Known Griefers

Memory Lane: Spyro the Dragon

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:49:23 PDT

In this entry of Memory Lane, our old buddy Humor Tumor delves back into an old love for a purple dragon, roast mutton, and camera issues. It's Spyro the Dragon!

Recently my girlfriend bought herself a Wii, and for Christmas I got her the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure starter pack. We've played through a good portion of the game together, and have been enjoying it quite a lot. But it recently started to get me reminiscing about the very first Spyro game I played...more than a decade ago.

Spyro is one of those old classics I didn't get to play until way late in my PlayStation's life. In fact if I recall, I beat the game on my PS2, well after replacing my PS1 (and let's be honest here, the PS1....way better than the PS2). I rank Spyro quite highly, up there with Crash Bandicoot: Warped in terms of platformers. And to be honest, it's not even my game; my sister got it for her birthday. Which never made much sense to me, seeing as the current console hooked to the TV was mine. But alas, I decided not to play evil brother...because hey, free game. And when you are a cash strapped 14 year old in need of a new game...you take what you get.


Like this little treasure

So naturally I let my sister play first, I'm not a bastard (court judges may rule otherwise). And of course the typical problems of running into walls and dying started happening, this is the consequence of when you let a 12 year old sister behind the wheel of a quadrupedal dragon that can breath fire. This of course also lead to the inevitable hand-off of the controller to me.

And that's when it all fell into place...

Spyro was one of those games where you let the faults pass, and just enjoy the game. Sure, Spyro ran around like a cranked up psycho with an inner ear disorder because of the camera. But it was worth it because it was so much fun to run around like a psycho..igniting sheep on fire and hearing their bleats for mercy....hmm, I better not go further down this path.

The human equivalent of Spyro.

And yeah, the platforming and jumping was tricky sometimes, frustratingly so at certain moments. But you forgave it, because unlike Crash Bandicoot, Spyro never scared the hell out of you for no reason what so ever (this is for another time, I promise).

It's one of those games I tried hard to 100%, but never could. I tried to find all the secrets and dragons. Beat every boss many times over. Honestly Spyro was one of the best PS1 games I played. Eventually my PS2 went buggy on me, refusing to play most PS2, and PS1 games. I did have my PS1 still though, so every now and then I would dust it off, and give the old library I once over. Now I have no idea where my PS1 is, or most of my games for it....

Sadly, being the cash strapped teenager I was, I lacked the money to get the other games in the series. And anytime I did get money...I spent it on true gems like Tomb Raider: Revelations, Grudge Warriors, and X-Squad.


You know it's good what it's got an X that big in the title

So through my dumb ass tendencies (a younger me that is....I'd like to think I grew past this), I missed out on what is probably one of the biggest franchises from the early Playstation days. It was one of the better games I played in my youth, and I almost forgot about it completely, until I started playing Skylanders. And it's kind of sad to think Spyro almost faded into obscurity or mediocrity like so many other major stars from the late 90's. But of course, with the success of Skylanders, maybe we will see a return of a solo Spyro game. And knowing my luck Activision will run him into the ground.

HumorTumor is digging through classics, just for you!

PAX East 2013 Cosplay!

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:56:24 PDT

PAX East 2013 is long over at this point, but we'd like to sat goodbye to this year's show with a look back at some of the best cosplay we found! Enjoy the costumes, and let us know if you found any other awesome ones!

One of the better Banes we've seen this year.

This guy is a convention legend. His costumes are always amazing.

This one. Look at it.

Lord of the Rings? I think. I'm not sure. Final Fantasy?

Rock took all of these photos. He got a new camera!

KGB Radio Episode 49: PAXstravaganza!

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:57:55 PDT

In this episode, Rock, Chris, and DBethel chat about new releases, Tomb Raider, and some big news in the industry! We then transistion to our PAX East coverage, featuring friend-of-the site AGTurbo and Zack Keyes! It's a podcast explosion!

Subscribe to KGB Radio in iTunes!

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW HERE!

Like KGB on Facebook!

Tabletop Game of Show? Jungle Speed

KGB rolling deep.

The show floor!

Links from the show:

A Single Aspect: A Look at Tomb Raider and the Plight of Videogame Heroes

PAX East 2013: Day 1 Photo Gallery

Hands-On with Divekick

This was a KGB group effort. Next episode is #50! Prepare to be underwhelmed!

http://ia801700.us.archive.org/28/items/KGBRadioEpisode49/KGB%20Radio%20Episode%2049.mp3

A Single Aspect - Tomb Raider and the Plight of Video Game Heroes

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:44:27 PDT

In this article, D. Bethel investigates how the new Tomb Raider pushes video game protagonists forward because it treats Lara Croft as a human being, but doesn't ignore that she is also a woman.

It was a big to-do when, in the midst of development for Square Enix’s major franchise reboot of Tomb Raider, a representative for the company made some severe PR missteps when addressing released footage from the game. In said footage, a young and severely disheveled Lara Croft attempts to escape captivity in a camp comprised of survivor-cultists, all of whom are men. Like Lara, this cult has been stranded on an island that defines “remote,” but they’ve been there for years and have basically devolved into primal barbarism. In a tangibly tense moment, Lara is found hiding and the cultist who finds her holds her firmly in his grasp while touching her face and brushing her shoulder with not-so-subtle carnal intent.

Reaction to this footage was cautious. It was obviously something new for the franchise and the possibility for revitalization was palpable, but the insinuation of maybe-rape ruffled the feathers––and justly so––of many progressively-minded gamers and gaming journalists. While I have not gone back over the furor (it was awhile ago), the problem wasn’t so much a question of “Does Lara Croft get raped?” as much as “is this threat of rape just there for perverts to get their jollies?” Tomb Raider's Executive Producer, Ron Rosenberg, responded to these queries with the colossally stupid “When people play Lara, they don’t really project themselves into the character...They’re more like ‘I want to protect her’” (via Kotaku).

While, no doubt, the idea of potential rape in a video game––especially a modern video game where the climate demands more gritty and “realistic” scenarios and characters––is ethically dangerous and, possibly, culturally irresponsible, it is not the sexist or ignorant part of this scenario. It was the comments made by the woefully ignorant Executive Producer that adds the insult. Though this situation went down almost a year ago, Tomb Raider has now been released to (mostly) wide critical acclaim and the issue of female action protagonists is once again on the table. The presence and portrayal of women in video games has been a hot and controversial topic within the industry and its community right now, and though I’m nominally approaching that topic it’s not actually what I want to discuss.

