Most Recent: Articles

A tale of two platforms – Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns coming to DS, 3DS

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Actually, these are just some pretty good times, because Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns, the next chapter in Natsume’s legendary RPG/farm-sim series, will be releasing simultaneously on the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS this Summer. The story centers on, yep, two villages who have grown apart since a vehement dispute over who has the best cooking. Players can choose start in the crop-oriented, Eastern flair of Konohana or the animal-loving European-style town of Bluebell. Who wants to take bets on if you marry someone from the other town?

Commenting on the dual platform, Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume, stated “We wanted to ensure that all of our loyal Harvest Moon fans would have a chance to play this game,” presumably because of all the returned 3DS units following the horrible diseases it causes (sarcasm). “No matter which version they pick up, they’re sure to love the great new cast of characters, the fun festivals, and the exciting new gameplay mechanics.”

If only the Second Europan War in Valkyria Chronicles started over cooking. I’m sure there’d be a lot less ethnic cleansing.

Posted in 3DS, DS, News | Tagged

Daily Scoop: April 7, 2011 – Nicole needs an Xbox 360

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Nicole Kline

I’ve made a really important decision regarding my birthday, which was a month ago tomorrow. Which…will be a month ago tomorrow? Whatever. It’s not like I went to school for English, people. Anyway, I’ve quit drinking, and every time we have a birthday gathering, people want to buy me shots, so instead, I’m going to put out a small fishbowl with a sign that says something along the lines of “Nicole’s Xbox 360 fund.” Instead of dumping shots down my throat/tempting me with Irish Car Bombs, you can just drop a dollar in the fishbowl. How awesome is that? You’ll get to be an important part of my video game curriculum! Congratulations.

Speaking of the Xbox 360, today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is the Xbox 360 Sharkoon X-Tatic SX Stereo Gaming Headset by… Sharkoon. Shocking, I know. It’s $39.99 today down from $59.99, and is “sophisticated in design and technology” to give you “the crucial sound advantage for epic gaming sessions.” Wow! That just sounds…yes. Good.

Nothing in the daily t-shirt realm today, but I found this shirt that is ridiculously incredible and fully functional as an AR card today at Level Up Studios. Watch this amazing video:

O_o.

Posted in 3DS, Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News, Xbox 360 |

Sega teases new Sonic for 2011

Posted on April 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sonic the Hedgehog’s home on Facebook has unveiled the first teaser trailer for the blue blur’s next game (currently untitled, but possibly known as Sonic Generations, which Sega just registered a domain for).

The trailer starts off innocently enough with Sonic dashing his way through tunnels, bridges and loop-the-loops… but then it gets weird when Sonic splits in two. One seems to represent the new, sleek Sonic while the other more closely resembles Sonic in his Genesis days. Does this mean there’s some kind of time travel operation going on in South Island?

Whatever’s going on, Sega has promised that the game will be released sometime in 2011 on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

XBLA Today: Dishwasher Vampire Smile, Red Faction Battlegrounds

Posted on April 6, 2011 by John Scalzo

Microsoft has performed their weekly update of the Xbox Live Arcade and added two new titles to the download service today.

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is the latest stylish side-scroller from Ska Studios. Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), it tells the continuing tale of Yuki’s bloody quest for revenge.

Also available this week, and also available for 800 Microsoft Points, is THQ’s Red Faction: Battlegrounds. The vehicular combat game features four-player modes and rewards players with Red Faction: Armageddon unlockables (which releases on May 31).

Danny Bilson, THQ’s Executive Vice President of Core Games said, “This explosive arcade game is a throwback to top-down, four-player racers of the past, yet with story tie-ins and unlockable weaponry that you will experience in our most futuristic game, Red Faction: Armageddon. Great on their own, playing either will make the other that much more enjoyable – exactly what we want from our transmedia projects.”

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

EA sued over Madden, NCAA exclusivity deals

Posted on April 6, 2011 by John Scalzo

Ready your favorite frivolous lawsuit jokes, because Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro and The Paynter Law Firm have filed a joint class-action lawsuit against Electronic Arts claiming the publisher has an illegal monopoly on NFL, NCAA and Arena Football games.

