Friday, May 17, 2013

News::IGM Let's Try - Mini Motor Racing EVO

An overhead racer that plays out with a bumper car vibe as it aims for some serious racing fun without actually taking itself seriously. Mini Motor Racing EVO lets you nitro boost your way across sunny beaches, rainy city streets, and everything in between. Combined with a track editor, this one comes with nearly unlimited multiplayer mayhem in a non-chase cam racer!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256911/igm-lets-try-mini-motor-racing-evo

News::Castle: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover Review | Casual Game Guides

Famous author Richard Castle and gifted detective Kate Beckett team up in Castle: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover to catch a ruthless killer in this exciting hidden object adventure game. Can you find the pattern the murderer is following before the crimes come too close for comfort?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257634/castle-never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-review-casual-game-guides

News::Call Of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer - What Needs To Be Fixed?

NowGamer: "Call Of Duty: Ghosts is coming. We know it will have a new engine (at last) and that multiplayer will feature traps. But based on the Call Of Duty multiplayer outings so far, what actually needs to change?"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257274/call-of-duty-ghosts-multiplayer-what-needs-to-be-fixed

News::Monaco: What's Yours is Mine Review | The Escapist

The Escapist: "Regardless of which thief you prefer to use, or if you'd rather tackle the game solo or with other players, you're going to need a great deal of patience, luck and skill in order to handle Monaco's complex missions."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257271/monaco-whats-yours-is-mine-review-the-escapist

News::The high cost of respawning and the illusion of arcade nostalgia

VGW's Will Harrison looks at how microtransactions get players to unwillingly spend money in-game, and if this model is simply an evolution of the one utilized by arcades.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256867/the-high-cost-of-respawning-and-the-illusion-of-arcade-nostalgia

News::Lets Play: Game Dev Tycoon | New Beginnings w/ Ciaran

Hey guys I'm here from DigiBytes and today today I bring you a Game Dev Tycoon Lets Play from Ciaran. It does what it says on the tin. Be sure to subscribe to the channel to see how his game company gets on!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257624/lets-play-game-dev-tycoon-new-beginnings-w-ciaran

News::Civilization in Minecraft: CivCraft Mod Now Available

GamersNexus: "CivCraft is a "Civilization in Minecraft" mod, fusing the RTS/TBS style of play with Minecraft's first-person perspective and resource acquisition core components."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257615/civilization-in-minecraft-civcraft-mod-now-available

News::Review: The Bridge (DarkZero)

"The Bridge is a mind-bending, 2D, physics-based puzzle game that takes inspiration from the works of M. C. Escher and Isaac Newton in its level design. It was created by a team of just two students as a prototype for one of their university project requirements and they decided to continue further development after graduation, finally releasing a full-length indie title. It starts with your character (presumably Escher himself) asleep under a tree and has the player rocking the world back and forth, dropping an apple on his head to awaken him. Thats how youre taught to use the main game mechanic - tilting the worlds gravity." (DarkZero)



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257455/review-the-bridge-darkzero

News::Top 10 Call of Duty Games

GamersBliss.com writes: "Call of Duty has been around for a very long time. You may remember the first commercials of the original airing before movies, which was a big controversy back then. Not because it was a violent video game, but because the idea of commercials playing before movies was unheard of. The first installment would release in the fall of 2003, here we are 10 years later and what do you know the franchise has become one of the most played video games in the world. The franchise has spawned numerous titles, with a new entry coming out every November. Sit back and enjoy our top 10 Call of Duty games and if you favorite game doesnt rank high enough, feel free to troll the comments below."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257631/top-10-call-of-duty-games

News::Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

I remember where I was when Donkey Kong Country Returns was announced for the Wii. I was in the E3 press room during the Nintendo conference, and I shouted a few obscenities at the screen after the surprise trailer, garnering everything from thumbs up from fellow fans to confused glares. You see, the Donkey Kong Country franchise is special to me, having influenced my view on gaming and platformers as a whole, and after a series of outliers like Donkey Konga, I was ready to return to its roots.


However, I had a few minor issues with the Wii game that I felt held it back a bit -- mostly the forced implementation of motion controls. But now, nearly three years later, I'm here to say that the re-launched Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is the definitive version of the game, and if you enjoy platformers in any fashion, you need it in your life.


Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/review-donkey-kong-country-returns-3d-253503.phtml

News::Here's everything that happened at Nintendo Direct today

It wasn't the biggest Nintendo Direct event today, but we did get some more info on a few games like New Super Luigi U and Pikmin 3, as well as release dates like Wonderful 101. The event ended up being mostly Wii U-centric, as Nintendo announced a major roll-out of Wii U demos during the week of E3, which has the potential to really catch on.


