No Signal Input

Thanks To Deitrix!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:32:24 -0500

Just a quick post to thank Deitrix for the new and absolutely amazing header! No Signal Input is looking great these days. You owe it to yourself to go and visit that site to check out his brilliant art.

I will be back next Wednesday as that is the date I'm handing my dissertation in. The first post will most likely (it better be Amazon!) be my GTA IV impressions followed by a full-blown review some days after that (providing I can get through enough of the game without multiplayer distracting me too much).

For those of you who are looking forward to GTA IV as much as I am I hope to see you on Xbox Live sometime next week. If any of you are interested in having a game with me sometime my Id is tmullers.

I can't wait until I have the time to update this blog again.

Stupid University.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:45:27 -0600

Just a quick notice that, if you haven't guessed already, updates around here are going to be incredibly sporadic due to 18,000 words worth of university work and a dissertation to complete over the next few months. I don't have the time to play video games let alone write about them.

I will be checking my blog roll from time to time as I do like to keep up with the latest news, but don't expect me to be the most social guy in the video game community.

I really wish I could keep up with this because I love blogging but it just isn't possible at the moment.

I will update, but probably only once a week.

More Spore Goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:45:28 -0600

It's only a few days after EA officially announced the release date of Spore and the Internet has literally exploded with a tonne of new information about the most anticipated game of the year.

First-up Kotaku gives us a video of a new look at the creature editor. More is revealed about the parts that make up a creature, what they do, and what's needed to gain the parts. Creation extends to air, land, and sea vehicles as well as buildings, accessories and UFO's (although the fauna creation option seems to have gone). Also shown off is one of the community aspects of the game - the content browser - called the Sporepedia. Here you can share your creations and download more with other Spore players. You can also comment on creations, track how many times yours has been downloaded, and limit content being added to game to buddies. Of note is the ability to record your creations and instantly upload a video of them to YouTube.This section also shows off some incredible creations, which confirms the amazing flexibility of the editor.

Next-up is 1UP's new preview of Spore, where it's revealed that players will be able to play any phase (Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space phases) straight out of the box. This does defeat the traditional format of progression in a game but highlights Spore's sandbox nature in which you make the game for yourself (much like The Sims). There's also an interesting video interview with Will Wright, part two of which will be coming our way soon (if you'd rather read than watch then Newsweek has another interview up with Will Wright, in which he explains the reason for such a long delay. Here's an interesting quote from Will: "If I took a building from my city, the program can look at other content that thematically matches that City Hall, and suggest that to me.").

Moving away from the PC IGN has a look at the Nintendo DS version of Spore. The game will be called Spore Creatures and while it will still retain some aspects of the creature editor it's a much linear product than its bigger brother. It's more of a adventure game in which you form relationships with other creatures, attack hostile creatures (using the stylus to slash) and explore the world for new body parts. The sharing aspect comes in the form of DS to DS. There's also a look at the mobile phone version of Spore. This is just the cell stage of the game but does include community aspects as you can register you creation online to battle against other players creations.

More Spore info:

Joystiq - '...we got too preoccupied gathering some fish and didn't leave any tribe members at home. While deserted, a large feral creature -- he reminded me of a monster from Where the Wild Things Are -- lumbered in to snack on our food stocks.'
- 'Spice is still the game's resource, but different planets harvest different colors of Spice. You can take advantage of these varieties with trade routes through the galaxy.'
- Also includes an incredible 81 new screenshots.

CVG - EA will release the creature creation editor a few months before the arrival of Spore (much like the body shop was released before The Sims 2).

Wired - "For any city, for any colony I make, a [musical] theme will be generated for it," he said." the music generator allows users to jump in and create their own themes by clicking and dragging musical notes. "I could put in the Star Wars theme if I wanted to," Wright said.

DS Fanboy - Europe will get Spore two days before the US release date (which is great for me!)

Gamespot - 'We chose to use a flying-saucer-shaped vessel as a template, and from there we altered the proportions, applied different colours and patterns, and adorned our creation with various cannons and lasers. Although there was no way that an advanced civilisation would be caught dead in such a monstrosity, it's clear that the tools will let players create pretty much anything they can imagine.'

There's your lot!

For Such A Small Guy He Sure Gets Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:57:51 -0600

Those of you who are readers of the great and wise Gnome will know that he occasionally rises from his lair - filled to the brim with retro goodness - to bring his enlightenment to the rest of the web (do you think I'm plugging him enough here?). While we all know him for the lair he also runs Gnomes Gaming on the Go, The SEGA Master System Junkyard and Retro Treasures along with the occasional guest post here and there. You'd have thought he'd have covered all bases there but, no, on he moves to conquer the Internet.