Instead, my focus is video game narrative and the player’s role in gaming, something I’ve broached in a different way already in Mass Effect 3 here on Known Griefers. While discussing this very topic with Griefer Chris on Facebook (also check out his excellent review of Tomb Raider), we discussed the idea of games as power fantasies and that, traditionally, video games have been male power fantasies. This is so because, for the most part, males make up the majority of not only the industry but also the audience. But if the industry wants to be more viable in the context of our culture, it needs to expand its narrative scope, something that Tomb Raider co-writer, Rhianna Pratchett (a woman!), expressed in her recent two-part interview with Kill Screen Daily, noting that “generally as a whole, the narrative literacy of the industry is quite low.” With every other major entertainment market, there is an expectation for there to be products that appeal beyond a male-specific demographic, and even to other non-male dominant demographics whose products carry all the same strengths and flaws as the "mainstream." There are some horror movies that are smart and there are some that are dumb, the same goes for animated movies and action movies and comedies and romantic dramas. Every audience for these genres is different but all have the same spectrum of quality and acceptance, and that equilateral balance is not belittled or considered salacious by the industry. More than that, it is usually hoped that a product reaches across markets by appealing to the widest range possible. Think of things like The Dark Knight, Star Wars, any Pixar movie––these are all ostensibly genre movies but have breached those limitations to become expressions of our culture. Instead, video games are stuck in myopia because of a superstitious attention to what might generate income (re: how many triple-A games of the last five years were sequels?).

The industry needs to learn something that movies, literature, music, etc., already know––that heroes (and stories) are an endless variety and can be engaging even if they aren’t male. As Tomb Raider shows, games can have female heroes in an action-setting and not merely be “men with boobs” (the most egregious misstep in the Kill Screen interview on the part of the journalist and Pratchett desperately tries to keep her distance from). Pratchett does note in the second part of her interview that, for some reason, any protagonist that is not a white male is met with some strange scrutiny, as if that non-white/male person suddenly, somehow, is the figurehead and fake-spokesperson for that gender/race/culture––which I think is unfair for the character. This is not to say certain prejudices don’t exist in other media––a great conversation between Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Michael Chabon and Junot Díaz discuss this exact issue as it exists in modern literature, but the fact that they discuss existing genres and books and characters drives the point home––with video games, diverse characters are squashed before they even have a chance to be fully realized because the industry (including the audience, too) doesn't look at non-white male characters as people. Instead, they see them as cultural avatars to which their core demographic cannot relate, nor wants to. Which is stupid.

Good characterization is almost a paradox––I think most of the industry writes off their tendency toward male-centric protagonists by stating that it wouldn't matter who the player controlled, it would be the same for any character (re: Mass Effect). While I agree that we all deserve a fair shake at life, we are also unique, in part, because of the fact that we have different genders, races, cultures, etc. My existence is not defined wholly on the fact that I am male, nor is any memorable character in any fiction solely defined by a single aspect. Why Tomb Raider succeeds is that Lara Croft is not a hero because she is female. She is a hero because she is heroic. The distinction lies in the fact that the game doesn't ignore the fact that she is a female, yet the game doesn't exploit her for it.

Women, by virtue of the fact that they are not men, live different lives than men and, as Tomb Raider shows, if that difference is approached with care to the genuine human that the character should be (and not just painted with stereotypes), an engaging hero (or heroine) is created. This works across genders, across races, and across cultures because every single person is having a different, unique experience within the world we all share; that’s why we’ll remember not only Lara Croft from this game, but also John Marston from Red Dead Redemption, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series (an incredibly successful series written by Amy Hennig, also a woman), Cole Phelps from L. A. Noire and the list, of course, goes on. This humanistic approach is at the heart of why everybody’s Shepard is so near and dear to the players of the Mass Effect franchise despite its general indifference to gender (aside from potential love interests). It’s not the gender the player latches onto, it’s the person.

This leads me back to Rosenberg’s stupidity when discussing the player’s relationship with Lara Croft and why what he said is actually the most sexist part of that entire debacle. Not only that, but he incorrectly assesses how players interact with the characters they control. As already stated, gaming is a power fantasy, and a power fantasy is a multi-faceted beast. Though the industry as a whole hasn’t quite realized that yet, some developers have started to take such risks with games like Heavy Rain and the aforementioned L.A. Noire (again, it is a much longer list); these games redefine what “power” the protagonist is using to succeed in the world instead of merely using the tired, phallic, and patriarchal symbols of guns, blood, and violence.

Lara's performance capture actress: Camilla Ludington

Games are a power fantasy inasmuch as the player gets to be put into the shoes of a character that must overcome a danger or a problem that, likely, the player will never have to experience in everyday life (which is why I can’t stop playing Batman: Arkham City). Tomb Raider, just like every other game, allows you to play as Lara Croft, not with her. The player isn’t suddenly handholding a video game protagonist because it’s a woman or, at the very least, the opposite gender. Women have been playing video games for as long as video games have existed, even those games which are overwhelmingly masculine, yet many don’t hate them because, believe it or not, even women can identify with Marcus Fenix (I can’t, though).

While playing Tomb Raider, I never felt like I had to protect Lara; I wanted to protect myself. Because Lara is a woman and because the game doesn’t ignore that I, as a white male, was able to experience a type of terror I will almost literally never have to experience simply because of my gender and skin color. And while I feel absolutely weird saying that the threat of a rape is kind of what attracted me to Tomb Raider (that footage and its controversy was almost literally the only news about the game for a few months), it wasn’t because it sexually excited me but, like going to a horror movie, it presented a new kind of human threat that I would be able to overcome––I saw in this game something I hadn't experienced in any other game I have played. It was something new, and I applaud that. Furthermore, it’s something a male protagonist could never experience and it adds to the veracity of the character and the world. If we are to put our video game heroes and, by proxy, ourselves into horrific, terrifying, and dangerous situations, those situations should not be limited to male horror, terror, and danger.

All experiences should be fair game because a game should not ignore what makes the protagonist unique, but it should not hinder the protagonist for it, either. We are all people, going through life with the desire to succeed and be happy; where things diverge is how the world reacts to us. Positive or negative, it’s our reaction to how the world treats us that makes characters relatable even if they seem, superficially, so different from the reader/player/viewer. It doesn’t matter that I’m a man playing Tomb Raider and Lara Croft is threatened with rape, her reaction to it––to fight her way out of it, tooth and nail, and shoot the fucker dead––is the same reaction I would have.

Any well-wrought video game protagonist should be able to span the gamut and draw the player into that world. Opening up the demographics available to the video game protagonists opens up new and deeper ways for players to connect and, most importantly, experience something new. With Lara and the almost-rape moment, for example, I was horrified by it because it’s a fear I'll likely never experience and thus drew me further into the game because the world wasn’t only reacting to Lara, it was reacting to me. The moment can and will have a completely different––both positive and negative––reaction from female players, but it will also touch on a fear that is unique to them (and allow them to overcome it) and is something they have likely never experienced in a game before, something that is unique to their personal experience; not to mention the variety of other people––people who have experienced horrific situations much worse that what Lara experiences in that moment––that this character and her game can reach out to. As long as it stays away from exploitation and fetishism (which it does), moments like this can only show what a more diverse range of protagonists can bring to gaming and gamers.

