The Society

Is Left 4 Dead 2 Racist?

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Once I saw screen shots of black zombies in Left 4 Dead 2, I knew it was coming. Someone will label the game as being racist. And to no surprise, a newspaper writer has blogged about it. That person is the Houson Chronicle's William Jefferson.

"I am disturbed by the growing trend of racist undertones that are cropping up in video games," writes Jefferson.

"One of the games that comes to mind is "Left 4 Dead 2." Though the game isn't out yet, it's already causing an uproar. Set in New Orleans, players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies - with several of them who appear to be African-Americans. When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath."

It's understandable for African-Americans and victims of Hurricane Katrina to be angry at the game and I share Jefferson's concerns for that. At the same time people should also understand that Valve is not in the business of making racist games, because that's never been a part of their history. Gamers in general are not racists, so Valve would only be shooting themselves in the foot if they gave gamers the impression they are out for African-Americans.

Jefferson forgets to mention that two heroes you can play in this game includes an African-American male and female (pictured above). So Valve is actually one of the few video game companies to feature playable African American characters. I think what Valve is going for in Left 4 Dead 2, as they have always been known for in their previous games, is to just deliver a good FPS for players to enjoy.

Activision May Stop Supporting Sony in 2010 and 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:31:00 +0000

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently expressed his disappointment in Sony's continued stance on not cutting the price of the $400 PlayStation 3. In an interview with the Times Online, Kotick warned Sony the possible consequences within their relationship if this issue was not dealt with:

"They have to cut the price, because if they don't, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.” Ask when and he says: “When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too."

Nice bluff Kotick. I guess this was his way of putting more pressure on Sony (as if they needed any more), because I can't imagine Activision's Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises not being a part of the PS3's future. It's easy to agree with Kotick about the expensive PlayStation 3, since he is one of the many who share the same sentiments. At E3 2009, despite Sony giving a great press conference, the media still criticized the company for not announcing a price cut on the PS3.

Sony has two significant problems when it comes to the PS3. First, in today's struggling economy a $400 product will easily scare away any customer, despite how good it is. Second, Sony is competing with Microsoft's Xbox 360, whose console is much cheaper at $199. The problem for Sony then is that most games on their PS3 is also on the Xbox 360, so it's common sense for customers to play their games on a cheaper console.

Angry Fans Form Group to Boycott Left 4 Dead 2

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:53:00 +0000

I was happy to hear that Valve would be releasing Left 4 Dead 2 on November 17, 2009, but to my surprise, many hated the news. Shortly after the announcement some angry Left 4 Dead fans went to the online Steam community and formed a club called L4D2 Boycott (NO-L4D 2), pledging not to buy the sequel. So far more than 38,000 members have joined the boycott.

Valve has a good reputation for supporting their games long term with new content, so fans were concerned when they heard that Left 4 Dead 2 would arrive only a year after the original. They believe Valve will not support Left 4 Dead the way they have for their other games, like Team Fortress 2, because their focus will be on Left 4 Dead 2.

Here is some of their arguments posted on the front page of L4D2 Boycott:

“The release of Left 4 Dead 2 as a stand-alone sequel will split the communities and decrease the quality of multiplayer gaming.”

“The announced content of Left 4 Dead 2 does not warrant a stand-alone, full-priced sequel and should instead become updates (free or otherwise) for Left 4 Dead.”

“Left 4 Dead has not yet received the support and content which Valve has repeatedly stated will be delivered.”

This club may be the cry of fanboys but they do have reasonable arguments. I do agree that Left 4 Dead 2 coming so soon will split the communities since the pre-orders for the sequel is already twice as many as the original. Their second argument has less legs since Valve has repeatedly told the media that Left 4 Dead 2 will be an entirely new game, with improved AI and new weapons, bosses, modes, and other features. I don't agree with their third argument, since Valve has already released new content for Left 4 Dead, including a Survival mode, two new versus campaigns, third-party campaign support, and improved match making.

I already know the ending to this saga. L4D2 Boycott will only end up losing many members once they hear how much better Left 4 Dead 2 is compared to the original.

Quick Look at Fallout 3's Good and Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:18:00 +0000

Fallout 3 was an enjoyable game, but one I didn't return to after I finished it. The DLC's new items, characters, and locales doesn't interest me, since I feel I've experienced enough of the Fallout 3 universe. After piling the Wasteland with so many dead bodies of Super Mutants and other creatures, and having to see the same items over and over, it became a bit nauseating for me.