According to a statement from the plaintiffs in the case of Pecover vs Electronic Arts, EA signed exclusive licenses with the National Football League (NFL), National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and Arena Football League (AFL), thereby “[foreclosing] competition in an alleged football video game market” and “overcharging” for the games relating to these licenses.

When you put it that way, the lawsuit is really an awesome display of idiocy and misunderstanding of the video game market. First of all, whether or not you think EA Sports’ games are overpriced, they carry an industry standard $60 pricetag. So the “overcharging” complaint is just stupid. Secondly, the NFL approached EA with the proposal for an exclusivity deal. EA didn’t strongarm the license out of anybody, it was freely sold to them.

And Anybody that’s visited a game store in the last 30 years will know that these kinds of deals are fairly standard in the industry. For example, Activision holds the license to make games based on Spider-Man while Sega holds a similar license to make games based on Captain America. Overturning EA’s NFL exclusivity contract would basically render all of these licensing agreements void.

If the plaintiffs somehow win the day, anyone who purchased a Madden NFL, NCAA Football, or Arena Football game after January 1, 2005 will be considered a part of the class and will share in the judgment.

More information about the lawsuit can be found at EASportsLitigation.com.

Posted in News |

Daily Scoop – April 6, 2011: I <3 my PSP edition

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Thank goodness I’ve been inundated with PSP games lately. Hackers are trying to destroy the PlayStation Network, and the 3DS is making people sick (no, not like, disgusted sick. Like sick sick!). Luckily, my trusty PSP 1000, though over five years old, is still rockin’ it. And Gods Eater Burst is completely amazing.

Anywho, today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is SEGA’s Yakuza 4 for the PS3. Jump on this, kids – it’s only $39.99 from $59.95. This is an awesome deal for a game that hasn’t even been released a month yet here in the states. There’s a lot of great stuff in this game, including much of what you’d like to see in “Tokyo’s adult nightlife…including hostess bars, karaoke pickup bars, massage parlors, and pachinko palaces.” Sounds awesome to me!

Nothing to report on the t-shirt end, unless you want to see my favorite shirt today, courtesy of shirt.w00t:

I need to wear this every day to work. When I try to explain these shortcuts to people, they look at me like I am some kind of wizard. Perhaps I could wear this shirt with my robe and wizard hat?

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

War rages on next week in Killzone 3 Steel Rain DLC

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

The PSN may be under attack, but that’s not stopping Sony and Guerilla Games from releasing the next batch of Killzone 3 map packs with the Steel Rain add-on DLC. The pack will include Junkyard, a Guerilla Warfare (Team Deathmatch) locale set in the MAWL Graveyard, but in the rain with jetpacks and EXO mechs. Stahl Arms takes place in, you guessed it, the epicenter of Helghan’s military industrial complex and will be playable in Warzone. You can grab them for $4.99 when the PlayStation Store updates next Tuesday April 12.

There’s only one problem. The day-one DLC, Reclaimed Territory, maps are not in the playlist rotation and if you land in a game with either map, you can’t vote to change the setting next game. Hopefully this issue will be resolved come next week.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Dragon Quest X details to emerge later this year

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Hardcore RPG fans! The reason to steal your girlfriend’s buy a Wii is finally upon us! In the latest issue of Nintendo Power, Yuji Horii, creator and scenario writer of the Dragon Quest series, confirmed that the latest iteration, Dragon Quest X, will be ready for the masses soon. Horii stated, “all we can say is that development is going well and we’re on the last parts of the game. We can’t really share much else at this point, but by the end of this year we should be able to announce something regarding it.”

The last home console version of the game, Dragon Quest VIII, was one of the best RPG’s of the last decade, and potentially of all time. I can’t wait to see how Level-5 and the DQ trio (Yuji Horii, Koichi Sugiyama, and Akira Toriyama) work their magic on Nintendo’s system.

Posted in News | Tagged ,