What Crystal Dynamics (the actual developer of the game) has done with Tomb Raider is astounding because, like a good movie, every player has the potential to respond to Lara’s plight (and, by proxy, the player’s plight) differently. Sure, I had a sort of horror movie, “I want to be scared” type of approach to that (teeny, tiny) moment in the game, but that was not how I defined my experience with the game or with Lara. It’s just a good game. The ending is a bit weak and the general narrative through-line is a little stale, but it’s a wonderful holistic experience and not because Lara is female and not because Lara was sexually threatened for less than ten seconds. It’s a wonderful game because of the same criteria every other great game also meets––it’s fun, beautiful, exciting, and worth the time put into it.

D. Bethel never has time, but when he does,
he makes comics at www.eben07.com.

Follow him on Twitter @DBethel

Marvel Heroes: Hands-On First Impressions

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:32:38 PDT

We got a chance to play some Marvel Heroes at PAX East this year, ahead of its June launch. Inspired by Diablo, it's easy to see this free-to-play game garnering a large audience in the coming months.

At its core, Marvel Heroes looks a lot like the Ultimate Alliance games from a few years ago. Those Activision products were among the best-received comic book games ever, so clearly they are on the right track. The action is once again isometric, with the screen constantly being filled with energy blasts, powerful punches, and bodies flying everywhere.

After choosing from a wide array of Marvel heroes, players will navigate the large maps with simple button clicks, while actions and powers are mapped to the ASD row on the keyboard. For Diablo fans, this will be second nature, but for gamers used to WASD controls, there might be some getting used to. Luckily, the action never seemed too tough, and rolling with a posse ensures that someone will be there to back you up.

While the MMO-space is always crowded with newcomers, Marvel Heroes seems to have a clear leg up on the competition right out of the gate. The fact that it is free-to-play, and features the iconic Marvel characters will surely reel in lots of customers. Whether it can hold an audience over the long run is yet to be seen, but at first glance there's a lot to like about Marvel Heroes.

Chris Linendoll's spider senses are tingling. Follow him on Twitter.

Divekick: Hands-On First Impressions

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:54:58 PDT

A two-button fighting game sounds like absolute nonsense. And, in a way, it totally is. Divekick began life as a joke, and has now become a proper game. A game that was attracting fairly large crowds at PAX East, to boot. We had a blast with Divekick, and here's why!

It's fairly easy to see the appeal of Divekick. The characters are large 2D sprites, bursting with personality. And then there's the control scheme: Dive and Kick. Who are also characters. Confused yet?

Developed by an assortment of fighting game enthusiasts, Divekick functions on a best-of-nine concept, with each round being won by a single successful dive kick. Which is a move in Divekick. It's actually the only standard move.

Dive and Kick dive kick in Divekick.

The game was being shown with a minimal two-button set-up, and feels more like a rhythm game than a proper fighting game. Players must anticipate what their opponent is going to do, and time their dives and kicks in order to not be knocked out. "Headshot" dive kicks dizzy the opponent in the beginning of the next round, so even losing properly takes some skill.

The game plays quickly, but rounds are always intense. Knowing that you are perpetually one hit away from going down increases the tension throughout the fight, culminating in a wealth of smack talk being thrown around. The crowd at PAX East seemed to hang on every close-call, and there was a surprising amount of strategy being displayed by some of the players.

A great amount of the fun of Divekick comes from the comical two-button "fight stick" that was shown with the game. Iron Galaxy's Dave Lang has even encouraged fans to ask Mad Catz to produce a home version of the giant button pad. If that happens, I can see lots of late night drinking sessions in Divekick's future.

Iron Galaxy Studios is publishing Divekick, and has announced it for PS Vita, PSN, and Steam so far. Currently, Divekick is part of Steam Greenlight, so if you're interested, check it out there. To be honest, in a lot of ways, Divekick may have been my Game of Show at PAX East 2013. It's just too damn fun.

Chris Linendoll is ready to Divekick. Follow him on Twitter.

Assassin's Creed IV: Hands-Off Impressions

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:25:33 PDT

We got a look at Assassin's Creed IV today at PAX East! While it was a lot of footage you've probably already seen, there was a fair amount of new gameplay shown to the crowds, hungry for more hot assassin action!

Assassin's Creed IV was just announced a few weeks ago, and KGB got a look at it today during our trip to Beantown. We were shown two videos, one focusing on the design of the newest installment in the blockbuster franchise, and the other a general overview of the new setting on the high seas.

Assassins will be able to explore an open world, spanning from Cuba to Kingston, aboard their very own pirate ship. It seems like the team at Ubisoft is taking a lot of player feedback from the pirate missions that were in Assassin's Creed III, and expanding on their strengths. A full crew will sail with the player this time, and it seems evident that a great wealth of subsystems will come along with this.

Assassin-ing dudes, pirate style.

New environments were included in the demo we were shown, with lush jungles providing heavy foliage for the Assassin to sneak through. The groundbreaking tree-running system from ACIII will make a return in the new game, and the developers at Ubisoft are promising a return to more stealth-based gameplay in Assassin's Creed IV.

There's a lot riding on this new Assassin's Creed, especially with the somewhat tepid response to ACIII. Moving the series to the high seas is a great risk, but the series arguably needed a somewhat major shakeup. What we were shown looks promising, and we have high hopes that ACIV will be a step up when it released this Holiday season.

Chris Linendoll is ready to set sail.

PAX East: Day 1 Photo Gallery

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:00:01 PDT

The show floor.

Pat and Zack, together again.

Year(s) of the Bow continues!

This photo brought to you by Machinima

Torsos

Halo or something.

Christopher Linendoll is all up in Boston!

Hands-Off First Impressions: Saint's Row IV

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:13:38 PDT

Wow. That's all we can say. We recently got a hands-off demo of Saint's Row IV at Pax East 2013, and we were in stitches. Deep Silver is certainly allowing Volition to continue the crazy with the Next Great Sequel in the Saint's Row franchise.

There are a lot of great games to see at this year's PAX East. But no game brings the crazy like Saint's Row IV. KGB squeezed in to a last-minute showing and we were blown away by what we saw. It's safe to say that Voliton is keeping up the nonsense of previous SR games, and kicking it up a notch.

The first major reveal of the demo was that the player now assumes the role of President of the United States. Keep in mind, though, that this President is certainly down for some mayhem. We were shown multiple new melee moves, including The Stone Cold Stunner, and some sweet Rey Mysterio-like head scissor takedowns. If you like the wrestling references in previous Saint's games, it looks like IV is going to go full steam ahead in that direction.