Nintendo will be announcing more information pretty close to E3 (that's like...really soon guys), and you can bet some new game announcements will be headlining June. Wii U fans, there are games on the horizon -- they're just preceded by a gigantic dry spell.


Here's everything that happened at Nintendo Direct today screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/here-s-everything-that-happened-at-nintendo-direct-today-253914.phtml

News::Nintendo to release demos for select E3 games at Best Buy

It appears as if Nintendo will be "bringing E3 to the public" in the words of Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime. Nintendo will be bringing playable builds of their newly announced Wii U games to select Best Buy locations (US and Canada) during the week of E3. We don't know any of the games that will be offered so far, but Nintendo will announce more details the week (presumably location information) of June 11th.


This may seem like a minor occurrence, but this is actually pretty huge depending on what titles are going to be offered. E3 is a particularly closed event, so if you don't get in, odds are you aren't playing any build of a newly announced game for months, perhaps even years.


Imagine how crazy local Best Buys would get if there was a playable build of the new Smash Bros. game. Wishful thinking? Yeah, I know, but imagine the on-spot tournaments!


Nintendo to release demos for select E3 games at Best Buy screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-to-release-demos-for-select-e3-games-at-best-buy-253910.phtml

News::Pikmin 3 to feature Alph, Brittany, and Captain Charlie

Nintendo let loose a ton of new info on Pikmin 3 today, like the fact that the new cast consists of characters named Alph, Brittany, and Captain Charlie. These adorable creatures have crash landed on a planet while in search of new food sources for their home. Their overarching goal is to grab food and bring it back into their ship to convert into fuel.


The GamePad will act as a map, and can also control your Pikmin. You can also use the Wii U Pro Controller and Wii-motes to control the action (including the ability to use your GamePad as the TV while you use a remote), which makes me very happy to know that there are options.


Pikmin 3 is launching on August 4th in North America and July 26th in Europe, and somewhere, Chad Concelmo is freaking out.


Pikmin 3 to feature Alph, Brittany, and Captain Charlie screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/pikmin-3-to-feature-alph-brittany-and-captain-charlie-253908.phtml

News::Nintendo Direct: More Game Gear titles coming to 3DS

It appears as if more Game Gear games will be hitting the 3DS eShop in the coming months, as Nintendo has revealed a ton of info in regards to a partnership with Sega that involves not only retro games, but new ones as well.


In the Game Gear arena, Crystal Warriors, Columns (one of my all time favorites), Sonic Blast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Mean Bean Machine, Defenders of the Oasis, Tails Adventure, Shining Force II: Sword of Hayja (yes!), Sonic Drift 2, G-Loc Air Battle, Sonic Labriynth, and Vampire: Master of Darkness will be coming to the 3DS in the future.


This is great news in terms of the portable Sonic games, as they're incredibly hard to find out in the wild, not to mention an actual Game Gear to pair it with.


Nintendo Direct: More Game Gear titles coming to 3DS screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-direct-more-game-gear-titles-coming-to-3ds-253900.phtml

News::Razor Atrox arcade stick finally here! Ships in June

Razor first unveiled this arcade stick way back in 2011 and I am pleased to say that Razors customizable arcade stick (Atrox) is now available for Xbox 360/PC!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257620/razor-atrox-arcade-stick-finally-here-ships-in-june

News::Counter Strike: Global Offensive Free to Play this Weekend on Steam

MP1st - Those of you new or unfamiliar with the Counter Strike franchise should be excited to hear that CS:GO, the latest entry in the franchise is going to be Free to Play until 1PM PDT on Sunday, May 19th via Steam.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257262/counter-strike-global-offensive-free-to-play-this-weekend-on-steam

News::Metro Last Light Tortoise Trophy Achievement Guide

For this Trophy in Metro Last Light you need to make 10 Spiders flip belly-up. This was done on the Torchlight stage. Wait till the last second before turning on your torch to get maximum light on the spiders.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256933/metro-last-light-tortoise-trophy-achievement-guide

News::Indie Daily 05.16.13

News for Starship Damrey, the Bitcoin Indie Bundle, Thunder Wolves, and Defense Grid 2.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257255/indie-daily-05-16-13

News::Call of Duty Ghosts Lag Compensation?

