Today Tecmo Koei revealed that their original release date for Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires in September is going to be changed to November 8th. The company stated that the reason for the delay was due to some polishing efforts to create a better quality title.
It is currently unknown whether this delay will affect the game’s western release window of February 2013. It is worth noting that Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and is going to be released digitally in North America, though what this means for the above cat-warrior Nobunyaga Oda, who is a pre-order bonus in Japan, is unknown.
Earlier today it was revealed by producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto on the series’ blog that Rune Factory 4 is the best selling game in the series so far. In fact, the first week alone saw 85,955 copies sold which is twice the opening sales amount of Rune Factory 1 and 3.
In fact, as of August 19th, around a month after the title’s release in Japan, the game had sold 135,376 copies which is well beyond the companies’ lifetime sales of Rune Factory 2 which was originally their best selling game ever. This makes Hashimoto’s claims of a Rune Factory 5 all the more feasible. Now if only we heard some news about Rune Factory 4 making the trip overseas to the West, maybe we’ll see some record breaking numbers for the franchise here as well.
BodyGuardz demoed their newest product for the iPhone 4/4s today. The BodyGuardz Pure Glass ScreenGuard is a premium tempered glass screen shield with a smudge resistant coating. Ranking 8H+ on the hardness scale (For your reference, the hardest on the scale is an 10H which is a diamond), the Pure Glass ScreenGuard will survive scratches, shock, and chemicals while delivering an optically clear performance. The screen shield is only .4mm thick, ensuring your iPhone stays slim in the pocket. And for those worried about using a glass screen shield, the glass is a safety anti-shatter glass so in the case it does shatter, there will be no sharp edges to cut yourself on. The traditional BodyGuardz Advantage Replacement program comes with the $39.95 price tag meaning if you manage to break or scratch the shield, a cheap and easy replacement is just around the corner. You can buy a BodyGuardz Pure Glass ScreenGuard hereand check out the demo video below.
Project Hell – the working title of a first-person perspective hack and slash game, set in a dark fantasy world. What all started as a weapon mod for Dead Island is turning into it’s very own PC game, under development by a skilled and devoted team. The team have only released the working title and these images so far, alongside the conceptual origins of what is being deemed ‘Project Hell’. Judging from this limited information, the game seems to be shaping up rather nicely, and looks to have a hell of a lot of potential. Keep checking back here for more updates, and be sure to visit sharpenyouraxes.com for more info regarding the develop of this game in-progress.
As many of you may now know, the first man to ever walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong has passed away this week. With that said, it seems rather timely for a introspective of the 1969 Moon Landing and the Apollo Missions.
This coming Sunday, the 2nd of September, on SBS1 an incredible documentary based upon all things surrounding the 1969 Moon Landing and Apollo Missions will air at 9.30pm. That documentary is titled ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ and is said to feature re-mastered NASA footage of the original landing as well as exclusive interviews with surviving members of the missions.
Will you be checking out ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ this weekend on SBS1? Let us know in the comments section below.
AR.Drone 2.0 Developer: Parrot Publisher: Parrot Platform: iPhone (review)/iPad/Android Release: 1/5/12 Price: $299.99 (AU$399.99) US Store/Australian Store
Overview
As a child growing up I wanted a remote control car. Films such as Toy Story and Home Alone 3 taunted me with remote control cars doing amazing things. I sat back, closed my eyes, and imagined what I’d do if I had that power, to remotely control some sort of vehicle. Well, thank you Parrot for making my inner child finally get that chance. Parrot’s latest RC toy is the AR.Drone 2.0 – the next version in their AR.Drone series. The AR.Drone can be controlled using both iPhone (iPad too) and Android-phones, with a free flight mode or one of the many games they have developed, both of which are available at each devices respective ‘store’.
AR.Drone 2.0
What’s in the box? The AR.Drone 2.0 comes with a range of accessories to play with. It comes with standard items, a charger with multiple plugs for different countries, just in case you want fly to another country with your Drone. Well not using the Drone, the battery life isn’t long enough to do that. So lucky there is a charger at hand. It comes with a few additional pieces, like stickers so you can customise you’re AR.Drone. The most important things are of course the different hulls. The Drone can be fitted with two hulls; one is designed for indoor use, and the other for outdoor.