The Inflator in action.

New weapons include the hilarious Dubstep Gun, which, as you would imagine, makes the victim uncontrollably get down with some heavy drops. The other new weapon we were shown includes the Inflator, which as you would imagine, comically inflates people until they explode. Grand Theft Auto, this is not.

In addition to new weapons and other zaniness, Volition is going all-in with the open world craziness, and including Super Powers. That's right. Forget Prototype, InFamous, and all those other open world superhero games. Cuz Saint's Row IV is giving the player an entire wealth of powers. We were shown superjumps, Flash-like speedrunning, and telekinesis. Whatever you want, Saint's Row IV is going to give it to you.

Be on the lookout for more on Saint's Row IV, and other PAX East games this weekend!

Chris Linendoll is knee deep in Boston. Follow him on Twitter.

Hotness of the Week: 3/19/2013

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:03:49 PDT

The weather's weird, games are coming out, and we're knee-deep in convention preparation. We're getting ready for PAX East, so expect lots of content in the later part of the week. For now, here's this week's new releases, and some of the major news stories to keep an eye on!

New Releases:

LEGO City Undercover (WiiU)

Gears of War: Judgment (X360)

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (X360 PC PS3 WiiU)

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PS3)

Trials Evolution: Gold Edition (PC)

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS WiiU)

Dead or Alive 5 Plus (PSVita)

Assassin's Creed III - The Betrayal (PC X360 PS3)

Alien Spidy (PC X360 MAC)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted U (WiiU)

News of the World

EA CEO John Riccitiello has left the company. While he does not specifically mention any reasons for leaving, this is the guy behind the Star Wars MMO, the botched launch of SimCity, and several other missteps by the company in recent years. His full resignation letter is below:

March 17, 2013

Mr. Larry Probst

Chairman Electronic Arts

Dear Larry,

I hereby offer my resignation as CEO of Electronic Arts effective with the end of our Fiscal Year 13 on March 30, 2013.

This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability. The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I’m extremely proud of. However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued in January, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. EA’s shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss.

I have been at the helm as EA’s CEO for six years and served as COO for nearly seven years starting in 1997. I know this company well, and I care deeply about its future success. I leave knowing EA is a great company, with an enormously talented group of leaders and the strongest slate of games in the industry. I could not be more proud of our company’s games, from Battlefield and FIFA, to The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Real Racing 3. We have built many great franchises that will serve the company well in FY14 and beyond. In particular, I am confident that the investments we have made in games for next-generation consoles will put EA in a strong leadership position for many years ahead.

In offering my resignation, my goal is to allow the talented leaders at EA a clean start on FY14. I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks on an effective leadership transition. I’m extremely honored to have led this company and proud to have worked with all the great people at Electronic Arts.

Sincerely,

John Riccitiello

In more EA news, early adopters of SimCity are entitled to one free EA game, in order to make up for the server issues.

The titles available, as digital downloads, are as follows:

A purchase of SimCity by March 25, 2013 at 11:59pm PST will entitle owners to a digital PC version of one of the following games:

Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
Bejeweled 3
Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
MOHW (Standard Edition)
NFS Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
Plants vs. Zombies
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

Source: GamesRadar

PAX East is this week. We'll be doing podcasts, taking photos, and writing up our impressions of the games we'll be playing. If you're going to be there, drop us a line! We'd love to hang out, and maybe you could guest on KGB Radio!

See you in Boston!

Chris Linendoll is shipping up to Boston. Follow him on Twitter for all your PAX East needs.

KGB Radio Episode 48: Genericon

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:01:20 PDT

KGB Radio is back with a very special episode! We talk games for a bit, and then transition to our coverage of Genericon 2013! We taste test some Japanese snacks, talk bad cosplay, and interview legendary voice actor Kyle Hebert!

Snack Time!

That good ol' con experience!

Kyle Hebert interview

Pat goes yiffing

This was a presentation of KGB Radio. Enjoy!

http://ia801700.us.archive.org/22/items/KGBRadioEpisode48/KGB%20Radio%20Episode%2048.mp3

There Are No Heroes Here: Tomb Raider Review

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:48:08 PDT

It’s not often that a videogame delivers on nearly every single promise it makes, but Tomb Raider goes a long way towards doing so. Tomb Raider is fantastic. There’s really no other way to describe it. Crystal Dynamics has crafted one of the greatest games of this generation, and in doing so, has resurrected the once-forgotten Tomb Raider franchise to incredible new heights.

The outset of Tomb Raider recasts Lara Croft as a fresh-faced graduate, eager to take part in her first major archeological undertaking. Whereas she was once a sex symbol, complete with massive polygonal breasts and barely-there short shorts, this Lara Croft is a fairly normal-looking young British woman. Albeit, she is still gifted with an incredibly symmetrical face, and hair that is apparently more difficult to harm than Superman.

Lara Croft, normal girl.

The expedition is led by a delusional veteran explorer, desperate to make it big on reality TV. As luck would have it, the massive ship they are traveling on is thrown into a massive storm, and the crew is washed ashore the forgotten island of Yamatai, which is filled with crazies. Lara’s crew is well-realized, although a little bit silly when you take into account how perfectly diverse it is. There’s Whitman, the whitebred, kooky, fame-obsessed explorer; Sam, the vaguely Asian friend; Reyes, the sassy black crew member; Jonah, the chilled-out Samoan handyman; and Alex, the geeky IT guy. I guess this crew would fit in rather well on a reality TV series.

Lara is tasked with exploring the island alone for the majority of the game, rescuing her fellow survivors, who seem to continually be getting captured and moved about the mysterious island. The island itself is one of the most well-realized characters in the entire game. Every square foot was obviously crafted with an incredible attention to detail, and the game is a real beauty. The mysterious storms of Yamatai allow the weather patterns to shift at a moments notice, and players will experience everything from sunshine-drenched vistas to howling arctic winds, which threaten to blow Lara off the perilous ledges she often finds herself needing to cross.

The visual language of Tomb Raider is well-executed, and easily learned as it is gradually introduced to the player. Climbable ledges are represented by a smear of white paint, ladders are yellow, rockfaces are grey and craggy, and so forth. The team at Crystal Dynamics took a lot of time to make sure the environment is always easy to navigate, while still maintaining the illusion of being a real place. I never found myself getting lost, and finding the next waypoint is as easy as hitting a button to activate Lara’s “survival instincts”, which function like a temporary “detective vision”, for those familiar with the Arkham series.

Tomb Raider obviously takes a great deal of its design philosophy from Arkham, as well as other major game franchises. Lara’s climbing skill feels incredibly similar to Assassin’s Creed, and the gunplay and set-piece navigation bears more than a passing resemblance to Sony’s excellent Uncharted series. This melting pot of influences makes the game easy to pick-up-and-play, with no previous knowledge of the series necessary. If you’re going to steal, steal from the best.