When it comes to Call of Duty, sadly the first thing that comes to many players minds is, Lag Compensation. This feature has plagued the COD games for a few years now and is the main contributor to the RAGE one feels while playing. Things like being milliseconds behind your opponents, curving bullets etc. are just some of the many things that comes with lag compensation. So why put it in the game if it causes more problems?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256865/call-of-duty-ghosts-lag-compensation

News::The Throwdown #38

Happening At STFUandPLAY Jeezy is no longer a member of The Throwdown Riku departs from the Game Of Thrones Spoilercast Rachael is now the host of the Game Of Thrones Spoilercast Rachaels Breaking Bad reviews & Spoilercast The Throwdowns production What fans want from STFUandPLAY Mannys idea for next years Pax East Jagons Fanzone Featured Topic The Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Kingdom Hearts 3 exclusive to Playstation 4 leak. Gaming News David Jaffe is back Gran Turismo 6 announcement inFAMOUS: Second Son info EA ends online pass program Vita might have a strong presence at E3 Square Enixs woes Pop Culture Stuff Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to ABC this fall 24 is back! Top 20 cancelled Fox Shows Could Star Trek: Enterprise make a comeback on Netflix? Brave controversy Listener Questions Which game do you buy if you only had $60? inFAMOUS: Second Son, Grand Theft Auto V, Watch_Dogs or Assassins Creed IV Though...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257618/the-throwdown-38

News::Rising Storm preview | Gamereactor UK

GR-UK writes: "Red Orchestra 2 does not do the player any favours and it's a better game for it. It's brutal and not very accessible. If you're used to games that forgive your mistake and give you second chances, you'll meet a steep learning curve in Rising Storm. You have to think as if you're in a war and keep your head down accordingly. I'm very excited to see how Rising Storm will look when it's finished, because it's already a fantastic first person shooter with a brilliant approach to the World War II setting."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257619/rising-storm-preview-gamereactor-uk

News::Wolfenstein: The New Order preview | Gamereactor UK

GR-UK writes: "Overall, Wolfenstein: The New Order feels like a promising, nicely exaggerated action game with memorable characters and fun weapons. If you are really generous, there are also shades of The Chronicles of Riddick here, and if Machine Games keeps the quality on that level, we can expect a triumphant return for the gaming world's most devoted nazi basher."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257622/wolfenstein-the-new-order-preview-gamereactor-uk

News::The Mighty Quest for Epic Lootand Revenge on Those Who Slight You | IGN

IGN: "The gist of The Might Quest for Epic Loot is as follows: You create a castle and line it with it with traps and defenders to ward off other players who are out to steal your loot. Meanwhile, you set out as one of three heroes in an effort to thwart the defenses of others and steal theirs. You steal from others and others steal from you, and thus the cycle of Mighty Quest carries on."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257605/the-mighty-quest-for-epic-loot-and-revenge-on-those-who-slight-you-ign

News::In the News | Sega Pledges Exclusive Sonic Adventure For Wii U

In the News | Sega Pledges Exclusive Sonic Adventure For Wii U

Sega said it would bring a new Sonic the Hedgehog game, subtitled Lost World, exclusively to Wii U and 3DS.



via Game|Life http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/05/nintendo-direct-sega-sonic/

News::What does it mean to be a game?


You probably play videogames. In fact, you’re likely to be deeply familiar with the form. But are you prepared to attempt a working definition of the term? You might even make them, but can you describe them?


When Sid Meier described a game as “a series of interesting decisions”, he wasn’t the first or last to attempt to linguistically pin down this slippery concept. His definition makes workable sense, assuming you arrive at the table with a suitably elastic understanding of the words ‘interesting’ and ‘decision’.


Meier’s definition certainly captures the experience of playing SimCity, or even The Walking Dead, but does something like Super Hexagon really contain a series of choices? It’s a game with one decision – to rotate the cursor clockwise or anticlockwise – repeated ad infinitum, and the interesting part of the game is not making the decision but trying to successfully carry it out. In a sense, Super Hexagon bypasses decision making altogether and operates on a reflexive level below choice. You can tuck Terry Cavanagh’s game under the edges of Meier’s broad umbrella if you so wish, but it’s emblematic of a whole school of game design for which the ‘series of interesting decisions’ label doesn’t quite fit. Meier’s definition is enduringly popular, but it’s far from the only attempt to define what makes a game. It is, however, one of the few attempts to distil games to their essence that entirely avoids using the word ‘rules’. In a keynote speech presented to the Level Up conference in Utrecht in 2003, Jesper Juul proposed a definition of ‘game’ that, frankly, is a bit exhausting, composed as it is of six discrete criteria. First on the list, however, was that games have rules.


For a less academic example of this philosophy put into practice we can turn to independent designer Anna Anthropy, whose book Rise Of The Videogame Zinesters contains within its opening pages the following definition: “a game conveys what it’s like to experience [its] subject as a system of rules”. Now this comes with a caveat, in that Anthropy is talking about games as an artform specifically, but it’s interesting to note how well a game like Super Hexagon fits the “system of rules” part of the definition. It’s rules are so transparently clear – if the cursor touches anything, you’ve failed – that they make “avoid missing ball for high score” seem positively convoluted.