Along with Chris (The Artful Gamer) and Gary (From the Gutter) Gnome is now writing over at the recently launched Game Cabaret which, in Gnome's own words, explores the 'the sexy, dark, humorous and at times serious side of video gaming'. After breathing in that new blog smell check out wonderful posts on 'Repressed Homoeroticism in R-Type' and realism in games through the film Cabaret.

With the excellent posts over at all three of these bloggers blogs I'm sure it won't be long before Game Cabaret is pumping out constant quality. Your owe it to yourself to check it out.

Spore Release Date Finally Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:55:18 -0600

The Gods have finally seen fit to grace us with a Spore release date, leaving their masses of worshipers moaning in ecstasy (I should so write erotica). One of the Gods, of course, is the legend himself, Will Wright. From EA and Will comes the official release date of September 7th for PC, Mac, Nintendo DS and mobile phones (I wonder if every single version can make the same day).

"We're in our final stages of testing and polish with Spore," game designer Will Wright explained. "And the team at Maxis can't wait to see the cosmos of content created by the community later this year." - Gamespy.

The biggest game of the year? It better damn well be!

Spore Release Date Announced. - Gamespy.

New GTAIV Site Now Live!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:23:36 -0600

Just a quick heads-up that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV now has it's own fully fledged flash-based site.

Flash-based annoyance aside there's a tonne of new images and a few videos showing off the new environment and it's characters. There's also a map of Liberty City (where you can click on points of interest) which is likely the final design.

It's good to see some new stuff and it only gets me even more excited for the game. Roll on April!

Welcome to Liberty City. - Rockstar (Via Kotaku)

Bloomsix Announces New Mobile MMO.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:39:23 -0600

Amsterdam based Bloomsix has announced what will be the first mobile massive multiplayer online strategy game. Armada: Kingdoms will run on most Java-enabled phones and a public release is scheduled for Q2 2008.

The objective of the game reminds me of Tribal Wars. Thousands of players will own their own towns and also form Kingdoms with other people (like the tribes aspect of Tribal Wars). They then manage their town's economy and expand to attack their opponents. Bloomsix says the game will have a 'strong community' aspect to it (pretty much standard for any MMO which wishes to find success) and players will be able to interact with you even when you're logged out. It's distinctly casual - it obviously has to be when aimed at the mobile gaming market - and playing ten minutes a day will be enough to manage your town.

I've always thought a game like Tribal Wars would execute well on a mobile (cell phone for you Yanks!) as you - unless your after a deeper community experience - you never need to log in for that long each day (perfect for a trip on the bus or train). The only thing I'm worried about is the cost of playing such a game, since most WAP services still on a per-minute basis. It's also not the first time an MMO has been translated to the mobile platform (see Era of Eidolon for example) but apparently it's the first strategy MMO and I do feel this work's better with today's mobile technology.

Bloomsix Announces MMO Strategy Game for Java-enabled Phones. - Bloomsix (Via Kotaku)

Analyst Believes Spore Will Be Delayed.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:08:57 -0600

Mike Hickey, an analyst at Janco, believes that Spore may be delayed due to recent share underperformance at Electronic Arts. I didn't mention this before but the game was reported to be roughly ready for release around March/April. Potential delays would mean the game wouldn't see the light of day until the second half of 2008.

I think the popular saying 'No shit, Sherlock!' applies here. I say this because we've pretty much grown accustomed to seeing Spore being delayed and, hopefully, all these delays can only be a good thing. Personally I wouldn't mind if the game was released after Summer because I will have finished university then and, thus, have more time to spend gaming and creating a race of male genitalia.

Analyst: Spore To Be Delayed To Fall/Winter 2008? - Gamasutra (Via CVG)

Shameless Movie Tie-In #42561

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:11:57 -0600

You've been dreading this moment, as have I, Saw is finally being translated to a video game. God help us all!

With something as big as the Saw franchise it was probably inevitable that a game would spawn from it, I'm just surprised it's taken so long. For those of you not in the loop Saw is set to spawn at least two more sequels (V and VI) so, unfortunately for the sane amongst us, the franchise is far from out of steam.