Lara Croft, animal lover.

Gameplay feels tight throughout the campaign, and all the various systems work together incredibly fluidly. One of the major reasons for this is the fact that Tomb Raider sports one of the best camera systems in the genre. Dynamic swings and shifts add to the tension, but never place the player at a disadvantage. Oftentimes, the camera pulls in incredibly tight, which in turn highlights the tension inherent in exploring the evil island. There's always a chance of an enemy just around the corner, or the possibility of that bridge you're crossing giving way under your feet.

Tomb Raider is not an especially difficult game, and players will likely find themselves dying from ill-timed jumps more often than an enemy’s actions. The real thrill comes from the incredible set piece design, and the constant sense of forward momentum in the story. There are numerous collectibles scattered about Yamatai for Lara to collect, although sometimes the story has such a sense of urgency you may occasionally find yourself skipping over them. Fortunately, the game allows Lara to fast travel between campsites, as well as the option to continue your adventures past the credits.

It’s a bit odd to have one of this generation’s gems release in the same year as the next round of hardware, but Tomb Raider is an instant classic. Crystal Dynamics has once again positioned Tomb Raider as a major franchise going forward, and it will be exciting to see how they follow this up. It’s a bit crazy to say this so early in the calendar year, but Tomb Raider will surely be a contender for Game of the Year.

Note: There is a full suite of multiplayer modes in Tomb Raider. They were not factored into this review.

FINAL VERDICT: 5/5

Christopher Linendoll is a survivor. Follow him on Twitter.

Hotness of the Week: 3/12/13

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 08:40:37 PDT

There's a whole lotta videogame goodness out there right now! Here's your round-up of the latest releases and news! It's the Hotness of the Week!

New Releases

God of War: Ascension (PS3)

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (PC)

Monster High Skulltimate Roller Maze (3DS)

News of the World

Ron Gilbert leaves Double Fine:

The legendary creator of Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion, The Cave, and more has left longtime-friend Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions. The split seems to be on very good terms, with Gilbert having this to say on his official blog:

"Now that The Cave is done and unleashed on an unsuspecting world (ok, we did do a bunch of PR, so it wasn't exactly unsuspecting), it's time for me to move on from Double Fine and plot my next move.

So many games left to be designed.

I want to thank all the amazing people at Double Fine for all their hard work on The Cave. It was a true pleasure to work with every one of them over the past two years. So much fun. I will miss them all. And of course to Tim for creating the opportunity to come there and make The Cave."

Valve Distances Themselves from Xi3 Piston "Steam Box"

It seems like there might be some bad blood between these companies. Valve VP Doug Lombardi had this to say about his company's involvment with Xi3:

"Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs."

source: Eurogamer

PS Vita Price Drop

Sony's still struggling to find a way to get the Vita a footing in the competitive mobile market. Joystiq reports the price of the PS Vita 3G is being lowered to $199.97, in an attempt to love some units.

You can find the full report here: Joystiq: Sony PS Vita 3G Price Drop

And don't forget that PAX East is only 9 days away! Also, look for a new KGB Radio to drop this week!

Chris Linendoll is the hostest with the mostest.

Dark Souls: Rekindling the Flame

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:23:31 PST

As gamers sometimes we go through a period where nothing we play enthralls us like it used to. I've been through it several times myself over the years. In fact I'm in one of those periods now, I have been for a few months. In my excitement about Resident Evil 6, I put all of my hopes into that game, believing in its ability to finally be the RE game this generation deserved. It failed me. And afterwards I got into a funk, nothing seemed to interest me much anymore, it all felt like idle time being wasted. But something recent happened...something that finally got me thinking about a game, and interested in it.

I rekindled a bonfire in Dark Souls.

It had been a long time since I had last played Dark Souls. I had stopped because I got stuck 7 hours in trying to defeat a boss, and sadly my fortitude in games has lessened. Most likely due to the current generations habit of hand holding gamers through their worlds. It's not only sad to think that not only does a great game like Bioshock come with an arrow telling you where to go, it respawns you with little to no penalty. But that's how games seemed these days, and Dark Souls was telling me I had gotten soft and lazy.

I just wasn't paying close enough attention to understand that.


This is what murder looks like

As I reloaded my save over a year later I gave the accursed Bell Gargoyle a fight (actually, it was about....oh...6 or 7 fights), and was slaughtered. I decided to fight some lower level enemies to get back into the flow, and found a path I never knew went somewhere. So I swallowed my heart and ventured into uncharted territory. And considering this is a game where even the often traveled path can kill you, the unexplored nether regions of murder land is most likely to lead to a humiliating death. But what I found was one of the many safe spots peppered about the land. So I sat and rested, but this pounding sound beckoned me from my safe, warm cozy fire. Now remember, this is a game that kills you for even trying to pause the game (hint: you can't pause...I got invaded and murdered while I was in the bathroom once). I again swallowed the dread and pushed on, to find a blacksmith. This new path was going pretty smooth. So after reading a scrawled note on the floor of treasure ahead, and another saying easy fight, I delved deeper. This is when a demon made of metal killed me in, oh, about 2 hits.


This is also what murder looks like

Now I felt I was ready, but as I was playing I came to the realization this is what I've been looking for in a game. Everything I wanted Resident Evil 6 to be was in this game. The horror and dread of entering any section of the game. The enemies, who if given a chance, can easily kill you. And just the sense of true discovery and adventure. No overt story is told, but rather the old weathered and dying world tells a subtle story. It's truly what got me into gaming as a child, and seeing it now in a world where most games are very literal and forward was a breath of fresh air.

I played on, and had thrilling experiences I've never had in a game. Teaming up with a spirit to fight not only the level boss, but to repel an invader who sought to turn me into giblets. In fact I teamed up many times with total strangers, many of which (read: all of them) saved my ass many times. I also felt the terror of knowing someone was hunting me down to kill me, and the rush to be ready for them, and still losing due to over reaching with my abilities. It's been ages since I've felt an adrenalin rush playing a game, and every major fight, every unknown turn made me feel it in my gut.

This is a dragon...or The Thing...I'm still not sure

Dark Souls has helped rekindle my feeling towards games, and in fact it has spurted me to go into my back catalog of old games to play through others that have long sat dormant (Beyond Good and Evil, Crysis, Fez). To look back and play old classics (or new in some cases), rediscover what made me delve into these worlds. And all it took was starting a little flame.

Humor Tumor is currently learning the art of subliminal messaging to become a world leader.

AGTurbo Says: State of the Industry 2013

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:59:35 PST

The best days of videogame retail could very well be behind us. Find out why...