I would give Fallout 3 a B, since its good outweighs the bad. There are serious faults with it, like the repetitive task of collecting junk and the same old strategy of shooting creatures in the head. It's not even that good for a FPS since you can't aim as conveniently in the way you could with Bioshock or Half-Life 2. I did enjoy speaking with the Wasteland characters and leveling up my gal (a smart choice since I had the Black Widow perk). One thing I felt they could work on is the perks. I recently wrote a top ten worst perks article at Bright Hub a month ago. The best part about Fallout 3 was just being part of the stories, where you can determine the fate of so many people in this world.

Top 10 Weapons in Team Fortress 2

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:15:00 +0000

Here's my latest article about the best weapons in Team Fortress 2.

MadWorld Goes After Westerners

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:48:00 +0000

Independent Japanese developer PlatinumGames, the studio behind MadWorld, has recently launched their English website called platinumgames.com. Their goal is to establish an active online community with Western audiences, a rare move for a video game company from the East.

PlatinumGames has been using Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, which will give people more options to gain access to their content, wether at home or on an iPhone. This opens the door wider for more fans to come in from Facebook or Twitter and share their questions and opinions to the developers. It's a quicker way for the company to get feedback and to answer their concerns.

The website’s three main features will be blogs, video podcasts and a forum, all being participated by the company staff. On his first blog, PlatinumGames CEO and President Tatsuya Minami called 2009 a “turning point” for his company since their first titles will be released this year; he is confident the recession will not lure people away from innovative video games.

Developers will also write blogs, as Executive Director and Producer, Atsushi Inaba, recently posted his thoughts on MadWorld, dedicating one section to the game's comical violence.

Besides socializing on the web with their fans, they plan to have community get-togethers located in either LA, London, or Leipzig.

PlatinumGames intends to send a clear message to everyone their goal is global entertainment. They've written some statements on their website saying they won’t be like other Japanese gaming companies who struggle to establish a strong business and community in the West.

“Japanese game companies are notorious for not “getting it.” They are thought of as slow moving, orthodox, and out of touch. One of the places where Japanese companies seem to not “get it” is community. Sure, you may have an American branch leading a great community effort, but it is very rare for a Japanese company to reach out in a meaningful way to its Western users. PlatinumGames.com is our attempt at getting it right. It isn’t simply a translation of our Japanese webpage.”

In order for PlatinumGames to survive, they may need the West to have a strong response to their first game, especially during this recession when video game studios are closing right and left. Minami is right about this year being crucial for his company, and the first signs on how it will go for them will be soon enough as MadWorld comes in March.

They made a smart decision to promote MadWorld through their new community-based website. If they want to succeed in America and Europe, it makes sense to have a game built from the ground up for Westerners, and MadWorld has plenty of that appeal. The game's visuals look like the Sin City comics, with a story similar to The Running Man, and gameplay featuring lots of fistfights, weapons, and blood. It will be interesting to see wether PlatinumGame's online community will play a factor in building a strong relationship with the West. So far they are going in the right direction because MadWorld is a game people here are looking forward to.

The DSi Features: Digital Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Now that you will be able to download games for the upcoming DSi, thanks to its SD card slot, what should be included in Nintendo's new digital catalog besides their first-party titles?

1. The familiar casual games-Poker, Chess, Pool-are simple and fun, something everyone can enjoy. They are games that can be enjoyed for 5 to 10 minutes, perfect for on the travel. Look at the iPhone's success with those games on its platform.

For these games to compete with the other Dsi games, I they will have to be designed well, with good AI, responsive controls, and simple graphics so it's easy on the eyes. It's a shame if these games don't include online multiplayer. What I don't want to see Nintendo do is bring a generic version of a bowling or fishing.

2. Indie Games- I enjoy the many indie games out there on the PC. The indie community's love for retro games and simple graphics is perfect for Nintendo's digital download service. Alot of DS games have their influence from the 80's and 90's era, and the same applies to these indie games, like Cave Story, Iji, and Noitu Love 2. These are the folks who make games that remind me of classics like Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Gunstar Heroes, Galaga, and Metroid. I think DS gamers who have that nostalgia for the classics can have a similar experience playing these indie games. That's all up to Nintendo, but I don't it's going to happen.