Brash Entertainment has been licensed to produce the game for Xbox 360 and the PS3. As many current generation games Unreal Engine 3 will be employed to, possibly, see the extreme tortures in glorious HD graphics (and they thought Manhunt 2 was bad!). The films are based around a series of tests and puzzles that always result in a twist you totally weren't supposed to see coming and I can somewhat see that translating to a game.

No matter how bad the Saw films can be you can't deny that the torture methods are superbly designed so it'll be interesting to see what they can do in the game. With all the furrow over Manhunt 2 it will also be interesting to see how the whiners react because, of course, films can show sick shit but video games are suddenly 'Think of the children!'.

Who's betting this will end up like must video games based on movies? You know...sells bucket loads but then ends up in the bargain bucket itself within a week.

If you really care you can sign-up for updates over at the official site. The actual game is due out in 2009.

Game Based on Saw Movies Due Next Year. - GameLife (Via Kotaku)

GTA IV Release Date Officially Confirmed.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:41:43 -0600

After months of speculation Rockstar has officially announced the release date of, by far one of the most - if not the most - anticipated games of the year, Grand Theft Auto IV. Emails sent out to newsletter subscribers showed a date of April 29th 2008 above a picture of lead character Nico and the title. The release will be simultaneous worldwide for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox360.

It's great to finally get a proper release date and, hopefully, the previous delays will only make a better game in the long-run. I suppose the only annoying thing is that it comes just before my finals!

There's a nice interview with Rockstar Games Vice President of Product Development Jeronimo Barrera over at MTV.

Turok - Demo Impressions.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:19:45 -0600

The Turok games are one of those cases where it would probably have been better leaving it alone after the success of the first game. Of course, video games are still a business and any successful game is more than likely to get a sequel. Turok spawned a franchise, and while the first is widely seen as one of the best games for the N64 the franchise flopped when the fourth installment (Turok: Evolution) was released on Playstation 2 and various consoles in 2002. Since then, thankfully, nothing has been released. Well, until now of course.

Buena Vista Games (yup, that's Disney) acquired the rights back in 2005 and have eventually managed to produce a game using the Unreal Engine 3. However, this is no Gears of War. They've gone back to basics and simply called the game Turok, whether that's an attempt to start afresh remains to be seen. The demo weighs in at about 1.2GB on Xbox Live but, unless you've got nothing better to do, it's probably not worth it.

Turok comes at a time when the 360 has enough decent FPS games to keep you occupied without shunting another one on you. If the game offered something completely original and unique then maybe it could stand on it's own but, at least in the demo, there's nothing more than a generic FPS with pretty dinosaurs. Sure, it looks good (not great but good) but what are fancy graphics if the game underneath it all is nothing special? Some people may say you can't judge the full game off the demo but a demo is supposed to show off the games strong points and, if that's what it's doing, then there's nothing particularly strong about this game.

The dinosaurs seem a bit thick but I have to admit it's pretty neat when they charge at you from all sides. However, sometimes you get knocked down so many times (since you often don't see them coming until the last minute, and if you do you don't see the one coming from the other side) that the screen turns blurry and red like you've just been poked in both eyes. It can be a very frustrating experience. You can get the dinosaurs to fight each other and the generic futuristic soldiers that appear (who totally suck at getting into cover by the way) but this doesn't really appear in the demo. What's the point in these features if you can't try them out before hand? Surely that's what a demo is for? Propaganda Games really needs to read these tips on how to make a decent demo.

Another gripe I have is the crossbow. I can deal with not being able to aim down the sight on the rest of the weapons but simply zooming in a bit when you aim the crossbow (which doesn't even zoom in any more than the other weapons) is unacceptable. For a start this is supposed to be the future, and even when crossbows were first invented they had a sight to aim down. Using the weapons just isn't fun, even dual-wielding has been done to death. Apparently the game will have some unique weapons but the demo shows nothing more than your generic shotgun and machine guns.

I wasn't expecting much from Turok and I didn't get much. Demo's are supposed to make me feel excited about the game and leave me wanting the full game to come out as soon as possible (like Bioshock) but Turok doesn't even come close to this. If you like generic FPS games with a few dinosaurs thrown in then you'll probably enjoy Turok but, for everyone else, there's so much more games of much better quality that you could be spending your hard earned cash on.

Turok will be released for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on February 5 in the US and February 8 in the UK. The demo is now available for download on Xbox Live.

Spore to be Released on the Mac. Still no Sign of it.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:30:04 -0600

Yesterday it was announced that EA are 'bringing its highly anticipated game Spore to the Mac sometime in 2008'.