The outdoor hull is made of four foam rings to protect the Drone’s blades. The outdoor one lives life on the wild side, free from the protection of foam. Both give the AR.Drone a totally different look, but it’s best to keep things safe and stick with the foam one until you become a skilled pilot. Don’t worry about any damage the hull may suffer, there is a repair kit inside the box.
So, let’s take flight, I hear you cry. Well, not yet. First we need an application (or App, as the kiddies say) to control the AR.Drone. The apps are free for iOS and Android based devices. Specifically for the AR.Drone 2.0 there is AR.FreeFlight and AR.Rescue 2. As you may imagine, FreeFlight is just a basic control of the Drone, while AR.Rescue 2 is a game. Being a videogame website, I’ll come to the game in a fit. But first it’s flight school. FreeFlight allows you to control the height, angle, direction of flipping, and interface. The App to control your AR.Drone allows for a lot of customisation for your experience. Which is a fantastic thing. At first the Drone may be a little much for inexperienced pilots. Be sure to venture into wide open spaces to learn the ropes, and play around with the interface and settings in the FreeFlight application.
If you aren’t sure where to start flying, check out AR.Drone academy. This feature allows for other pilots to upload images and videos, as well as map their flights and recommend spots to fly. You can also upload videos straight to Youtube via the FreeFlight application. Needless to say, there is a lot you can do with the Drone, and a global community is there to help you along the way. Not to mention the series of online tutorials and assistance Parrot have made themselves.
Okay so, let’s see how this baby flies. The interface is incredibly simple. Press take off, and away you go. Depending on how you’ve set up the interface, just holding some buttons and tilting the device will proper the AR.Drone off in the desired direction. The Drone handles itself well, only being swayed slightly by wind. It can take some rather steep angles before dropping out, so be careful when flying high to take it easy, less you see your Drone fall from frightening height towards the ground. One of the things that differentiates the 2.0 from the original Drone is the ability to flip. A double tap on the screen will flip the Drone, backwards, forwards, left or right, whatever you put in the settings. There isn’t much that can replace the simple pleasure of speeding off, landing a flip and watching, via the screen, the Drone rocket back towards you.
I always felt a little torn between what view to take when piloting. Do I look through the screen, or do I watch my brand new toy majestically weave through the sky? A few times I attempted to look through the screen, but found myself a little bored with the view (I was just in an open area). Once you start to get some obstacles that you can navigate around, the camera will will be amazing. Not only that, but you can set your piloting device to record videos of flights automatically. The AR.Drone 2.0 is a blast to fly, and it’s fantastic to relieve those moments via HD recording. The AR.Drone may take a bit of time to get used to but, work on your skills, and you too can pilot the device around a football oval – flying through the goal posts and skimming close to the ground to torment your dog as he barks and chasing the Drone.
AR.Rescue 2
AR.Rescue 2 utilises another goodie from the big-box-of-Drone, an augmented reality marker. For those not familiar with AR markers, they are similar to QR codes (you may see these on bustops, food, or even used in bathroom advertisements). The marker, a small black and white graphic, is usually used to generate an image that can be seen through your augmented reality device. In the case of the Drone, the marker signals the starting of AR.Rescue 2. Place the Drone on the marker, take off, and follow the voice prompts that are emitted from your piloting device. AR.Rescue 2 is a little tricky to get the hang of. Sergeant Major Pain will yell instructions at you, you check the device, and you obey or you fail. It is pretty straight forward, but the precise movements you need to make can become difficulty – especially when attempting to land! The game makes good use of space and of the Drone, and really aids in learning how to pilot the AR.Drone. There are a few other games that were developed for the original AR.Drone; AR.Pursuit, AR. FlyingAce, AR.Race, and AR.Hunter to name a few. While only AR.Rescue has been upgraded for the AR.Drone 2.0, it looks promising that Parrot will continue to develop for the Drone. Best of all, all the applications and games are free.