From The Abyss for the DS

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:52:00 +0000

For Diablo fans impatiently waiting for Blizzard to release Diabolo III, you can should check out this other hack n' slash game on the Nintendo DS called From The Abyss. At its official website, the game is said to have similar combat like the Blizzard classic, along with its own unique features.

The graphics look just like the classic 16 bit RPGs during the Super Nintendo days. You're allowed to give your character his own personality by answering questions throughout the game, such as why you killed this certain creature-for fame, justice, or money. Depending on your answer, it will affect you stats like attack, agility,and luck. It's a nice change of pace to have this feature since you don't see it in many RPGs. There's more information at the website so if you're interested check it out.

Nintendo Voice Chat on Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:38:00 +0000

In the latest IGN podcast from the Nintendo crew, editor Mark Bozon goes in detail about his recent review for the game Moon. If you've ever listened to their podcasts, these guys are Nintendo enthusiasts so they know plenty about Wii and DS games.

Despite what you may have heard, Bozon clears the air about Moon's gameplay- it is more of an adventure game with shooting elements, rather than being primarily a FPS in the lines of Quake or Halo. He praises Moon's production values as an overall great effort, with some of the best use of light, texture, and animation for a DS game; developer Renegade Kid successfully created the dark creepy atmosphere they wanted for this sci-fi survival. But he also criticizes Moon for its lack of variety in enemies, bosses, and level design, therefore opening up repetitive gameplay, a serious flaw since the game features large open environments to explore in.

At the end despite Moon's high marks on production and technical design, he still thinks Metroid Prime: Hunters is the superior shooter on the DS. If you want to know more about Moon, the official website has some good information and pictures about the levels and items you can expect.

Recommended DS Game: Robocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:15:00 +0000

A terrific and charming Real Time Strategy game from Tecmo, Robocalypse has plenty of humor and action, with great technical design and use of the touch screen. With an army of robots equipped with cool weapons from flamethrowers, snipers, and chain saws, you must figure out the right strategies to determine what what units and areas will work best against The Demolisher's pesky robot minions.

What I enjoyed about this game is how much it reminded me of cartoons that I used to watch back when I was kid. I loved the charming visuals and hearing the great sound effects from the explosions to the robots' voices. Robocalypse's story mode is actually written by Jay Lender from SpongeBob Squarepants. If you haven't played this game, give it a look if you're someone who wants something original and refreshing for the Nintendo DS.

Mario Kart DS makes a splash at number eight in December 2008 NPD software sales

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:02:00 +0000

No surprise to hear that Wii and XBOX 360 games continue to truck roll to the top ten sales chart as usual according to the December 2008 NPD software sales figures. But hold on folks. One old DS game actually managed to slip in at the eighth
spot- Mario Kart DS with 540,000 copies sold! It even went ahead of two other hot franchises- Call of Duty: World at War for the PS3 and Animal Crossing: City Folk. Out for more than three years already, Mario Kart DS continues to be a popular holiday gift for Christmas as evidenced by the December sales. Looks like a lot people will be happy with their stockings this holiday and Mario Kart veterans can smile ahead when they go racing online and give incoming rookies an old fashion butt whipping.

Wii Music will be included in classes at schools

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:12:00 +0000

If you have ever played Wii Music, make sure you share it to kids you know and see their reactions as they play them. They obviously enjoy this game very much, more than the adults I know. And I guess Nintendo has struck gold again with the young market. In fact, Nintendo is partnering up with schools and educators with Wii music. Some of the those groups Nintendo is collaborating with is San Francisco's Blue Bear School of Music and New York's Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. Fifty one cities across the nation will have Wii music included as part of the classes' curriculum. The game will be used as a creative tool to inspire more students to get involved with the art.

Wii music's gameplay relies primarily on the motion controls of the nunchuck and remote, so students will be playing a violin or a drum just like they would in real life. It encourages the player to learn rhythms, tempo, and cooperation. Schools and educators who are on this project hope the game can be a refreshing experience, bringing more enthusiasm and positive changes to students' perspective on music.

Wii Music has already been included in teachers' lesson plans already, and Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby's Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C says its been a success. She compliments the game for bringing a more positive energy in her music classes. "Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children's lives should be in every classroom," she said.

Joe Lamond, of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, said the game is a good step to help those people who want to play music but are intimidated by the skills required. "Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don't currently play a musical instrument wish they did," he said. "Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try."