"We couldn't be happier to bring Spore to the Mac at the same time as the PC version. Spore is a highly creative game and I look forward to seeing what the players come up with to fill the universe they design," said Wright in a statement. - Macworld

I don't really care much for this news but I would if I owned a Mac. So few developers both to bring out a version of their game for Mac's so this is exciting for people who own a Mac.

So why did I bother blogging this news if I don't really care? Well, it says 2008 so, even though there's not an official release date yet, it makes me more confident the game will be out this year. I'm getting increasingly worried about whether or not my rig will be up to it so I'm hoping the system requirements are on par with The Sims 2 (and providing smooth gameplay of course). Also, let's face it, we hear very little news about Spore so I'm taking it upon myself to report the news that does appear.

Mac owners shouldn't get too excited though. Considering how long this game is taking I wouldn't be surprised if it slipped into 2009. Still, fingers crossed eh?

(Via Kotaku)

Fresh Start.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:00:18 -0600

I've finally gone and switched to the new version of Blogger because I was having some problems with the older version. I couldn't get an 'Older Posts' link at the bottom of my blog, plus - let's face it - my layout was getting a little dated.

With all the headaches of the previous version I'm glad that it's so easy to set things up with the new version. Pretty soon I'll probably start customising it to my own tastes once I figure out how to edit the new template properly.

Also, thanks to Deitrix for the amazing header!

2007 'Game of the Year'.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:01:24 -0600

I know this is a little late but university work comes first and I had bucket loads of it. Wait, did I just say that? Anyway, I’m updating this at least every weekday from this day forth as I need something to keep me sane while I work on my dissertation. I also seriously need to start thinking about my future and I want writing to play a large part in it. Updating this blog can only help in that sense.

I’d like to say that doing this was easy, partly because I’ve played so few games this year, but it really wasn't. With that said from the few games I have managed to play through I’ve played some cracking ones because, often, I’ve only had time to play the best (or what I was told was the best) of what’s been a stunning year. It’s easier to choose from a group of sub-standard games that only include one or two amazing standouts but it’s almost impossible to choose a winner from a bunch of A-listers. I’m still going to try though, and you can see below that I really couldn’t decide. So, this year (and for the first time on this blog) my game of the year goes to:

Bioshock (Xbox 360)
Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
The Orange Box (PC)

‘Three games? Three????’

I know, it kind of defeats the object of ‘Game of the Year’ but I went over and over this in my head and I really couldn’t decide. Yes, each of them has their own problems but this is what balances the three out. This means that there’s really nothing that puts one below the other. Basically these three games are the most fun I’ve had in the video game world in 2007.

When I see a game get 10/10 or 100% I’m more than a bit sceptical. However, Bioshock may be one of the only games I’ve played that received these awards that really deserved it. From the moment the game begins – when your plane crashes into the freezing Atlantic Ocean – I was stunned. The world of Rapture is so believable, and so beautiful; that every step I take through it grabs my senses and assaults them with the feeling you get when you eat ice cream too fast. There’s a difference between playing Bioshock and eating ice cream too fast however. You don’t rush through Bioshock because you don’t want it to end. I spend ages on each area because I want to see everything; I want to take in every little detail, read everything on the walls, and listen to every sound you can hear in the distance. The moral implications the game presents aren’t as rampant as it may have first been presented but I found myself saving every Little Sister in the game – even when I was incredibly low on Adam! I just couldn’t bring myself to kill them. Bioshock is, without a doubt, one of the finest FPS games I’ve ever played. Not the finest game, but nearing that goal.

I’m never going to deny that the RPG is my favourite genre. I love a good story and if you put that in video game form then I’m probably in heaven. I’m going to come right out and say this first, Mass Effect is not the best RPG I’ve ever played but it’s one of the most enjoyable. There’s RPG’s out there with far better stories and there’s others out there with far better gameplay. Mass Effect, for me, strikes a balance between the two. I don’t care what people say about the active combat battle system. Yes, it wasn’t perfect, but I never expected it to be. While I do love a good turn-based RPG or a hack and slash romp they have got a little boring and Mass Effect provides a refreshing new perspective on the genre. It’s not perfect but I never expected it to be, hopefully it will have been refined in the next installment (Mass Effect is supposed to be a trilogy). The story, and the sense that you have some input in creating it, is what really makes this game one of my best of 2007. Like Bioshock I just couldn’t be the ‘bad guy’ in Mass Effect. I felt bad if I did something that made me a ‘renegade’ and the fact that video games now make you feel genuine emotion makes you wonder how people can’t consider it an art form. All this is portrayed with some of the best graphics you can see on the Xbox 360, it's just a shame they've often not loaded properly in order to cut loading times. I’m looking forward to the next installment of Mass Effect more than any other game at the moment.