Overall
The AR.Drone 2.0 is hands down one of the best toys I have ever had the pleasure to play with in my life. The fact that Parrot continue to develop games so you can get the most out of this remote control wonder means you’ll never get bored of the Drone. Speeding through the skies, performing backflips or barrel rolls, mapping out the best flight paths, just getting a new perspective on a familiar space – whatever your poison is, the AR.Drone 2.0 as a source of enjoyment has no limits. Oh and as an added bonus. Dogs love them.
Prophets of Science Fiction Publisher: Beyond Entertainment Format: DVD (reviewed), Blu-Ray Release Date: June 27, 2012 Price: $33.99 (available here)
Overview
Prophets of Science fiction is an eight part series brought to life by a partnership between Executive Producer Ridley Scott and the Science Channel. The show focuses on how several predominant science fiction figures, ranging from Frankenstein author Mary Shelley to George Lucas, seem to have foretold many crucial scientific developments in their works of fiction.
It’s certainly an interesting idea to explore, and whilst the series does provide some historical insight into the figures and works it chooses to study, the links between these ‘prophets’ and the technology they have supposedly predicted is often a little tenuous. The information on offer is for the most part a fascinating insight into the lives of some prominent people, and linking their past and personal tragedies with their works is often as interesting as linking the works with the new technology it supposedly foresaw.
Content
The eight chosen ‘prophets’ are all significant figures in their field – names you will have heard even if the faces are unfamiliar. All are authors from relatively recent times to fit with the creation of the genre, with only George Lucas breaking the pattern to shore up the modern end of the spectrum. Lucas’ inclusion is a little mystifying when considering some of the authors that didn’t make the cut, and genre fans will no doubt wish that the director had been passed over in favour of Frank Herbert, William Gibson, or countless other authors who actually broke new ground with their ideas and concepts.
Each episode is prefaced by an introduction from Ridley Scott, with the Alien/Prometheus director acting as something of a host throughout the series. Scott’s love of science fiction is unmistakeable, and he makes a credible and interesting guide for the show. For the most part the episodes are narrated by Jonathan Adams, whom video game fans may recognise from several titles including Diablo III.
Fans of science fiction and literature in general will enjoy the biographical side of Prophets, whilst the links with present day technologies and issues ensures that it isn’t all just a history lesson. The Mary Shelley season opener provides a great example of what the show can do, linking Frankenstein’s life giving electricity with a paraplegic in real life present day, who thanks to the scientists at UCLA is moving towards being able to use his lower limbs again by having his spine stimulated by electricity. The scene also provides a much needed emotional hook for Prophets, as does further exploration into the often tragic and difficult lives of the authors concerned.
Anyone who has ever read the stories of Jules Verne (10,000 Leagues Under the Sea), Philip K Dick (Minority Report, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) or H G Wells (War of the Worlds) will find something to keep their interest in Prophets, as the origins and future fates of the ideas behind science fiction’s greatest works are explored with a firm eye on how these once fictional ideas have become a reality.
Unfortunately not all of links between these so called ‘prophets’ and the technologies that echo their ideas stand up to scrutiny. Yes, it is fascinating to observe how yesterday’s fiction becomes today’s science, but can Mary Shelley really said to have been that strongly linked to organ transplantation? The whole idea of these fictional ideas becoming reality is undermined by some vague and unconvincing examples, which is a shame because the rest of the show is genuinely intriguing. Attaching the word ‘prophet’ to the series may have been something of a mistake – doubting the credibility of a documentary, even on the smallest of issues, is not something to aim for after all.
Prophet’s is still a strong watch however, and linking the ‘nerdy’ domain of science fiction with real life developments should help to expand the audience a touch beyond those who are well versed in their sci-fi.
Audio & Visual
Prophets never has much opportunity to be outside the ordinary when it comes to presentation. Everything is solid, but when it comes to a show largely populated by talking heads there is little to get wrong. That said some of the period re-enactments feature hilariously bad hair pieces and come off as cheap and a little farcical – see the Philip K Dick episode for one of the best examples. The series doesn’t have quite the production values of a BBC documentary but is well put together nonetheless, with some talking head lens flare hinting nicely at the science fiction bent of the show.
