Tech Diversions blogs

TD Gaming Podcast Get's An Official Home

dschommer — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:46:23 -0400

It's in the early stages, but we're working on a new landing page for the TD Gaming Podcast and other future shows.

Head on over to GamingPodcast.net for all the show notes, up-to-date information on the cast and ways to play it right on the site.

Oh, and you can post comments there too, to keep us informed, answer questions or give us tips to better the show.

TD Gaming Podcast 75: Getting Stimulated

dschommer — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:56:53 -0400

Study says red team beats blue team more often, gamers threaten lawsuit on EA, Wii USB rumors, GTA didn't move console hardware and we'll take a look back at Carmen Sandiego.

We start our RPG gaming history and discuss famous gaming cut scenes.

Please take our Survey on the gaming podcast and let us know what you think.

If you get a chance, please subscribe to us in itunes and leave us some comments so we can someday become a featured podcast!

And, don't forget, we're starting a new non-game related podcast, known as Everyday Drinkers.

TD Gaming Podcast 74: Karate Almost Middle Aged Guy

dschommer — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:16:41 -0400

Microsoft is not getting rid of any games, GTA IV has delayed DLC, EGM refuses to post MGS4 review, CoD5 goes back in time and much more.

We take a look back at Secret of the Silver Blades and a historic look at Volition Inc.

This week we discuss game advertisement and Wii Would Like To Play campaign.

Please take our Survey on the gaming podcast and let us know what you think.

If you get a chance, please subscribe to us in itunes and leave us some comments so we can someday become a featured podcast!

And, don't forget, we're starting a new non-game related podcast, known as Everyday Drinkers.

Classic Summoner Geeks Video

dschommer — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:08:21 -0400

Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour

dschommer — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:41:22 -0400

Activision has done it, they've taken the next step in rock banding history by cloning the features of Rock Band and upping the feature set once again.

Now, you'll be able to mix your own music or something (not really something I care to do, I want to play classic music) and play on a new "improved" drum kit that's supposed to be better.

Personally, all I want is a kit that doesn't break as easily--this is a product you BEAT ON and I don't want to buy replacement parts on eBay for some wooden add-ons or steel pieces to fix the issues of Harmonix development. I've busted the drum pedal and had to replace it with a screw on wood piece because a) I don't need to re-buy shoddy development and b) you can't rebuy their shoddy development as it isn't available to buy.

However, I also don't want to re-buy a full drum kit which is, no doubt, completely incompatible with the Rock Band branding.

What thinks you? You ready to rock band it again?

Press Release

ACTIVISION UNVEILS GUITAR HERO® WORLD TOUR – THE DEFINITIVE ROCK & ROLL MUSIC VIDEOGAMING EXPERIENCE

New State of the Art Wireless Instruments

Innovative Music Studio Lets Players Compose, Record, Edit and Share Music

Biggest Selection of On-Disc Music with All Master Tracks

Robust New Eight-Player “Battle of the Bands” Mode

First Game Ever in the Guitar Hero® Franchise to Allow In-Game Downloadable Content on Wii

Santa Monica, CA – May 22, 2008 – When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour. The latest installment from the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour will transform music gaming by marrying Guitar Hero’s® exhilarating guitar gameplay, with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes. The game will feature a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems, along with online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands.”

Delivering the largest on-disc set list in a music-rhythm game to-date, Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more. Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles. Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters’ appearance and instruments to their band’s logo and album covers.

In addition to a newly designed more responsive guitar controller and microphone, Guitar Hero World Tour will deliver the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with an authentic electronic drum kit. Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.

“Guitar Hero has set the standard for music-based gaming and with Guitar Hero World Tour and the game’s groundbreaking Music Studio, we are once again delivering unprecedented innovation that has the potential to revolutionize consumer generated music, much in the same way that video sharing hubs have driven user generated video,” said Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane. “With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, the game enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever.”