I know that many video game critics hate Wii Music but it looks like it has found an audience that enjoys it: kids and schools. This is another example of Nintendo expanding video games to a broader audience, probably making Sony and Microsoft very jealous right now. On a side note, I am hearing plenty of news about the two companies creating big projects to bring non-gamers to their system. But all props to Nintendo's efforts, even if Wii music isn't Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

Gamers have donated $11,839.52 to former 1UP crew for their next project

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:35:00 +0000

"The incredible energy and generosity of the gaming community is well known thanks to Child's Play, but for us there was just no way of knowing exactly how many of you out there thought our work valuable enough to contribute to."

That statement came from the Talking Orange crew, formerly 1UP staff members who worked at Game Videos. They wanted to let everyone who contributed know how they were just floored (astounded was the word they used) by their generous donations to help fund equipment for the upcoming website and videos they will be doing. "As of 21:39 on January 12, 2009, we've received just over 500 donations totalling $11,839.52," they said.

They did make some great videos for the 1up website. One of my favorites from their 1up show was the episode on their trip to Keystone II, a place where some of the best Street Fighter II tournament players in the world come to play and chill out at. They taped a nice scene that showed alot of arcades lined up across the walls, where a bunch of people were playing Street Fighter II and other Capcom fighters. They interviewed Keystone II's founder, Albert Carmona, about the history of the community(the club name was a tribute to the original Keystone place they frequented to), and how he managed to recruit some of the best tournament players to come there. I got a chance to hear some new info as well about the upcoming Street Fighter IV game thanks to the crew's interview with Seth Killen, the Capcom community manager. Those former 1UP guys do a good job of asking questions I would've asked about the game. Killen said that Capcom was going back to making Street Fighter IV more accessible to everyone, which means back to the roots of the original Street Fighter II. That way it won't just draw in tournament players or hardcore fans, but casual ones as well. It's good news since that's one reason why I never felt that Street Fighter III was a true sequel. Killen said that one feature was why Street Fighter II so popular and successful in the first place. He mentions how people were losing interest in the fighting genre because of the complex and complicated fighting games for the past few years, singling out the Guilty Gear series.

Well I hope Talking Orange's upcoming shows will be just as informative and entertaining as an episode like this. Below is the video about Keystone II.

Indie Game of the Day: Crayon Physics Deluxe

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:36:00 +0000

I want to let you all know some pretty good games out there available from independent developers. If you enjoy their demos, don't be a pirate and buy their games instead, and you'll be directly supporting the video games community.

Indie games are fun to play in short sittings while providing enough entertainment. Kloonigames' Crayon Physics Deluxe has that convenience, a game released last week.

Crayon Physics Deluxe is a perfect title for the game. Once you play it, then you'll know that it has alot to do with crayons, physics, and drawing. The game is a charming 2D puzzle where you use a crayon to draw shapes and objects that come to life; they are the your tools to figure out creative ways to complete each level. The goal is to guide this little red ball past various obstacles in order to reach the yellow star. The first few stages does a good job guiding you through the basic idea of what the game is, as you draw straight lines making ramps and bridges. Above the red ball, draw a round shape and watch it come to life as it drops on top of it knocking the ball forward, closer to the star. The sweet and charming interface suits well with the game's premise- stages and maps that look like pictures from 5 year old crayon drawings. The music complements that innocent childhood theme, with peaceful and harmonic tunes giving you a sense of ease and relaxation as you fiddle around the levels drawing your pictures.

But that's just a beginner's taste of all the creative uses the game design has as its disposal. It wouldn't be that fun if all you draw are simple lines and shapes. Later on it will be more interesting when you draw pulleys, seesaws, and trapezoids. But beyond the fun of just drawing objects is to bring them together to work correctly on getting that red ball to the yellow star. This game asks you to solve the puzzle your way. It invites you to come up with your own drawings. The real challenge is how to use them to work with the game's physics. Strategize and you come up with some creative ways to solve those problems, especially when the later puzzle present a better challenge.

Don't worry about the technical aspects of the game. The interface responds well to the pictures you draw and the physics overall work consistently under the concepts of Newton, once you become familiar with it. Even though it has a simple goal of being a simple A to B destination type of game, as well having the theme revolve around crayons and childhood, the puzzles works well for teens and adults. This game gets my recommendation so check it out and download the demo. The full game costs $19.95.

Finally, I will keep you folks in the loop about the people who made the game, just to see where they come from. Here's some stuff about Crayon Physics developer, Petri Purho.

