Category: Gaming

  • Giant Bomb » Blowing up this summer

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    Welcome to Giant Bomb: The Blog. It’s sort of like Alien 3: The Gun, only with more explosions and less track. After working on this in secret for as long as we have been, it’s totally exciting to be able to finally let you in on what we’ve been doing. I actually still haven’t gotten used to freely speaking the name of the site in public, or even typing it, really. It’s always been “The Site” or “The Thing I’m Doing” or “If Marion Cobretti Was A Website.”

    So let me start by telling you what Giant Bomb is, and then I’ll briefly touch on what Giant Bomb will become. Right now, we’re opening up this blog, where myself and others will be writing about games, covering them in much the same way I’ve been doing on my personal blog for the past three months. Sometimes it will be off-the-cuff, sometimes it will be reasoned and well-thought-out. We’ll review games here, and we’ll talk about upcoming stuff, as well. We’ll occasionally chime in on the news that surrounds the game industry, both here in print, and in our podcast, which will grow out of the Arrow Pointing Down podcast that I’ve been doing with Ryan Davis for the past few weeks. Yes, we will still continue to speak our minds on the latest happenings in the beverage and snack food industries. Don’t you worry about that. We’ll talk about games there, too. Surprise!

    Check it out here.

  • Dungeons & Dragons Creator Gary Gygax Passes Away; Interview on Gadgets – Boing Boing

    According to a post on Troll Lord Games, the company that had published his most recent work, Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, has passed away

    Check it out here.

  • SPACE INVADERS | Guillaume Reymond | video performance

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    SPACE INVADERS is the second video performance of the GAME OVER Project, directed by the Swiss artist Guillaume REYMOND (NOTsoNOISY creative agency).

    67 extras
    4 hours of shooting
    390 pictures

    Check it out here.

  • I Wanna Be the Guy — platformer game is a stew of 8-bit classics – Boing Boing

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    I Want to Be the Guy is an insanely hard platformer video-game that mashes together art, bosses, and other play elements from several 8-bit console cartridges from the golden age. Here’s a video of someone running the game

    Check it out here.

  • Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – The Head of Alfredo Garcia » Revolution $

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    Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has just been announced. I am currently experiencing a wide range of emotions about this, from pensive ambivalence to mild curiosity.

    Check it out here.

  • Game Valhalla: Retro Arcade Gaming Fan Heaven Is Worth Infinite Quarters

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    Peter Hirschberg has just finished his stunning retro-gaming heaven, a Valhalla for the best arcade video games ever. His Luna City Arcade has 57 fully-restored arcade classics, which span from Asteroids to Zaxxon, plus a whole load of pinballs. Amazingly enough, he does all this on his own dime, for the love of it. This personal museum is open now to the public by invitation only, and the best thing: entrance and quarters are completely free for his guests. Check the video, huge gallery and the interview with Peter after the jump.

    Check it out here.

  • The Video Game May Be Free, but to Be a Winner Can Cost Money – New York Times

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    The Video Game May Be Free, but to Be a Winner Can Cost Money – New York Times: “In a major departure from its traditional business model, E.A. plans to announce Monday that it is developing a new installment in its hit Battlefield series that will be distributed on the Internet as a free download. Rather than being sold at retail, the game is meant to generate revenue through advertising and small in-game transactions that allow players to spend a few dollars on new outfits, weapons and other virtual gear.

    At a conference in Munich, the company intends to announce that the new game, Battlefield Heroes, will be released for PC this summer. More broadly, E.A. hopes the game can help point the way for Western game publishers looking to diversify beyond appealing to hard-core players with games that can cost $60 or more.”

  • I-Mockery.com | The 50 Greatest Arcade Cabinets In Video Game History!

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    I-Mockery.com | The 50 Greatest Arcade Cabinets In Video Game History!: “Seeing classic arcade game machines lined up next to each other is an easy way to have a wave of nostalgia smack you in the face harder than a hurled barrel compliments of Donkey Kong himself. It brings you back to a time when games were simple, fun, and fairly cheap to play for the most part. Whether it was laughing at how all the enemies bullets traveled 75% slower than your own or enjoying the cheesy digitized voices, there’s no denying the classic games had something special.