I’ve already covered Half-Life: Episode Two but The Orange Box wouldn’t be complete without the other two (new) amazing games. Both Episode Two and Portal give new meaning to the saying ‘short but sweet’. Portal’s big idea executes flawlessly and the short span of the game means you never get bored, especially since the portal gun is used in increasingly more novel ways. I’ve not tried any of the user created maps yet but I’m sure they offer more frustrating and brain racking experiences. The ending? Absolutely brilliant! Team Fortress 2 is probably the most balanced multiplayer FPS available at the moment. Every single class is useful and they all play a part in the ongoing battles. Of course, they all have their strengths and weaknesses but – at least to me – these all seem equal (although the spy is bloody annoying!) It’s visual style offers something different and unique compared to the drab or futuristic settings that plague some online FPS games. It also brings amazing character to the game, something that is lacking in the online FPS arena. I don’t play it as much anymore but I have played a lot of multiplayer FPS games last year and Team Fortress 2 (even Halo 3) is by far my favourite. Three great games (and two great old games) for such a low price. You really can't beat a package that contains such class.

2007 was a great year and there’s a number of other games that could of made the grade. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gets a mention because it was incredible fun. However, I didn’t feel it surpassed the other FPS games I had on the list. It did, for me, beat Halo 3. Halo 3 is overrated in my opinion and while I still enjoy it and play it online it’s not a ‘Game of the Year’ entrant. On the 360 side I have missed out on a few of the A-list (or just highly rated) games, because I’ve only just bought one, so I do feel like some of the great games of the year have passed me by. Thankfully I’ve managed to at least try a few of them, even if it only includes the PC and 360. Here’s hoping that 2008 will be just as great.

Um, What?

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:12:51 -0600

I just got an email about promoting clothing and fashion on this blog....

Hmm, I think they slightly misunderstood the purpose of this site. I put a description in the right sidebar so people know what the blog is about - it doesn't take long to read it!

With that said I'm impressed that this blog is actually getting any marketing interest.

WolfQuest Now Live!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:45:25 -0600

Remember WolfQuest? That strange yet alluring game that allows you to play as a wolf and pee on others? Well it's now live!

I haven't had a chance to play it yet (hectic Christmas preparations) but apparently demand led to a server outage on December 21st. I'm looking forward to trying it though and, if you do try it, let me know if it's any good.

In the mean time you could always go back to the deers.

WolfQuest.org

Got a game you want me to take a look at? Email me or comment in the comments section!

3000 Barrels Fall Down in Crysis.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:33:33 -0600

Although Crysis itself would probably make my PC explode so much it would level my entire town I can still appreciate the wonders of what it's beautiful engine can do. The above video is simply breathtaking (considering I was once amazed at what Garry's Mod could do, and still am to some degree) and you have to wonder how a system can possibly exist to do all that without any slow down. Well, in simple terms, no system does exist. The video below shows what such a feat actually looks like in the game (not very exciting, apparently) and what can be done to combat it and make such impressive videos. The video also shows more amazing set-ups, but this time with boxes instead of barrels. Where is the explosive barrel love? WHERE???

For those of you who are lucky enough to be able to run the game on full and want a more detailed - and textual - explanation just simply go here.

Crysis '3000 Barrels' video - GameVideos.com (Via Kotaku)
Crysis: Mass Physics - YouTube

360 Lovin'

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:48:47 -0600

I'm the kind of guy who will pick up a game, play it for a few days, then buy a new game and leave the previous one on the shelf to collect dust. This seems to happen no matter how good or bad I think the said game is. So, due to this, I was slightly surprised that I've spent the last two weeks working my way through games one by one.

Ok, this is not entirely true. Basically I only have three games for my new 360 at the moment (Halo 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Assassin's Creed) and, more due to the lack of any others, I've played them all. However, I've completed COD4 and I'm now working my way through Halo 3's campaign. Assassin's creed has been put on the shelf for the moment (although I have completed a few assassin's), mainly because an FPS excites me more after a hard day's work (not that I do any!). I just feel like I fully appreciate a game more when I give it all my time and don't split it up between four or five different games. Also, I'm a bit skint at the moment so buying new games is a bit out of the question!