What influenced his work: Harold and the Purple Crayon
Who likes his work: World of Goo guys
Quote from an interview: "[My mom] thought it was this elaborate fantasy game and she told me that it looked like something made by a 5 year old."
His response to the his critics:
"They don’t like that you can solve the levels any way you like. Which is really a shame, because coming up with creative solutions is what the game is really about. It’s not about finding just any solution or brute forcing it, the game is actually about finding the awesomest solution possible! That’s the reason why there are no limitations or restrictions in the game."

Blizzard Wants You to Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:14:00 +0000

If you like Starcraft and polls, then this post is for you. At the offical Starcraft II forums, Blizzard is currently holding a special poll that lets you contribute a minor part in Starcraft II's design process. You have a chance to vote which of the two protoss dark templars will represent in Starcraft II's multiplayer matches. If you don't know, the dark templar unit is a favorite from the Starcraft community. It's no suprise since these psionic warriors are quick and lethal, with deadly attacks and an effective invisibility technique.

Voters can choose either the Lenassa tribe,the original version that debut on Starcraft:Brood Wars, or they can go for the new tribe called the Zer'atai. The last option lets you choose both, as the two tribes will spawn randomly in the game.

I voted for both since two is better than one. The random spawning is no big deal.

In order to vote, you first have to register on the forums. If you only want to see the results, then registering is not required. Voting will close on Febuary 5.

Braid Creator Giving Away Free Copies Of His Game

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Braid developer Jonathan Blow recently updated on his blog about the new dashboard theme based on his independent game. The theme features the game's memorable set pieces like the structures, pipes, doors, and ladders done by Braid artist David Hellman. It reflects the atmosphere of Braid very well if you have played it.

Blow wanted to celebrate the dashboard debut by giving away free copies to people, but unfortunately Microsoft gave him a no no. Maybe this is all for the good because Blow has decided instead to give away free copies of the game! The catch is competing in the contest on his blog, where you have to identify ten games by looking at their screenshots. He will give a code for a free copy of the game to the first 20 people who figure out what the ten games are. If there are still available copies by March 23, he will give them to the participants who got the most right.

After checking out Blow's contest, I've concluded that the competition is very challenging unless you are an indie games junkie like he is.

Braid is a mind bending 2D platform puzzle game where the main gameplay mechanic is time manipulation.

WoW players altogether donated $34,634 to fight blood cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:02:00 +0000

Blizzard employee Katherine Allen (pictured above), received a boatload of money from World of Warcraft players for her fundraiser to battle blood cancer. Allen's offer to give away free WoW subscriptions to four particpants was the first reason why donations came flooding from the WoW community. To be in the drawings for those subscriptions, all she asked was a $25 contribution and to mention in the donation forms wether they were for the Horde or the Alliance.

Her original goal was $5000, but many WoW players gave more than the $25 minimum required. According to the Escapist, some generous players gave hundreds of dollars. At the end, they altogether contributed a staggering $34,634. The money will go to the Leukemia and Lymophoma Society.

Yesterday from the fundraiser’s website, Allen finally announced that the three people who won a one year subscription card was Christopher B., Bryan P., and Trevor H. Those guys will certainly dance and sing when they receive their card but Colin R. will be the one soaked in tears since he won the free lifetime subscription. All four subscriptions were paid by Allen.

$34,634! I applaud all of you Wow players. Even if you did it for the subscription, you made a significant contribution and should be proud of yourself.

Producer/Director Minoru Nakai will answer your questions about Dead Rising Wii

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:04:00 +0000

I became an immediate Dead Rising fan once I grabbed that shopping cart and mowed down zombies across the mall. That means I am also looking forward to hearing what Dead Rising Wii producer/director Minoru Nakai will have to say about the upcoming Nintendo port at one of Capcom’s podcast. You can send questions about the game to this thread. According to the the Capcom blog, the guys who run the podcast “pull no punches” interviewing their guests so let's hope that's the case. Last day to send questions is Wednesday.

The date for the podcast hasn't been announced but that information should come from the Capcom blog soon if you want to find out.

Good Guy of the Day: Street Fighter IV Producer Yoshinori Ono

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono wrote a special letter to pay his tribute to the Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1up.com staff past and present. Here’s sample of what he wrote:

“Creating games while keeping track of the needs and opinions of the average user is terribly important, and I feel that organizations such as EGM and 1UP.com are instrumental in making that happen. To hear that one of these bastions of game journalism will soon close its doors is disheartening. Still, I look forward to seeing what the editors will go on to do. I have high hopes for them.”

