Sunday, September 19, 2010

Why everyone is trying to kill you in Fallout: New Vegas

Bethesda has released a new developer diary for Fallout: New Vegas, which teases the post-apocalyptic adventure’s main story. “In New Vegas we wanted to say “You start the game in a very ‘Vegas,’ sort of, cliché style, almost. You are shot in the head and dropped in a shallow grave. So, it starts with, essentially, your would-be death,” says project director J.E. Sawyer.

As the mystery unfolds, you find out that the people trying to kill you were after a package you were holding. “What you were carrying is essentially tied into this major conflict in the area between New California Republic, and Ceaser’s Legion, and Mr. House, who’s the guy who sort of runs the strip in New Vegas,” explains Sawyer.

Check out the video for more story teasers and insights into the development team’s storytelling goals in New Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas is scheduled to release on Oct 19 in North America for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game will release on Oct 22 for European audiences.

KFC mascot, Pizza Hut shield class up Phantasy Star PSP

Well, we certainly didn't see this coming. Colonel Sanders, the fast food icon who has kind of been out of the limelight for years, will appear as a team member in Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity. This isn't like that guy who sneaked into the UN headquarters dressed as The Colonel. This is the real deal. Developers have actually created a character model based on the KFC mascot to use as a support character in battle.

Above: Either Colonel Sanders is depicted as some kind of butter-filled ninja in Japan, or this is the weirdest Phantasy Star tie-in we've ever seen
Apparently this is the 40th anniversary of the first KFC opening in Japan, and the restaurant's parent company Yum! Brands tapped Sega, the publisher behind the Phantasy Star series, to help celebrate.
The partnership doesn't end there. Yum! Brands also owns Pizza Hut, so Sega also put in a "Pizza Shield" as an equippable item in the game.

Above: When eaten, Pizza Hut pizza is the most bland and boring experience ever. But turn it into a weapon, and bam! You've got something
Unfortunately, it appears as though this epic greasy food tie-in will only happen in Japan. The pizza shield item will still be available in the North American version, but the Pizza Hut logo will be erased. As such, it's unlikely The Colonel will appear in the US release either. But that doesn't mean you can't still go out and eat a Double Down while you're in the middle of a gameplay session.
Before you start crying over the injustice, Japanese gamers never got their hands on Burger King's $4 Xbox 360 games that came out in 2006. So it's only fair that they get an exclusive fast food video game experience too.
Since Pokemon Black and White released early in Japan sometime yesterday-ish, the internet has been flooded with new information and details, and it's all happening so fast that it's tough to keep up with. Here are the latest facts that have come to the surface since the game has shipped, in handy bullet point form.
  • The B&W carts are region locked on DSi and DSi XL, but will work fine in a regular DS or DS Lite. If you try to play the Japanese cart in a US DSi, it won't detect the cartridge. That means unless you have a Japanese DSi, you won't be able to use the DSi functionality on the Japanese game. No voice chat for us gaijins!
  • For a full list of all 156 new Pokemon, including base stats, abilities and Japanese names, Pokebeach has a great one. We'll post an in-depth Isshu Pokedex of our own once we receive the game next week.
  • The graphics look amazing.
  • The PC can hold up to 720 Pokemon now via 24 PC boxes. Ugh, when is Game Freak going to give us a better Pokemon storage solution? Simply having more PC boxes doesn't cut it. Oh well.
  • Trainers have Natures now! Just like Pokemon Natures, your trainer ID card will list your Nature. What could this mean?
  • Churine and Monmen are not actually version exclusives because depending on the version you have you can trade an NPC for the one your version doesn't have in the wild.
  • Both Zekrom and Reshiram are caught at level 50.
  • The Pokerus still exists. EV trainers rejoice! 
  • There's some kind of post-game quest after you defeat the Pokemon League where you search for seven sages.
  • Info on Gym Leaders and Elite Four on Bulbapedia.
  • The third stage evolutions of the starters have been confirmed. Here's a youtube video of Futachimaru evolving into Daikenki.
  • It's all but confirmed that none of the Isshu Pokemon are related to any Pokemon from previous generations. No Eeveelutions, sadly. We still find it hard to believe that Mamanbo isn't related to Luvdisc though.
Look for more details next week as we dive into Pokemon Black & White coverage when our copies arrive from Japan. We'll be getting into further detail on each of the new Pokemon, as well as posting in-depth reports on our experiences playing both Black and White, complete with screens and video. And of course as always, tune in to Pokemon Monday where we'll be discussing Black and White further, of course.