One man who’s spent more time than he’d probably have liked in recent months pondering the definition of a game is Ed Key, whose beautiful, meditative Proteus has inspired precisely the kind of frothing, rabid response you wouldn’t have expected in relation to a title about going for a walk around an impressionistic island. The most popular thread on the game’s Steam forum is, at the time of writing, “Buyer beware: This is not a game!” the author of which sadly fails to provide their own definition of the term.


“I think this has focused my mind on some things,” admits Key. “I think there’s a certain aspect of the word ‘game’ linked to the word ‘gamer’ – the Steam audience – and I get the feeling that there’s a more conservative trend, post-achievements and all that stuff, where people want validation.


“Something I’ve realised about Proteus is that, well, it doesn’t tell you what to do. It’s not even particularly clear if there’s an ending to it. I think that doesn’t sit well with some people. They want the classic clichéd Call Of Duty thing, where you’re following a guy with an arrow and you’ve got to make the numbers go up. These conventions make people more comfortable, knowing what they’re supposed to be doing.”


Proteus’s detractors, then, seem to feel that the game fails to provide a system of rules and the associated clearly defined failure and success states that will guide and measure their playing of it. It’s telling that the author of the Steam thread cites “no objectives” as one of his major complaints.



Of course, Proteus isn’t the first title to spark this debate. Dan Pinchbeck’s Dear Esther caused a flurry of discussion last year, while only a few months ago Tomorrow Corporation’s Little Inferno frustrated fans of its creators’ work by being noticeably less ‘gamey’ than World Of Goo. But what exactly is the problem here? All these experiences have their advocates, yet seem to attract a throng of bitterly disappointed players who feel they’ve been misled as to the nature of the work they were paying for. In short, are developers like Key and Pinchbeck misusing language in their attempts to describe and sell their work, or is it language failing both developers and players?


“There’s no consensus of any sort on what ‘game’ means,” argues Adrian Chmielarz, ex-People Can Fly creative director and a co-founder of indie studio The Astronauts. “There are people who will give you a definition as understood like 15, 20 years ago: ‘There has to be a winner, a loser…’ and so on. It started changing with Sid Meier’s definition. [That helped me] start looking at the definition of ‘game’ from a slightly different perspective.”


The problem with ‘game’ is that it’s used by both traditional designers and those making experimental projects. Does it follow that arguments are inevitable as long as Gears Of War and Proteus go by the same moniker?


“You know, words change their meaning,” responds Chmielarz. “‘Film’ meant the material: a roll of film. But now, when we say ‘film’, we mean the movie. So the same thing can easily happen to ‘videogame’ or ‘game’. When we say ‘game’, we can mean Doom or any oldschool game where there is a clear winner, a clear ending, or you die. Or we can mean any form of interactive experience that you enjoy. I mean, from my friends I’ve heard all kinds of proposals, like: ‘Let’s stop calling them games, let’s call them ludos.’ This is just one of the proposals. Ultimately, I think we’re stuck with game; we’re going to be calling them ‘game’, we’ll just mean more things by it. We’re not slaves to the language; language should be a slave to us.”


The process of words changing their meaning over time – termed semantic shift, since we’re being precise – probably will result in ‘game’ becoming generally perceived as a much broader term. There are precedents, after all. Chmielarz’s example of ‘film’ is a strong one, but Key provides a second example. “‘Comics’ is an interesting one,” he argues. “They were originally called comics because they weremeant to be funny, but then people started doing different things with the form. But they’re still called comics.” The word ‘comic’ never lost its association with humour, of course, but nowadays no one hears the phrase ‘comic book’ and presumes that the contents are meant to be funny.



Crucially, however, semantic shift is a hard process to control. In politics, words can and have been reclaimed: the gay rights movement successfully wrested back ‘queer’, for instance. But even then the process isn’t always a success, and it’s unlikely that an attempt to hurry along the semantic shift of the word ‘game’ would muster a similar groundswell of impassioned support (and the associated catchy chants) that helped shift queer’s meaning. For similar reasons, attempts to rename what we currently consider to be games or popularise alternate terms will struggle, not least because everyone would have to agree on what they’re replacing ‘game’ with first. Chmielarz, for instance, is comfortable with ‘experience’ to define interactive works devoid of overt rules and goals. But Key is not: “I can see where people are coming from with that, and why people say Proteus is an ‘experiential’ game,” he acknowledges, “but it seems an empty word.” Without a consensus, no one is going to be able to force a semantic shift.