    But there is something about arcade games that we don’t think gets enough credit. While everybody has their picks for the best games, most people don’t give too much thought about the artistry that was put into the cabinets which held these games. It is with that in mind that I-Mockery is paying tribute to what we consider to be the The 50 Greatest Arcade Cabinets In Video Game History!”

    (Via DIGG.)

  • Guitar Hero 3 tracks announced

    From the blog of Jeff Gerstmann, GameSpot:

    “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones
    “Cherub Rock” by Smashing Pumpkins
    “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
    “The Metal” by Tenacious D
    “My Name is Jonas” by Weezer
    “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse
    “Rock And Roll All Nite” as made famous by Kiss
    “School’s Out” as made famous by Alice Cooper
    “Slow Ride” as made famous by Fog Hat
    “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour
    “Barracuda” as made famous by Heart

    Here.

  • The Legend of Leeroy Jenkins

    The Legend of Leeroy Jenkins

    Westword, via DIGG:

    “A Rough Go” opens with a band of characters milling around inside an ominous dungeon. Over the computer voice-chat system, the players plan in nasally über-geek detail how to tackle the baby dragons nearby: “Um, I will use Intimidating Shout to kinda scatter them,” “We’re gonna need Divine Intervention on our mages,” “I’m coming up with 32.33, repeating of course, percentage of survival.” Just when it seems they will be forever mired in painful, Kafkaesque planning, a character sitting silently off to the side leaps to his feet. “All right chums, let’s do this!” he declares in a deep, slightly insane voice. He charges headfirst and alone into the fray, hollering his name as a battle cry: “LEEROOOOOY JEEEEENKINS!” The others are stunned. “Oh, my God, he just ran in!” one gasps. “Save him! Oh, jeez, stick to the plan! Oh, jeez, let’s go, let’s go!” Cursing and confused, they dash after Leeroy — and the dragons start ripping them to shreds. Soon bodies litter the floor; all the characters are dead. “Great job! For Christ’s sake!” the players whine. “Leeroy, you are just stupid as hell!” To which Leeroy responds, “At least I have chicken.” End scene.

    Here.

  • Paperboy gets tossed this week

    Gamespot:

    The game, originally released in 1984, featured a bicycle-handlebar-shaped controller that was used to control a neighborhood newspaper-delivery boy. As gamers tried to keep customers happy with well-placed newspapers, they could also earn points by preventing thieves from breaking into homes, knocking over tombstones, or breaking the windows of nonsubscribing houses.

    The Xbox 360 version will be updated with a new cooperative multiplayer mode, as well as “modernized” audio and “new artwork.” Paperboy will be available February 14 at 1 a.m. PST for 400 Microsoft Points ($5). For more information, read GameSpot’s previous coverage.

    Here.

  • CES 07: Guitar Hero II Hands-On

    Gamespot:

    In addition to all the tracks from the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II, GHII for the Xbox 360 will include 10 new songs not seen in the PS2 game. While we don’t know the full list yet, Red Octane has announced five of the new songs that will be in the game:

    Pearl Jam — “Life Wasted”
    Rick Derringer — “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo”
    My Chemical Romance — “Dead!”
    Deep Purple — “Hush”
    Alice Cooper — “Billion Dollar Baby”

    Here.

  • Arcade Ambience Project

    Arcade Ambience Project

    Arcade Ambience Project:

    As a child of the 80s, I will never forget the feeling of walking into a crowded arcade — the sounds, smells, excitement, etc. This page is dedicated to recreating the audio portion of that experience in the form of a long, non-looping ambient audio track.

    “If I close my eyes while listening to Arcade Ambiance, I can clearly envision myself hanging out at the local Golfland Arcade circa 1983 sporting the latest in early 80’s fashion (camouflage Vans and a Members Only jacket), while feeding quarter after quarter into Dig Dug, Galaga and Phoenix. Thanks for taking me back to a happier time.” –David

    Here.

  • Age of Conan dawning on 360

    GameSpot, by Crom:

    The world of Conan the Cimmerian, the fantasy barbarian of legend created by Robert E. Howard, portrayed in films by Arnold Schwarzenegger and re-created in several games, is returning to consoles. Funcom today announced that the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has been approved for the Xbox 360 by Microsoft.