I've been playing multiplayer every now and again, partly because of my brother. Xbox Live is just as good as I expected it to be and I'm enjoying COD4's multiplayer immensely. I can't help feeling that Halo 3 is not what it's cracked up to be and - while the multiplayer is fun - I'd just rather knife people in a modern warzone. Assassin's Creed looks amazing but the actual game is average at best (this Zero Punctuation review sums it up hilariously, and perfectly!). Still, I'm enjoying it.

It's about time I entered the HD gaming era. I'm using my PC monitor and an awesome surround sound system for my 360 and the games look and sound amazing on it. The only thing I'm annoyed about is that the 360 doesn't support my monitors native resolution (1680x1050) so I'm not getting the full benefit out of it.

Anyway, Christmas is coming up and I've got a good few games being given to me as presents so, between celebrating with a good old drink and more food then you can shake a stick at, I know what I'll be doing this Christmas!

Here's what I want:

Mass Effect
Gears of War
Bioshock

I'm not going to get greedy so that's all I'm hoping to get this Christmas.

So I've Finally Purchased An Xbox 360.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:07:15 -0600

Description Price Total
1 326909 Halo 3 10.00 GBP 10.00 GBP
*BUNDLE 333169*
1 330227 Assassin's Creed 10.00 GBP 10.00 GBP
*BUNDLE 333169*
1 332626 Xbox 360 Premium Console 249.99 GBP 249.99 GBP
*BUNDLE 333169*

DELIVERY: 0.00 GBP
TOTAL: 269.99 GBP

So I can finally experience the delights of an Xbox360. If it weren't for the university assignments I have looming over me like Satan himself then I'd be in for a very enjoyable Christmas!

SocioTown - A New 3D Browser-Based MMO.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:11:44 -0600

Games like Runescape and Habbo Hotel have shown that browser-based MMO's have a large market due to their ability to work on a wide-range of systems and browsers. Simplicity is an attractive option amongst the casual gaming audience and you only have to look at Metaplace to see what this appeal can generate. Obviously this leads to countless iterations all attempting to appeal to a largely young audience. SocioTown is yet another entry attempting to crack the market.

Stating that your game is 'the biggest and most sophisticated browser-based 3D virtual world to date' may seem overly-ambitious but SocioTown is already looking pretty impressive compared to similar entries. Utilising Adobe’s Shockwave Player it provides players with a 'fully immersive and persistent 3D environment' which is already shaping up to look a lot better than the likes of Runescape or Habbo. I'm impressed that the game is actually running in a web browser because I've seen recent games with far worse graphics that could only be played on the desktop. Of course these games weren't optimised for the browser but it's still an impressive feat.

Similar to Habbo players own their own apartments which they can kit out with furnishings bought from the various stores dotted around the town. From the trailer the room edit function already seems far more sophisticated and flexible than the simple drop and rotate functions of Habbo allowing for a more personal touch to your apartment. However, unlike Habbo where you can only access rooms through menu options SocioTown is a persistent world (much like Second Life) where you can walk in and out of your neighbors apartments without going through cumbersome menus. Of course, there's also the option to change and buy your own clothes and this is done through actually shopping for them (again, like Second Life) rather than just choosing them from a menu.

There are two unique functions that set SocioTown apart from other browser-based MMO's; the social network and live music. Chatting to people instantly adds them to your social network which forms a graphical representation of automatically connected dots so you can check how far your social network reaches at up to three degrees of separation. A part of this is your inner circle of friends, which means the more you talk to them then the better friend they become. The second unique feature, the live music system, looks very interesting. Instruments such as drum kits and keyboards can be controlled by the mouse to create your own music with friends (I'm wondering if this will work as well as LOTR: Online does) which can then be rated. I remember Coke Music have this sort of rating system but the music itself had far less control.

While it's visuals may mark it apart from the rest of the market SocioTown's success will ultimately depend on whether or not it's unique features can offer more than just a novelty to an already packed market.

Currently in late Alpha development it is scheduled to enter public testing before the end of the year.

SocioTown official site.

Got a game you want me to take a look at? Email me or comment in the comments section!

Bot Arena 3.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:53:35 -0600

I was a big fan of the old TV program Robot Wars when I was younger because what male kid wouldn't want to see robots cutting each other up with chainsaws and flame throwers? Unfortunately Bot Arena 3 is devoid of chainsaws but the robots and their destructive habits remain. However, a lack of chainsaws doesn't equal a bad game - as much as I'd love to see them!

