t my thing, but as far as the genre goes Pain and Gain was pretty entertaining. Although I think I may have liked it more if it wasn’t based on real murderers. It’s a lot easier to laugh about people who only pretend died.