Guitar Hero World Tour delivers more ways to play than ever before. Virtual musicians can live out their rock and roll fantasies by playing either a single instrument, or any combination of instruments, in addition to the full band experience. In addition to all of the online gameplay modes from Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour introduces Battle of the Bands mode which allows eight players to join online and challenge each other band-to-band to determine who is the best of the best. In the Band modes, up to four players can jam together, online or off, as they progress through the game, and in single-player Career Mode, players can jam on any of the instruments in branching venue progression enabling them to rock out in the order of their choice.

The game’s innovative new Music Studio lets players express their musical creativity by giving them access to a full compliment of tools to create digital music from scratch, utilizing all of the instruments, and then play their compositions in the game. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes™ where other gamers can download their unique compositions and play them.

Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.

About Activision, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $2.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

TD Gaming Podcast 70: I Don't Like Confrontation

dschommer — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:41:18 -0400

Sony finds out building a Second Life style game is really hard, Burnout Paradise for the PC, EA Purchases Rupture and EA secures 1 billion in loans for Take-Two.

This week we take a look back at MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat and review Wii Mario Kart.

Also, we ask the question, "Can one game make you buy a console?"

Please take our Survey on the gaming podcast and let us know what you think.

If you get a chance, please subscribe to us in itunes and leave us some comments so we can someday become a featured podcast!

And, don't forget, we're starting a new non-game related podcast, known as Everyday Drinkers.

TD Gaming Podcast 69: Two Ply Extended Edition

dschommer — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:22:24 -0400

Electronic Arts vs. Take-Two; will they walk away? Activision/Vivendi have decided to walk away from the ESA and E3, Blizzard buys diablo3 domain but it's not an announcement... and Xbox 360's new Blu-Ray rumors.

We ask the question, do hardcore gamers taint the gaming market for the rest of the gaming population? And, we end with our first impressions on GTA IV.

This is a especially long episode due to GTA IV's recent release, sorry, won't happen again.

Please take our Survey on the gaming podcast and let us know what you think.

If you get a chance, please subscribe to us in itunes and leave us some comments so we can someday become a featured podcast!

And, don't forget, we're starting a new non-game related podcast, known as Everyday Drinkers.

Is GTA IV A Casual Game?

dschommer — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:26:32 -0400

As casualgamerchick said, there are many aspects of Grand Theft Auto IV that make you say, "hey, this is totally a casual game."

First, they've learned that mini-games actually do sell to consumers. Proof is in the fact that you can play real darts, bowling and games like pool right in the game engine itself! You don't just watch your character play, you control the game and can even get achievements (on the Xbox 360) for good games.

Secondly, you run errands and go on dates and out to lunch with friends. Sounds much like TheSims, right? Exactly--very casual nature.

Sure, you spend time shooting people, hunting down drug deals to shake them out of money or perhaps an occasional trip to the strip club (which is still much a mini-game style event) but if you were to take away the 'bad content' and put in happy fruity content you've got yourself a killer casual game for all people.

Rockstar did well in building a great storyline, deep content, plenty of hidden content to uncover such as doing police car missions or using their wifi link to browse the most wanted lists. The content in GTA IV is rock solid to say the least and well executed.

Sure, some of the character movement may be a bit flawed or 'dated' compared to similar titles (read: Saints Row) and some of the cars control much like a tanker truck or big ol' boat, but the game works well.

Flawless? No. Perfect 10? Probably not in all realms of gaming, but its well above average.

Casual game? I'm thinking yes, but an adult style casual game much to the genre of Leisure Suit Larry.

(Thanks, CasualGamerChick)

StoneLoops - VidCast Review

dschommer — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:48:46 -0400

The Casual Gamer Chick has released her second game review, StoneLoops!

Airport Mania - VideoCast Review

dschommer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:03:48 -0400

Airport Mania Review - Casual Gamer Chick from Derrick Schommer on Vimeo.

Our first video review we've done for our 'sister site' Casual Gamer Chick

Airport Mania, by Reflexive Entertainment.