2012 was a rough year financially for videogames in the retail sector in North America. Total revenue was 22% down from 2011; 13.26 billion compared to 17 billion dollars. Every single month of 2012 had a double digit loss. Except November, which was only down 11%, every single month for revenue was down year on year by at least 20% or more.

Hardware sales were down by 27% year-on-year despite the release of the PS Vita and the Wii U. Software was down by 21%. However, there was 29% less videogames released in retail 2012 compared to 2011. NPD tried to spin it by saying per SKU sales were better. That's like saying the average number of games sold better when there was only 1 Cabela's game released compared to 3 last year.

While there was a surge for Holiday 2012, with the addition of the new Vita and WiiU consoles, they tapered off significantly after launch. It took the Vita 9 months to sell 1 million units. The original Wii sold more than the WiiU, despite being a 6 year old console, by 50,000 units.

The PS3, at the tyrannical $499 and $599 price points, sold more in December 2006 than the WiiU sold in December 2012.

In November, while the Top 5 selling games did sell 5% higher than the previous year, as a whole 2011 sold 20% more games that month. With fewer and fewer releases, the highest selling games are making up a larger share.

In December 2011 the top 10 games made up 32% of total software revenue, compared to 42% for 2012.

Charts!

One odd note, FIFA Soccer 13 is the first time a soccer game cracked the Top 10 most sold software of the year in North America, coming in at tenth place. Since release in September, it has managed to chart the remaining months of the year.

In the month of December the Top 10 selling games made up 46% of total sales compared to last year 36%.

The trend of big selling blockbusters making the big bucks, while all the other games are scrounging for leftovers and waiting for discounts, continues.

AGTurbo is the man in the mirror. Follow him on Twitter.

Assassin's Creed IV: Assassins of the Caribbean

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:05:09 PST

No doubt you've heard already that the next Assassin's Creed adventure will be set on the high seas. It will also, oddly, be a full-fledged numbered installment in the series, which is highly unexpected. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is set to release this holiday.

If there's two things I love, it's Cowboys and Pirates. I know that might seem like an Ironic Internet Thing, but I truly cannot get enough of either genre. There's just something so...romantic about those two genres. And up until the 2010 release of Red Dead Redemption, good videogame adaptations were few and far between.

And now it appears I may finally be getting my wish for a high-quality pirate game. ACIV is expected to take place primarily in the Caribbean islands, with detours to Florida along the way. If you've played the naval battles in Assassin's Creed III, you'll likely agree they were one of the high points of that somewhat disappointing game.

The protagonist is rumored to be the grandfather of Connor, the Assassin featured in ACIII. This would be the first time the series has moved backwards through time, and I suspect Ubisoft has a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to the full scope of this game. As the end of ACIII suggests, there's far more to the Animus than Desmond, and his timeline.

Here's the few images that have leaked out so far:

Map of ACIV.

Purported screenshot.

Promo poster, with art by Todd McFarlane.

Chris Linendoll is ready to walk the plank! Follow him on Twitter!

KGB Surveillance: Battlestations Pacific

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:00:05 PST

More video goodness today! Strap in, and get ready for a drunken WWII bombing run! This is Battlestations: Pacific!

This was a KGB group effort!

KGB Surveillance: Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 01:00:05 PST

That loveable Patrick Ronk comes through again with another hot dose of KGB Surveillance. Here's over an hour of hot, streaming action as Pat plays through several rounds of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare with a bunch of friends. Stabbing dudes!

This was a KGB group effort. Headed up by Pat!

Like KGB on Facebook

KGB Surveillance: Steven Seagal is...The Final Option

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:00:00 PST

Oh boy, do we have a treat for you today! While going through his SNES tapes, Pat Ronk dug out a prototype of what might have been the greatest game ever. Steven Seagal is...The Final Option.

This was a KGB Group Effort. Even Pat!

Aliens, Lies, and Everything: The Colonial Marines Fiasco

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 02:00:02 PST

If you were anywhere near the Internet last week, you might be aware that Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t that great of a videogame. The latest release from Gearbox definitely took its bumps in the press, and been vilified to the extent that both Gearbox and the Aliens franchise may be forever tainted. It seems the pitchforks of Angry Internet Mobs have only gotten sharper and sharper lately.

It’s a curious case of overblown production, saturation of marketing, and downright fabrications that allowed Aliens: Colonial Marines to suffer the fate is has. Just about a year ago, Rock, Zack, and I saw a presentation from Gearbox, which showed off both the single-player campaign, as well as the competitive multiplayer. We enjoyed what we saw, and Rock had some high praise for it.

It’s now come to light that the majority of what we saw was never actually in the game.

Seen here: Lies.

The single-player hands-off demo was a guided experience through several settings that were familiar to fans of the Alien franchise. To be honest, I’ve never been all that big a fan of Aliens, Gearbox, or first person shooters. Objectively, though, what Gearbox showed was impressive. Graphics were crisp, settings seemed true to the movies, and the gameplay appeared to be an exciting mix of horror and action.

Rock, who is by far the biggest Aliens fan I know, seemed pretty high on the game after this demo. And I must admit, I had a lot of fun with the multiplayer session we played. This might be due to the fact that we crushed the Gearbox guys we were playing against, but still, it was fun. It wasn’t hard to see Aliens fans experiencing this demo and afterwards putting down money for a pre-order.

Like I said, though, almost the entirety of what we played was a lie. The sequence shown appears to have been created solely for these demonstration purposes. It's not even clear what studio worked on the demo build.

The single-player campaign has been called out be reviewers for being broken, slow, short, and downright boring. The development of this portion was allegedly farmed out to TimeGate Studios, who in turn claim they were given little time and assistance with the game. Gearbox refutes this, of course, because of course they do. A studio like Gearbox, with a huge fanbase and a massive hit franchise like Borderlands, cannot afford to be seen as a corner-cutting, disinterested studio.

CEO Randy Pitchford has taken to Twitter to defend his previous excitement and hyperbole of the game stating that “No one likes to be called a liar, especially if their intent was pure..”

After this, he apparently went on a blocking spree, claiming he “didn’t have time” for criticism.

To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure how to feel about this situation. On one hand, the Videogame Enthusiast Internet has gotten incredibly good at forming into a giant, angry mob, ready to tear down their next victim. It happened to EA, it happened to Activision, and now it’s happening to Gearbox.

On the flip side, Gearbox pulled some downright stinky hijinx. Showing a demo that had no actual bearing on the game, as well as their ostrich-like response to criticism has certainly not won them many points in my book. I think a lot of gamers and press feel the same way.

I'm personally more than a little disappointed with the way gamers have dealt with their frustration when their favorite franchise lets them down. Early last year, Mass Effect 3 launched to a massive outcry from gamers who felt that the ending to their game was not to their liking. This in turn created a huge tidal wave of anti-EA and BioWare resentment, as if the internet at large needed more reasons to be angry with EA.