Besides, people like Ian Bogost, an academic at The Georgia Institute Of Technology and a game designer, don’t see the point of alternatives. “Is ‘movie’ a stupid term?” he argues. “Sure, but we use it anyway. Words connote, but mostly they denote. Corn is corn. Toasters are toasters. It’s not a big deal.” In the meantime, Bogost’s personal definition of game, “a thing that participates in the conversation about what a game is” is intentionally vague.


The comic book industry did, however, manage to popularise ‘graphic novel’ as an alternative to ‘comic’ when it was going through a crisis of definition. ‘Graphic novel’ provided a useful means of presenting works such as Art Spiegelman’s Maus to the outside world, free from associations of fortnightly superhero stories. Tellingly, however, the distinction between a graphic novel and a comic book remains fuzzy, and plenty of authors still dismiss the term as needlessly pretentious. Gaming’s issue with labels is less about external perception, anyway, and more about settling upon an agreed upon definition of what a ‘game’ is in the first place.


But even if we trust that issue to resolve itself in time and wait for the word ‘game’ to be hollowed out until it brings with it no immediate associations of rules, winners, losers, goals, objectives and fail states, that doesn’t mean the wider language of gaming is ready to accommodate the expanding nature of the experiences that developers are providing. Terms such as ‘mechanic’ and ‘system’ refer to the content of games in language that makes their machine code origins overt. Words such as ‘casual’ and ‘hardcore’ seek to define two sides of an increasingly blurred divide. Meanwhile, complimentary terms such as ‘immersive’ and ‘artistic’ are used frequently, but is there any consensus on what people mean by them?


These questions are more important than they might seem, especially if you’re a proponent of linguistic relativity, the idea that language can shape thoughts rather than merely express them. If that’s true (and current academic consensus is that it is at least partially so) then the words that designers and developers use to think about games will, to some extent, shape the way they think about the games they’re creating.



The Astronauts is currently working on its debut title, The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter. A mystery-themed horror game, Ethan Carter sees you playing “as a detective with the supernatural ability to visualise scenes of lethal crimes, investigating the kidnapping of a young boy”. There will be no combat, and the focus will instead be on exploration. “We’re not abandoning the gameplay,” said Chmielarz in Ethan Carter’s first press release, “on the contrary: we’re trying to strip it down to the bone and make sure it’s always meaningful.” Now why would he feel the need to say that?


In November, Chmielarz posted an entry on The Astronaut’s blog titled Why We Need To Kill Gameplay To Make Better Games, and naturally found himself embroiled in a series of comment thread and forum arguments as a result. Lurking a few paragraphs beneath the provocative title, however, was Chmielarz’s fairly modest partial definition of gameplay: “something that a challenge is a crucial part of”. With this in mind, we can see that what The Astronauts really wants to remove in Ethan Carter are skillbased interactions with fail states. For Chmielarz, it’s all about being in a world.


“I think that games which have an old-school definition of gameplay – Tetris or Bejewelled or Angry Birds – they’re all great and I play a lot of those,” acknowledges Chmielarz. “But the thing that excites me is actually a simulation of another world, where you don’t really have endings that are better than one another, you just have alternatives, or you can just be in that world… Like in Skyrim, you can just be in Skyrim, just hanging around. Or the really famous one is GTA, just driving a car in GTA, [and] just cruising around listening to the radio. That’s just an experience. Is that ‘gameplay’?”


Either way, Chmielarz’s definition of gameplay would clearly imply that games such as Proteus and Dear Esther, as well as more overtly experimental (and mechanically complex) titles such as Tale Of Tales’ Bientôt L’été, don’t actually contain any. These games certainly aren’t devoid of interactions, however. They even contain loops that are arguably game mechanics (movement triggers sound in both Proteus and Dear Esther – the island’s environmental noises in the former and scraps of narration in the latter). Yet they are devoid of challenge, or any impediments to player immersion. To phrase this more controversially: they’re not very hardcore.



‘Casual’ and ‘hardcore’ are semantic battlefields, keenly contested by parties invariably using them to propagate gaming ideals. To many gamers, ‘hardcore’ is a badge of honour, used to differentiate themselves from ‘casuals’, whose knowledge of gaming is shallow, whose tastes are unsophisticated and whose skills are lacking. Conversely, game companies have been mistrustful of ‘hardcore’ for some time, perhaps concerned that its associations with passionate fanboyism and high skill levels are offputting to players who don’t define themselves along such polarised lines. Hence the coinage ‘core gamers’, a phrase seemingly calculated to appeal to the self-identifying hardcore while avoiding cutting anyone out. When Satoru Iwata announced that the Wii U was aimed at core gamers, he supplied the following definition to put it in context: “someone who has a much wider range of interests, someone who enthusiastically plays many types of games”.