President Obama urges children to make videogames

Who says Washington is out of touch with today’s world? President Obama has announced the launch of the National STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Video Game Challenge. "Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation," said President Obama. "I applaud partners in the National STEM Video Game Challenge for lending their resources, expertise, and their enthusiasm to the task of strengthening America’s leadership in the 21st century by improving education in science, technology, engineering and math," he continues.



The challenge takes the form of two separate competitions. The first is a youth prize, to be awarded to middle schoolers who design their own educational video games. The submissions for middle school students can be either a playable game, or an on-paper design document with a total prize pool of $50,000. The second challenge is for actual developers (or undergrad/grad students) to create their own educational video games for young children.


Above: A student tightening up the graphics on level three

First prize (best developer submission) is $50,000. The prize for best undergrad/grad submission is $25,000. And the prize for the submission that has the “greatest potential to reach underserved populations” will receive another $25,000. That’s some serious walking-around money. The STEM program will be accepting all submissions as of October 12th, and will be announcing the winners in mid-March of next year.

Cutscenes for cash? Activision mulls over the sale of in-game movies

Bobby Kotick says a lot of things. But then, people also say a lot of things about Bobby Kotick. Now, Activision's leading man is waxing poetic about the idea of selling in-game cutscenes as entirely separate movies altogether.
Speaking from this week's Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in California, Kotick noted: "[what would happen] If we were to take that hour, or hour and a half, and take it out of the game and we were to go to our audiences, who we have their credit card information and a direct relationship, and say to them 'Would you like to have the StarCraft movie?”

Above: Sure it's pretty, but what's the price?
Answering his own hypothetical question, Kotick later said that the likelihood of Blizzard proceeding with such a model in the next five years was relatively high and that he could foresee charging up to $30 for the final product.
Considering the current quality of video game CGI, Kotick's isn't entirely absurd (a little, but not entirely). Still, paying $30 for the privilege of watching an hour of disjointed, out-of-context cut scenes? We'll just play the game, thanks.

Friday, September 17, 2010

A cheeky instruction video about the do's and don'ts of making your NES cartridges work. For more stuff visit my site: http://www.gamegame.ca and while you're at it hear some awesome NES tunes at: http://www.nerdarmytheband.com.

20 Wii Games Nintendo Should Make

It's been said that Nintendo has already exhausted their franchises on the Wii and don't really have a lot up their sleeve for the next year or so since Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and other favorites have already made an appearance on the console, but we beg to differ. Join the Slobs as we dish out 20 games we want to see come to the Wii!


#20: Mega Man

Okay, we've gotta lay down a few ground rules for this one. If there's going to be a Mega Man Wii game, we don't want any of the Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh knock-off bullcrap that infested the Game Boy Advance games. (Remember MM Battle Network? Ick.) Also, anything based on an anime series is a serious no-no. Hell, make Mega Man X9, for all we care, just let us use the Wii Remote as a Mega Buster!



#19: Wrecking Crew

Unknown to most gamers, Mario actually used to be a construction worker as well as a plumber. If Wrecking Crew got remade with intricate 3D levels and a good Wiimote-based control scheme, you could race against the clock to clear the levels. Even better, Mario's other friends could get in on the work -- Princess Peach + tattered construction suit = Fun!



#18: Kirby

The pink puff ball rocks on DS, so let him loose on the Wii! We're thinking something along the lines of Canvas Curse, but in glorious, super-shiny 3D graphics. How cool would it be to use the Wiimote to send Kirby racing around the cosmos?