How did that turn out? Well, the game was bombed on Metacritic and Amazon with incredibly low scores, and the BioWare founders ended up leaving the company in late 2012. As I've said before, it's not a stretch to think that the fan fury over Mass Effect 3 factored a considerable amount into the Doctors' decision to leave the company.

Hell, Gearbox itself is no stranger to negative reactions.

From an interview posted on Eurogamer:

"Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel has claimed Duke Nukem Forever was not reviewed fairly by some publications, arguing it was used "as a soapbox" while claiming: "Everybody should really be thankful that it existed to some degree at all."

In a different, much more bizarre statement Randy Pitchford said he'd hoped Duke Nukem would rile up feminists:

“I’ll tell you what, if some feminist organization that is doing a great job advocating women’s rights worldwide, which I think is really important, can get some advantage by using Duke… go for it…"

Now, I'm all for transparency, and game industry CEOs acting all "one-of-the-guys", but come on. Arguing with critics, especially in public places like Twitter and various interviews is never going to make you look good. There are highly paid PR specialists in this field for a reason. Getting on your Twitter and slangin' beef with people who poo-poo your games is a recipe for disaster. Just look at that Ocean Marketting guy. You think he's getting much work these days?

Gearbox needs to be incredibly careful moving forward. They've already shifted focus to Furious Four, and beyond that, a new Brothers in Arms game. One could easily assume Borderlands 3 would follow that, with another Duke game in the future as well.

If they suffer another huge disaster like this however, they may not be around to make those games.

What's the frequency, Christopher Linendoll? Follow him on Twitter.

Hotness of the Week: 2/19/13

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:49:51 PST

The first big retail week of the year is finally here! Plus, some major Sony news this week!

Hey Griefers!

It's been a while, but this week things are finally picking up again in the world of videogames. Two major releases are hitting store shelves, and Sony is poised to unveil the next-generation PlayStation 4 on Wednesday!

First up, here's what's on store, and digital, shelves today:

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3, 360)
Crysis 3 (PS3, 360, PC)
Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington (PS3, 360, WiiU, PC)
F-Zero (WiiU)
Capcom Arcade Cabinet (XBLA, PSN)

And get ready for Sony's major announcement tomorrow. It's almost certainly going to be the public debut of the PlayStation 4, and I'll be sure to try my hardest to live-tweet the press conference. That's always a fun time. It's scheduled to go off at 6pm EST.

Follow me on Twitter: @CLinendoll

Also, as far as site-stuff goes, we recorded a podcast that got lost forever due to an unfortunate alcohol-related mishap, so KGB Radio's triumphant return will have to wait a bit longer. Pat and I might stream some games on his Twitch channel, so check that out.

Also, be sure to follow our Facebook page, as we're always posting silliness over there. There's a link up top. Click it. Go on. Do it. Maybe we'll send you something. We have a lotta prizes to give away.

What's the frequency, Christopher Linendoll? Follow him on Twitter.

KGB Interview: Pro Wrestler Player Uno

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:18:07 PST

As you may have noticed, Chris is totally into wrestling. And what could possibly be better than a wrestler whose gimmick is based on videogames? Nothing! Exactly! Take a gander at our chat with Player Uno, of the Tag Team Champion Super Smash Brothers.

Hey Uno, thanks for taking the time to chat with us!

Q. First off, can you give us some background on Player Uno? How did he come about, and are you surprised he’s garnered such a following?

Player Uno came from a brainstorming session with El Generico. Before I debuted, I was looking for a character that fit who I was, and El Generico told me he wanted to be a generic character. One of his name ideas was to be a CAW from WWF Attitude called Player One. He let me run with the name and I've twisted it a bit into a broader video game character. I'm absolutely surprised that I've garnered a following. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Heck, it's still surprising I'm doing interviews!

Q. You’ve been working with your tag-team partner Player Dos for a long time now. How did you guys meet? Do you hang out a lot outside of the ring?

Dos went through the same wrestling school I did, except he came in a few years after me. We really hit it off when he started training and eventually realized we had great chemistry. We always hang out outside the ring. We go see movies, play videogames and shop comic books almost every week.

Q. You’ve based a lot of Player Uno’s persona around the NES and SNES. Are those the consoles you’ve most enjoyed, or did you choose them simply because they’re so iconic?

I enjoy both of the systems, no doubt, but I chose them as they were more iconic. Retro gaming is nostalgic and cool, in a way, so it was more obvious then let's say, being a GameCube kid. Wider audience. They are both among my favorite systems though, along with N64 and Dreamcast.

Q. How heavily invested are you into more recent games? Is it difficult to balance real life, videogames, and wrestling?

I try to pick any game I'm interested in. Most recent one I picked up was Dead Space 3. And it's very difficult! I lose all my weekend from wrestling, add in planning a wedding, playing video games, working, making episodes of TheNerdSlam... you come to realize you don't have that much free time, and that it's precious.

Q. You’ve recently started up a YouTube show called 4-Play, in which you and some friends play classic multiplayer games. So far you’ve featured Mario Kart, Twisted Metal, and others. Did you guys play games like this before the show? Do you miss the old days of local multiplayer?

I've been talking about doing a show like this for years. In a way, it was taking what we were already doing, and turning it into something productive. We always hang out to play games, but now it gives us an extra incentive to play. As for local multiplayers, I miss them so much. There aren't very many these days. Co-op especially. Why can't I invite Dos over to play Dead Space? Why is it necessary that I play only with him to do it? I almost feel like gaming has become lazier throughout the years. It's unfortunate.

Q. In addition to 4-Play, you’ve also got Stu’s Kitchen, a cooking show with Player Dos. Did you always know he was such a cooking enthusiast? Have you picked up some tips from him along the way? I imagine it’s difficult to eat well while on the road.

Player Dos is actually a trained cook. That's what he went to school for, so it was a perfect fit. He used to make desserts in a 5 star hotel. My cooking is pretty abysmal, but by following his instructions, I find myself making more and more things. As for eating on the road, it's the worst. I always attempt to eat well, but being stuck in airports or cars in the middle of the night only leaves you so many options.

Player Uno with the tag title.

Q. You’re quite active on social media. What inspired your use of YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit to connect with fans? Do you feel it’s important for guys to “get themselves over” using the Internet?

I don't think it's necessary to get yourself over using the Internet, but I'm a fan of social networking. I think what makes me stand out isn't my wrestling ability, it's that I'm relate-able in a sense. I won't lie, I've been especially more active now as a way to promote my YouTube channel, but I've always been pretty active on all platforms.