Naturally, Chmielarz has his own definition.”I’ve started to use ‘casual’ and ‘hardcore’ in a different way,” he explains. “Normally, when you say ‘hardcore’, you mean a gamer who plays a lot. And when you say ‘casual’, you mean a gamer who plays every now and then. But to me, ‘hardcore’ means a gamer who is able to put up with a lot of shit in order to play a game and ‘casual’ is a person who can’t be bothered if the game isn’t something that they can consume easily. That’s my personal definition, and that’s how I’m approaching the design of Ethan Carter.” It’s certainly a useful working definition, but is he prepared to hop online and start promoting Ethan Carter as a casual game? “Fuck no!” he exclaims.


And this, perhaps, is the major lexical quagmire currently entrapping games and the people designing them. The language used by designers of experimental and, yes, experiential games seeking to leave overt challenge and other traditional design principles behind – words like ‘casual’, ‘easy’, and ‘accessible’ – is currently being shared with the language used by manufacturers of the sort of throwaway experience that many ‘hardcore’ gamers abhor, associating the phrases with the shallow inanities of Facebook games or the slight content of Kinect titles. Players can tell the difference between Proteus and FarmVille, we’re sure, but it’s the shared vocabulary inviting the comparison in the first place. In The Astronauts’ case, meanwhile, Chmielarz is forced to qualify and define his terms even as he’s using them.


Bogost argues that the point is moot, stating that “casual means everyone. It was never a good term, but now it means everyone who plays Solitaire or Minesweeper or Angry Birds or Words With Friends. Who doesn’t do that? Nobody. Casual is everyone.” But that statement, while true, doesn’t change the fact that casual is a loaded term.


As with the definition of ‘game’, these arguments will resolve themselves in time. New coinages will take on, or meanings will shift to the point where people are able to quibble about the content of the games rather than fighting over the phrases used to describe them. Because that’s what these disputes over definitions are really signify, after all. When an angry Internet commentator says Proteus “isn’t a game”, what they’re really saying is that they don’t want games to be like Proteus. It’s a debate worth having, perhaps. But first we must define our terms.


The post What does it mean to be a game? appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-game/

News::Three difficult words: Immersion, Complete and Art


Immersion’s not a particularly controversial word in itself, but it’s worth considering what you really mean when you use this term in relation to games. The Astronauts’ Adrian Chimielarz argues that is used in place of a number of other, more accurate terms. “Immersion is basically when you forget one reality, the real world, and you find yourself in another reality,” he explains. “You can get very immersed in a movie or a book; you’re very immersed in that world. It’s different to a sense of presence, which is unique to games, where you feel that you are physically somewhere else.” While we can’t see it catching on (it’s three words long as opposed to one, after all) ‘sense of presence’ is still useful and distinct when contrasted with ‘immersion’, letting you articulate why both Skyrim and a novel will fully absorb your attention, but only one will you make you feel like you are standing upon a chilly mountainside. Both are distinct from ‘engagement’, Chmielarz argues, which is the active participation of a person who happens to be immersed in a game.


Do you complete an album? Beat one? You finish them perhaps, but not with the level of finality that the use of the word within gaming culture would imply. ‘Beat’ in particular implies an adversarial relationship that seems outdated in an era of adaptive difficulty and regenerating health. These days, games want you to finish them. “‘Beat’ is a funny one,” chuckles Ed Key. “I got an email from someone recently saying he beat Proteus three times. He really liked the game and didn’t think he was going to like it, but that really amused me.” And Proteus, of course, offers a procedural world. “You can play through Proteus, finish it maybe, but you’re very unlikely to see everything in one playthrough. If someone says they’ve finished it, it means something different to me than it means to them… I mean they mean ‘I’m finished for me…’ I’m totally fine with that. But something I was hoping for was for it to be something [that] sort of nags at you a bit – that maybe you didn’t see everything, and you’ll play through it again and… see something that you didn’t see before.”