#17: F-Zero

This title should go online without a doubt. If done right, F-Zero could blow away any nay-sayers who claim that the Wii is graphically gimped. Just don't ask us to use that lame Wii Wheel.



#16: Punch-Out

Hey, it more-or-less worked for Wii Sports, and Wii gamers love their boxing. Bring back Little Mac, Mr. Sandman, and the rest of the classic boxers! Nintendo's gotta have an answer to Facebreakers, right?



#15: Super Dodge Ball

If Mario Kart could use Miis, then why not Super Dodge Ball? With the right control scheme, it could be a great way to get people to trade characters, build leagues (Capcom vs. Nintendo, anybody?), and revive a classic NES game. Don't cheap out with a port, give us a new game!



#14: Rampart

Rampart was the cool way to learn about the art of war. If Nintendo had the balls to go online with an updated WWIII remake, imagine the classic gameplay that would be wrought. It could be even more fun to design your own castle's colors, watching with glee as you erect flags over your enemies' sunken battleships and armaments.



#13: Duck Hunt

Is that ridiculous-looking Wii Zapper collecting dust under your bed? Well, would you fish it out for a remake of Duck Hunt? We'd probably give it a whirl -- only if we can shoot that damn dog.



#12: Pikmin

A game as odd as Pikmin would be right at home on the Wii, especially if Captain Olimar goes to multiple planets. Using the Wiimote to direct an army of Pikmin seems like a natural move, and it's kid-friendly too. Hopefully, we'll hear something during the next E3.



#11: Wii Sports 2

For a game that was so accessible, Wii Sports sure skipped a few big areas of the sports spectrum. If Nintendo wanted to make a quick buck, they'd be smart to package a Wii Sports sequel, complete with football, basketball minigames, hockey, and midget-tossing. Actually, scratch that last one.



#10: Earthbound

The Wii is sorely lacking in quality RPGs, and with the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the time is right for a new Earthbound game. There's just one problem: the greedy hands of Nintendo Japan want to deprive us of anything related to Earthbound! Out of three games, the U.S. only got ONE. And it wasn't even the first game! Why do they hate us when Americans show the Wii nothing but love? Waaah.




#9: Battletoads

You could ask anyone who owned an NES system back in the day -- Rash, Zitz, and Pimple were the original Nintendo badasses. The Battletoads have starred in games more violent than Mortal Kombat, yet they continue to fly under the radar. No more, we say! If their arcade game pushed the envelope with on-screen carnage, blood, and guts, just imagine what could be done with next-gen graphics! Step on it, Rare!



#8: Jet Force Gemini

One of the most underrated N64 games ever, Jet Force Gemini was the one shooter you could actually buy for your kids without looking like a bad parent. (It's really like a PG-version of Starship Troopers.) Since Rare seems to be in the mood for reviving old series, we wouldn't mind seeing a new Jet Force Gemini...



#7: Starfox

"Shake the Wii Remote to do a barrel roll!" Piloting the Arwing would be sooooo fun if we could use the Wii controls to tilt, roll, and somersault through the skies of Corneria. Fox and his crew are overdue for a new game, and Starfox Assault just wasn't long enough. Our only request: keep Slippy on the Great Fox -- no one wants to deal with rescuing his worthless hide in every mission.




#6: Mario Strikers Overload

"In a world where ultimate triumph or grim defeat is decided by soccer, the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms lie in ruins..." Ah, can you imagine it? Soccer fields riddled with ruins and destruction, chaos and eye-gouging graphics behind every goal, and even more characters than Super Smash Bros. Brawl... Mario Strikers Charged was a game that oozed attitude. It wasn't enough for the players to have soccer uniforms -- the game was so intense, even the delicate Princess Peach needed full body armor. Can you imagine the chaos of a sequel?
Hey, Nintendo -- bring back Mario Strikers, and we'll bring our wallets.