Q. You’ve worked a lot with some of the biggest names in independent wrestling, including recently-signed-to-WWE El Generico. Who are some of your favorite guys to work with? Have you ever asked to specifically NOT work with someone?

Young Bucks, Kevin Steen and El Generico are people I love to watch wrestle and people I love to wrestle. It's nearly impossible to have a bad match with them. Heck, name me one bad Generico match? Exactly. I've never declined working with someone, nor ever made a request not to wrestle someone. I feel I can implement myself into any style, and I take any match as a new challenge.

Q. What can we look forward to in 2013 from Player Uno, and the Super Smash Bros?

Hopefully oversea bookings, more high caliber matches and more wrestling in general. Also, more TheNerdSlam videos. That one is a guarantee.

Q. And finally, our usual last question, what’s your favorite game of all time?

Man, this answer changes all the time. Even my top 10 games is hard to decide. I think I'll have to say Super Mario 64. I've played it more then any other game (outside of No Mercy 64) and it was what really skyrocket my love for video games. Ask me tomorrow though, and that answer might change!

Follow Player Uno and the Super Smash Brothers!
http://www.the-ssb.com
https://www.facebook.com/8bitplayeruno
http://www.twitter.com/PlayerUno
http://www.twitter.com/Stu_Dos:

And subscribe to TheNerdSlam!
http://www.youtube.com/thenerdslam
http://www.facebook.com/TheNerdSlam
http://www.twitter.com/TheNerdSlam

Christopher Linendoll is totes into rasslin'. Follow him on Twitter.

Glory Days: Arcadecraft Review

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:00:15 PST

There's nothing quite like an old school video arcade. Unfortunately, these dens of teenage iniquity are quickly disappearing from the modern landscape. That's where Arcadecraft steps in. If you've ever dreamed of running your own videogame haven, this is the game for you.

Dim lights, thick smoke, loud music, and the foul stench of body odor. Somehow, these were all okay when you found yourself glued to the hottest new game in your local video arcade. For gamers not much younger than myself, arcades are an almost mythical place, tales told by those who came before. While I was not around for the initial videogame boom, I was lucky enough to witness the second rise of arcades, ushered in by the fighting game craze of the early 90s. They really were something magical, even if that magic relies on a heavy dose of nostalgia.

For those who, like myself, often imagine a world in which they could realistically open and run a successful video arcade, Arcadecraft is a real delight. Released this past week on Xbox Live Indie Games, Arcadecraft has been described as "Viva Pinata with arcade machines." If that doesn't pique your interest, you may be dead inside. For the paltry sum of 240 MS points ($3), Arcadecraft provides hours of fun for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Gettin' that coin!

Once into the game, the player is provided the chance to name their new start-up venture, with an allowance of ten characters. Of course, curse words are not allowed, but I was able to name my little slice of heaven Meth Lab Arcade with no recourse. Also, I named one of my arcades "Butts." So yeah, thats pretty much all you need right there.

A loan is approved for several thousand dollars to the player, and a handful of machines are available to purchase for your grand opening. Most of the machines are based off of classic cabinets, with catchy names like Safari Danger and Iceberg Pals. Placing the cabinets around your space is extremely similar to management games like the Sims, and even iOS titles, such as our old favorite; Snoopy's Street Fair.

Lots of info for each cabinet.

Each game can be individually adjusted, to allow for higher difficulties and such, and moved around freely. Bonus tiles occasionally pop up on the floor, and these help to boost your coin intake early in the game. It's always neat to see your XBox LIVE friends wander into your games, and Arcadecraft is filled with them. One particularly amusing occurrence was friend-of-the-site DBethel regularly running into my arcade, and proceeding to kick the shit out of my machines. Dude is a stone cold killer.

Minor visual details can be adjusted, such as the color of the walls and floor and whatnot. To be honest, they're not much more than a money sink. But if you're playing the game with skill, you'll likely find yourself with far more money than you need.Arcadecraft allows for 6 years of (quickly) simulated play, taking place in the glory days of the early 1980s. Interestingly enough, the great videogame crash of 1984 is factored into the game, which is a nice attention to detail that was not expected.

Once you find yourself a few years into the 80s, things get so hectic in your arcade that it's necessary to hire a helper to collect your coins from your overflowing machines. Machines break down, coin slots get jammed, and the soda machine seems to be always running out of cola. It's a bit headache inducing at times, but always fun.

ICBM Wars, my favorite!

There are a few hiccups, though. I twice found my arcade glitched, with phantom machines lingering on my floorplan after I'd sold them. There's also a nasty glitch which causes the game to occasionally crash, although the developer promises to be on top of these issues. It's annoying to be sure, but I never lost any data or anything crucial like that. On the bright side, several new items will be added to the game when these technical issues are cleaned up.

It takes a few hours to get through pretty much all Arcadecraft has to offer at this point. Firebase is promising regular updates if the game does well, and it seems to be on its way to doing so. It's somewhat odd playing a game like this on a home console, as it has far more in common with Facebook or mobile games than anything else. By the end of the game, tedium may set it, but the constant needs of your arcade are usually enough to satisfy a typical session. If Aracadecraft is eventually released on mobile platforms, I could see it becoming a viral success, not unlike Plague Inc. No pun intended.

If you've got $3, a love of arcades, and an afternoon, you could do a lot worse than Arcadecraft. XBox Live Indie Games are notoriously hit-or-miss, but this game deserves to shine through the myriad Minecraft clones and 16-bit throwbacks. If Firebase continues to iterate on the game, and add new content over the coming months, Arcadecraft might be the best thing to come out of Indie Games.

Christopher Linendoll plays for keeps. Follow him on Twitter.

KGB Surveillance: Hotline Miami

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:20:06 PST

Join Pat, Chris, and Rock as they settle in for some horrible violence. We learn about Rock's distaste for all things from the Potterverse, Pat's inability to lay a smackdown, and the virtues of working in a bookstore. This is Hotline Miami.

This was a KGB group effort. Including Pat!

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Sony Announces...a PlayStation 4 Announcement?

knowngriefers@gmail.com (Known Griefers) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:06:38 PST

This evening, Sony launched a new website along with a teaser video. By signing up with an email address, gamers can be among "the first to know." The video contains only the title of #Playstation2013, which began trending on Twitter almost immediately.

One would assume that this is going to be a PlayStation 4 announcement, although that would months ahead of when anyone expected them to do such a thing.

Perhaps an initial PS4 announcement now, with specs and game demos at E3? Maybe they'll pull a Sega Saturn and launch at retail right after their keynote? Who knows?

All will be revealed on February 20th, at 6 p.m.EST at http://us.playstation.com/meeting2013/

RIIIIIIDDDDDGGGEEEE RRRAAAACCEEERRRR!!!!

Christopher Linendoll is ready. He can be reached via Twitter, or found in the hummus section of your local grocery store.