Career mode sees you progressing through the ranks with your small crew of bots. Upgrades are made available after you beat each arena and the cash you win from each fight allows you to purchase them. It can take a few matches to know what the best combination is but, basically, it's the stronger the better (duh!). Challenge mode, with tasks like evasion from other bots, can be incredibly hard and frustrating but at least Kongregate offers you a badge if you complete them all.

Unfortunately the bot AI isn't the best in the world and they can often get stuck in a corner, which is frustrating when you need the support. The click and drag controls for each bot could also do with some refining because bots don't always react. Earning cash can also get a little repetitive as you need to keep replaying the same arena in order to be strong enough to beat the newly unlocked one. Other than that it's a neat little game that's worth a play.

Bot Arena 3 - Kongregate.

Indy Games You Should Be Playing - 11-17 November 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:57:00 -0600

Mid-November sees the days getting ever more colder as the nights get longer and the winter blues inevitably set in. Don't fret though, there's plenty of indy game goodness to keep you stuck in your nice warm house!

This week I've mostly been using the wonderful Kongregate for my daily dose of independent games. While most of the games aren't exclusive to the site the community and the achievements are - both of which are the icing on the cake! Here's my favourite picks of the week:

Asteroids Revenge III - Crash to Survive turns the tables on the traditional asteroids game by putting you in the shoes of an asteroid itself. You progress through the levels by upgrading your asteroid (speed, shield etc) and flinging yourself and your allies at the human ships. The whole game is a build-up to a final endless level where literally everything is thrown at you and your trust allies.Unfortunately you're not likely to go back to the game once you've beat the achievements but it's fun while it lasts.

Dolphin Oly mpics 2 is short but sweet. The aim is to rack up a humongous score by flipping your dolphin as high as possible while forcing it to do tricks (as everyone knows is the only reason dolphins exist). The high scores are literally impossible to beat if you want a life but it's a nice little challenge to try and beat your own score. There's a freeplay mode but it's only really useful if you want to perfect your timing as playing this game with no challenge in mind is pretty pointless.

Papa's Pizzeria is one of those frustrating multi-tasking games that start off easy but get incredibly hard while leaving you wondering why you would subject yourself to something that leaves you wanting to tear your hair out. So why I have I chosen it as a best pick? Well, it's still fairly fun!

As you've probably guessed from the title the aim of the game is to run a Pizzeria. Sound easy? Well, customers don't like to wait and they're also incredibly picky about the amount of topping they want, how long it has to be cooked, and how many slices you have to cut it into. Each of these has it's own station so you're frantically clicking between the four. Bugger any of these stages up and it will effect your tip. Thankfully you can save pizzas for later and whack them out according to their customer profile but when you're under stress you can often forget this.

It's worth-playing but - unless you're good with your hands - you won't get very far.

Honorable Mentions:

Cottage of Doom - Winner of TIGSources 'B Game Competition' Cottage of Doom is a fun but simple zombie romp in which you defend a cottage against a horde of zombies. Use whatever is at your disposal to block the entrances and keep those zombies out!

Dark Cut² - take on the role of a Civil War surgeon as you preform operations Trauma Centre style! Not for the queasy amongst you!

Tactical Assassin - A short but cleverly done sniper game in which you assassinate stick men. What's better than mixing killing with sick men?

Campaign Game - What better way to support your candidate by battling it out in a turn-based combat game? You can also piss on your political opponents in the multiplayer mode.

Some oldies on the list but I was catching up on the indy goodness over the weekend. Next week I'll have more up-to-date games.

Half-Life 2: RTS Style.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:48:28 -0600

Half-Life 2 has an amazing mod scene (thanks to the incredible flexibility of the Source engine) and everything from playing as zombies, building forts, modern warfare and - of course - creating pretty much anything you want with Garry's Mod, has been covered and played by myself with much enthusiasm. So, due to this, it was only inevitable that someone would figure out that the Half-Life 2 world needed some RTS lovin'.

While Bungie may be going all RTS with Halo Wars Valve doesn't seem have similar ideas for Half-Life 2 so it's ultimately left up to the mod scene to cover this niche. Half-Life 2: Wars is the result and -by God - it's not a bad one. It's just incredible to see how the Source engine can adapt to pretty much any game style.

All the basic stuff you'd expect from an RTS is here; unit control, objectives, the fog of war and resource gathering through capture points (base-building and multiplayer is to be added in the next release). It's neat to see tiny Rebel and Combine soldiers run around like disposable ants but you can still zoom in close Company of Hero's style.