    While this is good news for 360 fans who yearn to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentations of their women, it isn’t especially surprising.

    Here.

  • Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

    PunkNews:

    The latest Tony Hawk game, Downhill Jam is set to include a number of classic and current punk and hardcore bands including Descendents,Anti-Flag,The Bouncing Souls,Bad Brains,Lagwagon,Thursday and more.

    The game was launch title for the Nintendo Wii, and is also available exclusively for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.

    Full track list Here.

  • Mr. Do! a Go-Go

    Mr. Do! a Go-Go

    RetroBlast! Retrogaming News:

    Having recognized the success of Namco Networks in the mobile content arena, Aruze, the license holder for Mr. Do!, Mr. Do’s Castle and other titles originally published by Universal, selected Namco Networks to localize mobile game titles for the North American market.

    “Partnering with Aruze further expands our popular catalog of arcade classics, meeting the ever-increasing consumer demand for fun, casual content,” said Kenji Hisatsune, president and CEO of Namco Networks. “Mr. Do! and other Aruze games were very popular in the 80s arcades and we believe this popularity will continue on the mobile platform.”

    Here.

  • Ten-Button Guitar Hero Controller

    Ten-Button Guitar Hero Controller

    Wired:

    Baker forwarded me this pic, and I’m all, “what?” Why on earth would there be a need for a Guitar Hero controller with ten buttons? Even if it’s in the coveted Flying-V shape that the kids keep asking for?

    Well, as it turns out, the extra buttons are there for showoffs who want to “pull in tight to the base of the guitar for a rocking solo,” says The Ant Commandos, maker of the Double Range controllers. Wired and wireless versions are available starting today from their website at $60 and $50 respectively.

    Here.

  • GAME MASTER

    The New Yorker:

    At a certain point in the performance, the crazy ambition of Spore became clear: Wright was proposing to simulate the limitless possibility of life itself. The simulation falls between Darwinism and intelligent design, into new conceptual territory. Wright had worked out the algorithm for life, as described by the philosopher Daniel C. Dennett, in “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea.” Dennett writes, “Here, then, is Darwin’s dangerous idea: the algorithmic level is the level that best accounts for the speed of the antelope, the wing of the eagle, the shape of the orchid, the diversity of species, and all the other occasions for wonder in the world of nature. . . . Can it really be the outcome of nothing but a cascade of algorithmic processes feeding on chance?” The old dream of the M.I.T. hackers who came up with Spacewar—to re-create life on a computer—was coming true forty years later, right here in the Spore Hut, in the form of a spindly, striped creature that looked a little like Will Wright himself.
    After Wright’s encounter with the other planet, he pulled back to reveal a vast galaxy of other worlds, some computer generated, some created by other players in the game who had reached the status of intergalactic gods—“more worlds than any player could visit in his lifetime,” he said. As people in the audience gasped at the vastness of the possibility space, Wright’s spaceship zoomed into the interstellar sandbox, looking for an uninhabited planet to colonize, just as young Will had promised his father he would.

    Here.

  • X-Arcade Tankstick™

    X-Arcade Tankstick™

    X-Arcade:

    The newest addition to Xgaming’s award-winning lineup remains faithful to it’s arcadian ancestry and injects the most complete and authentic home arcade gaming experience into your home.

    Here.

  • Game Crazy Training Video

    The most hilarious training video out there, from Gamecrazy. Especially whenever Zelda Scott is onscreen.
    Joystiq:

    Who is Zelda Scott? The on-the-floor correspondent helping Croft and Payne talk to the GameCrazy employees presented. She must think she has some grasp on pop culture. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite phrases:

    • “They can’t hate on our used games.”
    • “Bomb-diggity!”
    • “Gail is getting extremely jiggy with it by going for the MVP.”
    • Give it up G-Unit, you showed some mad skills there.”
    • “Krunk!”
    • “Tru dat, girl. [To Croft and Payne] Homeslices?”
    • “Bling Bling!”

    … and that’s just a sampler.

    Gametrailers:

    Here.