Art is, of course, the big one. People will argue indefinitely as to whether or not videogames are art. But rarely can they agree on what the term even means, either talking around the concept pointlessly or producing bespoke definitions to support their own point. Here’s Chmielarz’s take, for instance: “to me, art is basically when I experience something and it gives me a revelation”. It’s a definition that relies on the observer to decide for themselves, in other words. It’s very different to that of Brian Moriarty, who famously defended film critic Roger Ebert’s dismissal of games into the ‘not art’ pile by providing two artistic categories, ‘sublime art’ and ‘kitsch art’. “Sublime art is fragile,” he argued, “there’s nothing superfluous or out place.” Ridiculous Fishing co-creator Zach Gage would side with Chmielarz, telling us he’s only able to define art in terms of his own response. “The feeling I get from art is bordering on religious reverence,” he said. “The idea that something you’re looking at is connecting to so many parts of you and so many parts of the world that you can’t even begin to understand what it is.” Such indecision around the term rather invites the question – if no one can agree on a definition of what art is, then what on Earth are they arguing about in the first place?


The post Three difficult words: Immersion, Complete and Art appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/three-difficult-gaming-words-immersion-complete-and-art/

News::Evoland Review | DarkStation

DarkStation: "Evoland seems like a fun experiment that would have been more exciting to have seen go all the way with its idea of being homage. While I was playing this game I only hoped to see the game get more and more in-depth but sadly hits a limit that fails to be anything worth bragging about. Evoland is by no means a bad game but really just feels middling once you really get into it. This game could serve as a good stepping stone to something great but really only feels like a stepping stone that can only be recommended to fans of a good homage."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257275/evoland-review-darkstation

News::Sanctum 2 Interview With Executive Producer Ted Lange | RPad.TV

Heres an interview with Reverb Publishing executive producer Ted Lange on Sanctum 2. The game was developed by Coffee Stain Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It combines tower-defense strategy and first-person shooter action. Lange talks about improvements made over the original Steam-only game, the different types of levels, the various characters and classes, and more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257085/sanctum-2-interview-with-executive-producer-ted-lange-rpad-tv

News::IGM Let's Try - Residue

Residue is an intelligent, story-driven 2D platform adventure in which you control three different characters, exploring an abandoned excavation site in the remains of the Aral Sea in present-day Uzbekistan. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea is now an arid wasteland, a victim of decades of Soviet cotton irrigation. To some, it is the prime example for humanity to stay out of nature's business. To others, it's a world waiting to be saved.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257252/igm-lets-try-residue

News::5 things developers should avoid in new Star Wars games

PSU looks back at old Star Wars games and lists 5 things that should be avoided in the development of new Star Wars games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257245/5-things-developers-should-avoid-in-new-star-wars-games

News::Thunder Wolves Review at CalmDownTom

"This was a perfectly enjoyable arcade game, ruined by a nihilistic, regressive and cynical attitude towards humanity and human decency.", says CalmDownTom



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257482/thunder-wolves-review-at-calmdowntom

News::'Borderlands 2' even cheaper through GMG along with Krieg and Season Pass

XMNR: Steam is running a weekend sale for Borderlands 2 that marks the Gearbox rpg-shooter hybrid for the PC all the way down to just $13.59. Deal hunters can get it even cheaper through GreenManGaming though along with discounts on the Season Pass and the just released Psycho Pack DLC featuring the new playable character, Krieg.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257477/borderlands-2-even-cheaper-through-gmg-along-with-krieg-and-season-pass

News::Metro: Last Light Review | Elder Geek

Elder Geek: "If you were a huge fan of Metro 2033, we can say its worth buying. But in all likelihood, you probably already have the game installed and completed by now. For everyone else you can wait for Last Light to go on sale, which might make the Ranger Mode DLC not sting so much, or try the original at a severely discounted price."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257280/metro-last-light-review-elder-geek

News::Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods Release Date Confirmed

Terror will follow in your bloody wake as you decimate Europe in the name of your heathen gods. Women will lament the slaughter of their men, children will sob for fathers never to return, but your gods will be pleased. This is the barbaric world of Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods, the fourth expansion for the universally acclaimed Crusader Kings II, set for release this month.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256809/crusader-kings-ii-the-old-gods-release-date-confirmed

News::Cryteks Free-To-Play Shooter Warface Coming to Japan

Analog Addiction writes: "Crytek has announced their free-to-play first person shooter Warface, will be coming to Japan with their latest partnership. Leading online publisher Nexon will be teaming up with Crytek, to bring their PC title to Japanese players. Expanding Warface to Japan is a very important step for us, said Cevat Yerli, CEO & President of Crytek. Since its a global IP, this move perfectly underlines our strategy in sharing the games unique action with gamers around the world. Nexon is a very trusted partner; they have shown us tremendous results in South Korea, where Warface just entered Open Beta after receiving highly positive feedback from gamers during Closed Beta, and we are sure that they will play a key role in ensuring Warfaces success in Japan as well."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256876/cryteks-free-to-play-shooter-warface-coming-to-japan