#5: Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura

Shadows of the Empire was one of the N64's biggest hits, even though most people had no idea what the Hell the main character, Dash Rendar, had to do with the story. Why not follow up with another obscure story that takes place right after Return of the Jedi? Besides, put a Star Wars game on store shelves, and it'll sell like cookies at a diabetic convention.



#4: Back To The Future Trilogy

There's no other film trilogy that could make a great next-gen game like Back To The Future. The level design alone would be awesome: Hill Valley circa 1955, the Wild West, and the surprisingly close year of 2015 (they'll have Wiis!)... the mind reels at the possibilities. And what better use exists for the Wii Fit board than hoverboarding?!



#3: Base Wars 3D

The original Base Wars introduced a great formula in sports games: replace the puny humans with ROBOTS. "Set in a 24th century wherein baseball team owners have grown tired of paying outrageous player salaries, they decide to replace their rosters with robots."
Why haven't real-life baseball teams started doing this? Baseball would benefit greatly from the Golden Video Rule: "If you want to make it better, add a rocket launcher." This game would outclass the Mii creation system by letting your make your own, unstoppable robot baseball army. Is your opponent blocking first base? Blast him to pieces with your pinch-hitter's RPG launcher and laser death beams!
Another cool gimmick would be the inclusion of 3D glasses. If the controls are virtual, isn't it about time the graphics were, too? Can you imagine swinging the Wii Remote at a baseball as it literally appears to exit your TV? Take us to the next dimension already!




#2: The Legend of Zelda

(Note: We mean a REAL, Wii-exclusive Legend of Zelda.) Sure, Twilight Princess was a great game, but there needs to be a TRUE installment of the series, made only for the Wii. None of this sissy crap where it starts as a GameCube game and gets held back for three more years of development. Just don't bring back Navi -- we like Midna just fine, thanks. Oh, that's a good idea. Direct sequel, anyone?
Heck, we'd even appreciate a Link To The Past remake -- they did it for the GBA, after all.




#1: Pokemon Titanium

The portable games are great, but Nintendo could take over the entire planet with an honest, stand-alone RPG game that combines all the Pokemons into one title. Even better, you could battle Pokemon trainers around the world, just as long as you can tolerate the hellish 16-digit friend codes. With Pokemon on Wii, we want online battles, online gyms, and huge tournaments. Just imagine -- 493 Pokemon in one game, and you could even carry 6 of them on your Wiimote. Do I smell money, or did I just wet my pants? (PS: Nintendo, you totally owe us for that last idea -- checks or cash, either would be fine.)

How to Copy and Burn PS3 Games

Is it possible to copy PS3 games?

This is a question that many PS3 gamers have been looking for an answer to. If you search Google using the keywords “copy PS3 games” or “backup PS3 games” you will be bombarded with spam results from self proclaimed experts telling you that copying a PS3 game is possible. Many of the results will be for articles and blog posts all claiming that you can copy PS3 games and all you need to do is sign up for some site to get the software and instructions. 9 out of 10 of the first page of Google results we found were all spam trying to get you to sign up for various websites. Game Copy Pro, Copy That Game, Easy Backup Wizard etc. etc..

Protect yourself! See our reviews on PS3 game copy software here.

How to Copy PS3 Games

While amateur programmers are a long way off from manipulating the PS3 with unsigned code, legitimate game copy software is now widely in use. In itself, the PS3 console allows users to rip games and Blu-ray movies directly onto the hard drive, but decoding these files won’t be an easy undertaking for most gamers. The console isn’t designed to burn PS3 games, so you can copy and backup PS3 games, but executing the files usually still requires a genuine game disc.

Rather than spending an outrageous amount of time trying to decipher PS3 ISO files, many PS3 users have taken the simple route and purchased software capable of bypassing protections to copy games. You will need to use special game copy software instead of the standard CD/DVD burning program in order to copy PS3’s more advanced Blu-ray discs.