Of course, there's a few problems but that can be expected anything that's under development. You're forces don't always attack the target you want them to attack and it can seem a bit random at times. It's also incredibly hard to see the flying vehicles and they managed to slaughter my men with little help from RPG troops. Slow-down can occur when big battles occur but that's probably the state of my computer rather than the actual mod.

It's a common occurrence to see new mod's that only have a bunch of concept drawings and sketchy screenshots so it's great to see a creator release such an early build for player consumption. This does mean there are only two extremely short levels but it's a nice taster for things to come.

I'll be watching this one with great interest!

Download it here (needs Half-Life 2 and Episode 1 to work).

(Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun)

Sky News Reports on Peadophilia in Second Life.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:09:15 -0500

Ah, Second Life! Land of furries, flying genitals, more sex than you can shake a stick at and - now - people who like to pretend to have sex with children. In a world where the only limit is your imagination it's inevitable that those with twisted minds are going to set up home.

The video above is a Sky News report on an area in Second Life known as 'Wonderland'. Like countless area's in Second Life it's a place that people with the sole objective of getting some virtual 'no strings' sex can call home; except in this twisted place the avatars are in the guise of children - some as young as toddlers.

The video, admittedly, employs shock tactics and has a scaremongering feel to it but it does highlight a legitimate and important issue in regard to what crosses the line in the so-called freedom of Second Life. The residents of Second Life may hark on about how their creativity shouldn't be limited but I don't see how sex with children could possibly have a legitimate reason to exist in society, regardless of whether or not that world is virtual.

The comments to the TechCrunch article on this video disturb me. People seem to think that if it's two adults controlling the avatars (one a child avatar, and one a adult avatar) then there's nothing wrong with it;

Hold on. they aren’t actually children, they are grown ups pretending to be children, fantasizing with other grown ups pretending to be children….or women…or furry animals.
Where are the children and who is actually getting hurt? Sounds like a bunch of lonely nerds jerking each other, in 3d. Nothing out of the norm here. - TechCrunch comment.

Peadophilia is not always about the children getting hurt. If an adult is logging on to Second Life in order to roleplay having sex with a child then there has to be some deep psychological problem there. If people are fantasising about having sex with children then there's something wrong with them, how can you disagree with that? You might say that it doesn't mean they'll go on to have sex with children but if they are constantly acting out their fantasy in a virtual world then who's to say they won't want to try this in the real world sometime? Fantasy can only accomplish so much after all. Say someone is infatuated with a particular fetish and watches the type of porn that satisfies their desire. The desire to be subjected to images of their fetish means that some part of them would want to try it out themselves - why else do we have our fantasies? Of course it's something that we wish we could do in the real world but wouldn't we act out our fantasies if the opportunity arose?

You can't compare something like BDSM to having sex with children. Sure, plenty of people might not agree with BDSM but, in the end, you're not forcing innocent children to have sex with you by doing it. You can't support people fantasising about child sex because - while they are not actually hurting any children - it implies a desire to have sex with children and there's something dangerously wrong with that. Second Life, and society, has absolutely no place for this.

Direct link to Sky News report on YouTube. (Via TechCrunch)

Second Life in CSI: NY.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:26:20 -0500

You could be forgiven for thinking that trailer was a spoof but it's from an actual CSI:NY episode airing in the US on Wednesday. Finished staring at the video in crazed wonderment? Right!

I'm all for virtual worlds and Web 2.0 entering the mainstream but this is slightly strange. The plot sees Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) entering Second Life in order to pursue a killer who has killed another Second Life user. Apparently Second Life is the Matrix as one of the shows characters (I don't watch the show) screams 'log off!' as Mac is about to be killed in the game. Although the episode would probably have been better with Mac's head being decapitated in real life at the same time as his virtual characters the episode is still worth watching because it's indeed a bold move for the show and it's novelty value is too much to pass on.

The show will also have a tie-in with Second Life (which expects an influx of a million new users) whereby fans will be given the task of solving the murders in Second Life. The show will apparently end on a cliff hanger with the plot being tied-up next February so there's an interactive element to the show in that viewers are encouraged to solve the murders themselves.

Although the show will undoubtedly bring new users to Second Life I'll put money on it that hardly any of them stick around - the furries will only scare them off if they stay! Stick to the CSI video games.

CSI:NY Comes To Second Life Wednesday - TechCrunch.
CSI:NY - CBS.