I played a little bit of Wasteland Kings for the first time, and it was fun even though I kept getting murdered at every turn. In case you don’t Wasteland Kings was developer Vlambeer’s contribution to the recent 72-hour Mojam game jam. The games made during the jam were part of the Humble Bundle’s Mojam 2 Bundle, with the proceeds going to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Block by Block.
If you didn’t buy the bundle yest (which includes games from other developers including Mojang and Wolfire) you can get in on the action until March 2 at www.humblebundle.com. So far they have raised almost $500,000 for the two charities.
Well, Sony revealed that the PlayStation 4 is actually called the PlayStation 4 and that it will be released during “Holiday 2013.” Price-point and other facts to be determined at a later date (you can find some deeper details on the press event here). The secondary chip to handle uploads and downloads is one of the best ideas yet because it will hopefully make those frequent updates to the system and games go more quickly.
While I mostly like some of the ideas that Sony was pushing for – like a system that is more instantaneous in its operations than the PS3 currently is, on-the-fly downloads, various social features, and the ability to play games while you are downloading them – there was one fact that bothered me a lot. The PS4 is not backwards compatible with any previous PlayStation Games because it does not use the Cell processor. This means that you will not be able to play those PS3, PS2, and PS One games on your spiffy new console.
While I haven’t talked a lot about it here in these pages, I am really proud of the hard work that my friends Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight have put into the Super Podcast Action Committee. We’ve just finished our 32nd episode, which you can listen to here.
Like most podcasts we are working with an “out of my pocket” budget, substandard equipment, and recording and editing time that might be better spent with family, sleeping or doing something productive. But I think we all do it because we love games, we like to have decent conversations about the scene, and we want to give our listeners and informed opinion about important topics that may affect them. It also helps that Andrew and EZK are pretty entertaining to listen to.
So If you haven’t listened to the podcast yet, you should check it out on Libsyn. I think it’s a pretty decent show.
How can I complain about a bundle that gives me so many PC games for so little money?
Some people think that, by allowing a mega-corporation like THQ to take part in the Humble Bundle, the Humble Bundle organizers have sold out in a way. I am not one of those people because I think there is room for everyone and given that the Humble Bundle is the most high profile of all the pay-what-you-want bundles (and I do believe the first to officially put one together) it makes sense that THQ would go with them to take the model for a test drive.
A new Cube World video shows off some new features that have been added to this in-development game that is best described as Zelda meets Minecraft. New features include gliders, sprinting, some new attacks that can stun enemies, new monsters and items, a glimpse at what dungeons will look like, and rare zones.
Enjoy the video and check out Wollay’s Blog to see more of the game. I can’t wait for this to be released!
NIS America has pushed the release date for Mugen Souls to October 16. They cite “schedule adjustments” as the reason for the extra month. We’re not really sure what that means, but the end result is that you’ll have to wait an extra month to play it.
On the plus side, we’ll continue to talk about the game here in this space and better prepare you for the game’s launch. For now, you can check out the new Battle trailer below:
NIS America released Legasista on the PlayStation 3 today as a digital download through the PlayStation Network. The game is a roguelike action-RPG with a sci-fi fantasy bend, but what players will find most enjoyable is how deep the character customization is. I’ve been playing to for about a week, and so far I’ve enjoyed it immensely. We’ll have more on this game soon in this space, but in the meantime check out the game’s official web site at www.nisamerica.com/games/legasista and the press release below:
This week we have a special guest: Ben Sawyer, Project Director for Games for Health. Ben talks to us in great detail about the eighth annual event taking place in Boston, Massachusetts June 12 – 14.
Hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight explain the fine print attached to Microsoft’s new $99 Xbox 360 and why it might be a good idea to avoid this “deal.” They also discuss the challenges that the top console makers (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft) are facing as declining sales and the difficulties of launching a new generation of hardware weigh heavily on profits in the short term. Show length: 60 minutes. Episode 2 was recorded May 12, 2012.
This story in the Australian newspaper The Sun Herald about Sniper Elite V2 being ‘sick’ is quite amusing, though it probably doesn’t help what Jason Kingsley, the CEO of Rebellion, adds to the discussion about it.
But let’s be clear about who is calling this sniper game set during World War II “sick” – it’s the Australian Christian Lobby, and not the newspaper. Jim Wallace, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby says the game should have been refused classification in the country. Keep in mind that this is the same group that has helped stall the R18+ classification in Australia for quite some time.
“It’s sick … we should be doing everything we can to ensure that the level of explicit violence isn’t allowed to increase at a time when games are becoming more sophisticated, interactive and real,” Wallace told the publication.
Jason Kingsley didn’t exactly help matter by saying that the way you experience the shots you fire in the game is pretty gruesome:
“In SEv2 you get to see exactly what a bullet does to the human body and – to be frank – it’s pretty horrific,” he said.
There’s also some hubbub over downloadable content that lets you kill Hitler, though I don’t know why anyone would be against that. It’s just a game, after all, and if anyone deserves to be a target of violence it’s the guy that was at the top of the Nazi party.
Sniper Elite V2 is set for a release on May 1 here in the United States. It is rated “M” for “mature” by the ESRB for obvious reasons.
If your tastes are sophisticated then you probably will balk at Dungeon Blitz, a 2-D, browser-based, online action RPG that combines action gaming, lite RPG and an MMORPG atmosphere to provide a lengthy diversion if you’re willing to delve into it. It would be a shame if your snobbish gaming behavior caused you to miss out on a decent game, but we can only show you the water, we can’t make you drink (and if you seek wine instead of water, all we can do is thumb the trigger to our shotgun and pretend you broke your leg).
If you have ever toiled away the hours in Diablo or Torchlight, then Dungeon Blitz will feel like an old pair of shoes your spouse hid from you because you kept picking them out of the trash. Sometimes human beings forgo a certain level of decorum in the name of comfort. Dungeon Blitz is certainly comfortable, with goblins to slay and undead to send back to the unholy orifices they clawed their way out of.
And if you enjoy playing your popcorn RPG with friends, there’s certainly nothing stopping you from getting them to join up and team up for fun.
I’m not sure if Dungeon Blitz can sustain you for a long period of time, but like a one-night stand or a week-long torrid affair, I think most gamers will settle for Mr. Right Now over Mr. Right in the name of instance gratification.
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