After purchasing recordable DVDs or Blu-ray discs, you can use your computer’s DVD burner and programs like Game Copy Wizard and Game Copy Pro to copy and backup games for your PS3. Similar to using image copying software, the process is over in a matter of minutes. Following the program’s step-by-step instructions, you can copy and save the game ISO image to the hard drive, then transfer it to a blank DVD.

The Playstation 3 is a masterpiece of design that has kept Sony developers and hackers alike at work unlocking its many secrets. While Sony has done an impressive job of protecting themselves from potential pirating, it also wise for PS3 gamers to protect their investment by keeping reliable backup games.

How to Copy Video Games

How to Copy Video Games 

 

Game Copy Software

Anyone who plays video games know that they can add up to a great deal of money as a collection grows over time. Considering that the average Wii, PS3 or Xbox 360 game costs around $50 apiece, it is easy to see how one can part with a lot of cash in growing their game collection. After spending all of that money, it’s understandable why a person would want to protect their investment. Beyond keeping games in a safe place and cleaning them periodically with a special solution, though, what else can be done – and are those methods that valuable in keeping expensive games safe?

Like important files on a personal computer, it would make sense to make backup copies of the video games that one spends so much of their hard earned cash on. However, video game manufacturers have an understandable reluctance to allowing their games to be copied. This is largely due to the very real risk of consumers making illegal copies of their video games and handing them out to friends, family and coworkers. Due to this risk, video game manufacturers have designed their games to be tricky to copy; even if they can be copied, their likelihood of actually working is slim.

Not surprisingly, a solution has been developed in recent years: game copy software. Available at many websites on the Internet, this software allows a person to make backup copies of their favorite video games, offering them insurance against damage or other problems. Users still need to beware when using such software, though; not all of them are made alike, and choosing the wrong game copy software can seriously damage your gaming console.

How Game Copy Software Works

To use most kinds of game copy software, all you really need is a computer with a CD burner or DVD burner. This isn’t because the copying software comes on a disc, though; it is so you can burn – or “rip” – backup copies of the games that you want. As long as your PC has this feature, you should be able to find a solution that works for you.

Even someone who has minimal knowledge regarding the way video games are produced and how they work surely wonders how simply burning a game onto a PC can produce a functional copy. This is where game copy software does its real work; special hacking tools embedded within the software can break through a game’s supposedly “unbeatable” copy protection, producing a fully functional – and usable – copy of a video game for you to use as a backup.

In some cases, game copy software might require you to install a modification chip on your video game console in order to play copied versions of your games. You are best off looking for software that does not have this requirement; this is where people who are not so tech savvy run into trouble, often damaging their game consoles irreparably. There are software programs out there that do not require this modification; choose one of those instead.

Is Copying A Video Game Practical?

For the simple standpoint of protecting your investment, making copies of your video games is a sound idea. Besides owning copies for backup purposes, these copies can be kept handy for occasions when you are going to another person’s house to play video games. Rather than risk taking an original, expensive copy with you – where it might get lost or even stolen – bringing a copied version of the game is a lot less risky.

Many people are understandably worried about the legalities of using game copy software. From a legal standpoint, it is okay to make backup copies of video games – as long as you own original copies of them. Therefore, if you are making backup copies of games that you already legitimately own, you are in the clear legally. Also, any copied version that you create must be intended solely for your own personal use; selling or giving away copies of video games that you own is strictly illegal.

Finally, make sure that you check out reviews of the various game copy websites before using their software. It is easy to find out the kinds of experiences other people have had with different websites. Putting in a bit of research about this will help you choose game copy software that will really work – and that will not jeopardize your game console or the original copies of your games.

Whether you prefer to use a PSP, Nintendo Wii, PS3, XBox 360 or a personal computer for your gaming entertainment, you should seriously consider protecting your investment by creating backup copies of the games you’ve purchased. Doing so will help you avoid the irritating problem of buying the same game again and again. You’ll save money in the long run, and can use the money that you save to buy new video games!