The importance here is very much on the content, with presentation playing second fiddle to interesting tales and biographical details from some of science fiction’s best known names. Things are kept dynamic via a mixture of talking heads, illustrations, re-enactments and animations.
Overall
The biggest problem with Prophets of Science Fiction is the title itself and the show’s insistence on the subjects of interest being so labelled. Each of the episodes is by and large a highly interesting watch for those interested in the subject matter, but the ideas and observations within seem a little too forced onto the whole ‘prophet’ framework. Whilst some of the authors are no doubt masters of their craft with extraordinary minds, the few exceptions that litter the series make the whole thing a bit wobbly. A recommended watch for those passionate about the history of science fiction and biography, but mislabelled nonetheless.
The fine folks over at Lucasarts have released a new trailer for the upcoming Star Wars 1313 game. The trailer is titled Descent to the Underworld and gives us a nice look at the games unique settings.
The name 1313 represents this area beneath Coruscant where the underground criminal element is most active and as a result this game looks like it’s going to be a much darker take on the Star Wars universe than most people have seen in the past.
The game looks like it’s set somewhere near the contemporary Star Wars universe and it’ll be really interesting to see where this is going in the future. Be sure to check out the trailer below for more info.
Since Ive been playing a lot of retro 8-bit and 16-bit games lately just to remind myself of the days before hyped up cinema scenes and Hollywood sized budgets took over, I was intrigued at 2KGames and Gearbox 16-bit rendition of the well known shooter Borderlands. Named The Border Lands, it gives a unique lo-fi glimpse into many elements that are still visible in the current installment. While boasting that the whole thing can fit on 5 floppy discs, its probably easier for most of the general population just to visit here and start playing away. Gearbox and 2KGames teamed up with BAFTA winning creative agency Ralph for the project.
The Border Lands has been created with most inspiration being drawn from 1980’s styled titles, and to coincide with the launch a retro styled review can be seen here. In other Borderlands news, available internationally come September is the much anticipated Borderlands 2 featuring all new characters, skills, imaginative and immerse environments coupled with unique missions, enemies and destructively fun weapons. All pre-orders of Borderlands 2 from participating retailer will gain access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club. This allows players to download the Gearbox gunpack, Golden Key and Vault Hunters Relic.
We haven’t heard too much about Pokemon: Typing Adventure since it was first announced to be coming to Europe, but a new trailer has released as of recent to show players what to expect. As you would guess, this romp has players take control of a keyboard and type their way to success by simply inputting the correct names of the Pokemon they come across.
It’s rather simplistic, but still an interesting idea with a lot of heart. You can check out the clip below, and those in the region can expect this bundle to be out September 21st. Still no word on a North American release, but with Nintendo’s track record of localization, I would say there still is a possibility as this would make a fine Christmas item for the DS to fill up some shelves.
BodyGuardz demoed their newest product for the iPhone 4/4s today. The BodyGuardz Pure Glass ScreenGuard is a premium tempered glass screen shield with a smudge resistant coating. Ranking 8H+ on the hardness scale (For your reference, the hardest on the scale is an 10H which is a diamond), the Pure Glass ScreenGuard will survive scratches, shock, and chemicals while delivering an optically clear performance. The screen shield is only .4mm thick, ensuring your iPhone stays slim in the pocket. And for those worried about using a glass screen shield, the glass is a safety anti-shatter glass so in the case it does shatter, there will be no sharp edges to cut yourself on. The traditional BodyGuardz Advantage Replacement program comes with the $39.95 price tag meaning if you manage to break or scratch the shield, a cheap and easy replacement is just around the corner. You can buy a BodyGuardz Pure Glass ScreenGuard 
Since Ive been playing a lot of retro 8-bit and 16-bit games lately just to remind myself of the days before hyped up cinema scenes and Hollywood sized budgets took over, I was intrigued at 2KGames and Gearbox 16-bit rendition of the well known shooter Borderlands. Named The Border Lands, it gives a unique lo-fi glimpse into many elements that are still visible in the current installment. While boasting that the whole thing can fit on 5 floppy discs, its probably easier for most of the general population just to visit 