This is a first time I've seen a developer write a moving letter like this to the media. I read the entire letter since he had so many good things to say about EGM and 1UP. I was actually surprised to hear Ono say that Milky helped his Street Fighter team solve some development issues in the game. I appreciated what Ono had to say about the magazine that I subscribed to. In fact, it was the only gaming magazine I read way back in the 90s. Goodbye EGM and I hope all the 1up folks who were let go will find good work.

Dan Hsu, former EGM chief, reflects…

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:09:00 +0000

January 7 was the day I found out that UGO was now the new owner of the 1up network, which consisted of EGM, 1up.com, Mycheats, and others. The result was a sigh of relief for 1up boss Sam Kennedy, because he said his website was in financial troubles under previous owner Ziff Davis Media, who also had no more interest in them. On the other hand, it was a tidal wave of hurt for the many 1up staff members who were let go. Many people from the 1up community were very unhappy as a result of the layoffs, since they appreciated the work of that staff. In response to the writers and producers that had to leave, the community quickly fired away their angry comments on Kennedy’s blog .

But the sad news I want to focus here is EGM. After more than 20 years of publishing, Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine is finally no more.

Yesterday two former EGM guys with plenty of history with the magazine, editor-in-chief Dan Hsu and writer Crispin Boyer, shared their opinions on their blog about what transpired this week, as well as taking the time to say goodbye to the magazine they helped build for many years. They reflect on the high and lows of working for the magazine, mentioning their favorite covers stories, least favorite magazine covers, sharing prank stories and the hard work involved being a games journalist.

I was entertained and informed reading Electronic Gaming Monthly. Thank you Dan, Crispin, Jeremy, Shane, and to the rest who worked there. I wish all of you good luck on your futures.

GTA: Chinatown Wars Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Still not exactly sure what Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is about? Well, now you can get some good info thanks to the folks at 1UP for their exclusive interview with Gordon Hall, head developer of Rockstar Games Leeds, the studio behind Chinatown Wars. He shares his specific reasons on why they chose to bring the series to the DS, why they went in a new direction with the graphics, and details on what activities the player can do in the game. From this interview, the overall message I got is that the developer wants to keep the GTA tradition intact as well as bring in new ways to energize the series with what the DS has to offer. To maintain that tradition in Chinatown Wars, they brought in the same writing team from other Grand Theft Auto games to work on the stories, character, and dialogue. If you don't know already, the heavy dosage of foul words and crime themes central to the series will not be compromised for the DS game. I'm more glad to hear that veteran writers will be in charge of the narrative. Hall and his team believes the cel-shaded graphics will reflect the spirit of GTA better because critical gameplay issues pop up when trying to mimick the 3D graphics from a console version of the series to the DS. They don't mind the cel-shaded style since it provides them new options to come up with creative ways to freshen up the series. They continue that direction by applying graphic-novel techniques and a hand drawn Japanese style for the 2D cut-scenes, as one way to give Chinatown Wars its Asian flavor. Hall describes Chinatown Wars as an "arcady experience" as you're going to do wild things with the environment, like being able to destroy a helicopter in midair by riding your car off the ramp so it crashes right into it. You can expect Chinatown Wars to have plenty of car chases and explosions. The stylus will be primarily used for minigames and your virtual PDA. On the touch screen you can access your GPS navigation system that links to your contacts and favorite locations in Chinatown. Other activities you can do on the PDA is use email, monitor you drug empire, and order weapons from Ammuniation Online delivered to your safe houses. From the rest of the interview, I can see that this game won't be a simplified GTA experience. The game can go beyond the 20-30 hours main story missions if you continue to complete all the side quests and participate in the multiplayer and Social Club content. GTA: Chinatown Wars looks like a game with with depth and substance written all over it.

Playing Cave Story

noreply@blogger.com (Veng Xiong) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:17:00 +0000

I've been playing Cave Story on my PC. This game is a tribute to some of the classic 2D action games like Metroid and Castlevania. Playing with its unique weapons is the first reason why I am playing this game. There are some charming characters and unique levels too.

These indie games developers seem to love the 80s and 90s era of gaming, another example being Iji from Daniel Remar. Iji is definitely paying homage to the classic Flashback, which I played on the Super Nintendo. I loved Flashback, with that sci fi theme about a futuruistic city with aliens and new technology.