News::Indie Pleas: Indie game crowd funding roundup for May 17, 2013

indiePub has published its weekly look at new and notable crowd funding efforts by indie game developers. This weeks Indie Pleas include: Reobirth: Magics Awakening, a fast-paced 2D RPG; Son of Nor, where you control fantastical abilities in a dynamic desert world; CatLand, a virtual pet that interacts with the real world through your smartphone; and Moon Rift, an RPG featuring random level generation.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257519/indie-pleas-indie-game-crowd-funding-roundup-for-may-17-2013

News::Geimaku: Metal Gear Rising REVENGEANCE: Bladewolf DLC Review

"Also known as IF Prototype LQ-84i, this mechanical beast plays its part in the main games narrative from both sides of the intense cybernetic war. Owner of a sentient and superior AI compared to his mass-produced clones, Bladewolf struggles to become more than just a pawn in Desperados plans. In the other hand, Platinum hasnt shown the same resolve to create this side-story."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257489/geimaku-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-bladewolf-dlc-review

News::Platinum Games' swarm-of-super-heroes action game The Wonderful 101 will launch on the Wii U on Sept

News::A Fünke Bit of Arrested Development Makes These Capcom Games Amazing

News::The Inevitable Minecraft Parody of Psy's "Gentleman" is Here

News::New Super Luigi U release date, standalone ver. revealed

Luigi is rockin' it hardcore! The upcoming New Super Mario Bros. U expansion, New Super Luigi U, is ready to drop on eShop on June 20 for $19.99. Not only that, there will be a special standalone disc, which doesn't require you to own the original, coming August 25 for $29.99.


We weren't sure in the past if there would be multiplayer, but Iwata has confirmed that it's present in full force. You can play as Luigi, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, or... NABBIT! Yes, the purple thief that you had to chase down in certain levels! Nabbit can't power up using items, but he'll be completely invulnerable. What a little badass!


I'm excited! You excited? I'm super excited!


New Super Luigi U release date, standalone ver. revealed screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/new-super-luigi-u-release-date-standalone-ver-revealed-253904.phtml

News::Oracle of Ages and Seasons discounted first week on eShop


Nintendo announced today during their Nintendo Direct event that The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons will be $4.99 for three weeks (down from the price of $5.99) after the June 30th launch. This is basically to encourage you to buy both, since they link together for new content.


There really isn't a whole lot to say here. Both games are pretty excellent top-down Zelda games, and the price is right!


Oracle of Ages and Seasons discounted first week on eShop screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/oracle-of-ages-and-seasons-discounted-first-week-on-eshop-253902.phtml

News::The Wonderful 101 coming to the Wii U on September 15th

Finally! Nintendo announced today that PlatinumGames title Wonderful 101 will be coming to the Wii U on September 15th. The game came under some fire recently for being touted as a "short" experience, but I personally can't wait, as PlatinumGames rarely misses.


Oh, and it totally has waterslides.


The Wonderful 101 coming to the Wii U on September 15th screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/the-wonderful-101-coming-to-the-wii-u-on-september-15th-253905.phtml

News::The not-quite-daily Steam Spotlight 17/05

It's that time yet again to stock your Steam games list for the weekend!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257441/the-not-quite-daily-steam-spotlight-17-05

News::Amazon Video Game Clearance Weekly Highlights for 5/17

Gamerdeals.net: "The Amazon video game clearance section has been re-stocked with 100's of video game and accessory deals on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC, and 3DS overstock items... This week's highlights include:"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257431/amazon-video-game-clearance-weekly-highlights-for-5-17

News::Steam Sale

For today you can get Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 for $9.99. In addition you can grab Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is $7.49 and Borderlands 2 for $13.59 until May 20. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be free-to-play this weekend if you want to play before you buy.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257143/steam-sale

News::Mysteries in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas - Part 2

After the great success of the first part of the post "Creepypasta: Mysteries in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas" ( See Here ), I decided to go deeper in the subject, and bring even more mysteries about the game, which may be unknown to most of you. Below you will see new Myths, Legends and Mysteries of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256910/mysteries-in-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas-part-2

News::WildStar Enters Second Closed Beta

arbine Studios has started the second round of Closed Beta today for WildStar, the highly anticipated MMO. This second round of beta will focus solely on the second faction, the powerful galactic empire known as the Dominion, and will feature new zones, dungeons, Battlegrounds and more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1256723/wildstar-enters-second-closed-beta

News::David Jaffe advises indie dev on "the ultimate car combat" game

GI - Twisted Metal creator helps with Autoduel, calls Kickstarter backlash "elitist bullshit".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1257053/david-jaffe-advises-indie-dev-on-the-ultimate-car-combat-game

News::Four Anime You Can Skip This Season