In a new trailer for the game Primal Carnage, two new classes were revealed as playable characters within the game. For the human team, this comes as the Pyromaniac class, which is obviously fire based and for the Dinosaur team, the Carnotaurus is their new asset.
What makes the Pyromaniac exciting is the characters weaponry, which is essentially a flamethrower with a chainsaw attached to the end. The flame-thrower is designed to keep Dinosaurs away from yourself, whilst the chainsaw is for close-range attacks. Conversely, the Carnotaurus is a fast and strong unit that benefits from a smaller stature. The Carnotaurs is built for charging in and attacking with extreme force. This would be good for dispersing players.
Be sure to check out the official site and trailer embedded below for more information.
It is almost that time of year, that strange and repetitive time when the soccer games start to emerge from their cocoons made of last years game boxes. PES 2013 is not that far off, due to hit shelves in northern hemisphere autumn. As ever with this kind of game, Konami are releasing PES 2013 on just about every platform past present and future. So as well as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, keen soccer fans will also be able to pick up the title on PSP, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS. The trailer released today is subtitled Episode 1, and takes on some of the Game Modes.
The video showcases the new Performance Training mode, which allows players to practice some of the new tricks on offer. Online modes are given a quick tour, including an introduction to a new widget that allows for swift communication between players. There’s social media integration in the form of immediate Facebook posts, and a brand new shop for upgrading various elements of your game.
Of course the best way to get your head around all these new details is to take a look at the video, which is embedded below for your PES related pleasure.
Looking to increase the amount of time you spend on the blue headed wonder world that is Facebook? Well Maxis and EA have come to the rescue with some help from developers Playfish. SimCity Social, the social media version of the classic city builder, is now live. Of course the emphasis is on playing the game with your friends, whether you do that in the guise of a friendly neighbour or a mischievous bystander is entirely up to you and your mood. Cities will have their own stories, with players actions affecting how the non linear tale progresses.
There are already 2.5 million monthly users on this thing, so SimCity Social is evidently on a roll. Chances are someone on your friends list is already in there, with notifications flagging up all over Facebook just tempting you to join in. The visuals look excellent for a Facebook game, and no doubt the core strengths from the SimCity franchise are all there.
You know where to find it, just get back on good old Facebook.
The Zik is the first telephony and audio device released by the company Parrot and are designed by the brilliant Philipe Starck. The headphones themselves are being pegged as state-of-the-art devices that include a unique touch panel, head detection sensors, spatial audio, voodoo and a plethora of other features. Be sure to check out our full impressions with our hands-on preview here.
It seems that the Zik is hoping to create a more humanised musical image. This is evidenced by the following statement (taken from the official press release) –
Music: a “humanised” musical image… • A natural musical image
Listening to music should be a harmonious and profound experience so with Zik, Parrot has focused on the sound creation for the ultimate listening experience.
These headphones are thus equipped with powerful DSP (Digital Signal Processing) algorithms that build a natural melodic image. This is the ‘Parrot Concert Hall’ algorithm: rather than being heard from right and left, the music is ‘placed’ in front of you, recreating the acoustics of a concert hall for a much more natural listening experience – the sensation of a thumping room is over!
A free application for iOS or Android allows the user to define the parameters of the ‘Parrot Concert Hall’ effects. • Active Noise Cancelling (Parrot patented)
Insistent, muffled or direct… In a plane, on a train or in the street… Noise is everywhere.
To be able to block out the surrounding noise, Parrot engineers have developed a patented, high performance active noise cancelling technology which eliminates up to 25db, giving uncompromising listening comfort, even in extreme conditions.
How does it work? Two microphones, located on the external part of the headset, capture surrounding noises. Two other microphones –one in each headset- analyse residual noises (low frequencies) that could disrupt the listening. The analysed noise outside is thus cancelled by opposite acoustic waves (noise cancelling) to create a silent environment.
Another brilliant feature is that the device is able to receive calls through the headphones. Evidence is here –
Hands-free telephony: Conversation, without compromise…
Parrot Zik enables the user to receive or answer phone calls, hands-free. It offers both the user and the person on the other end of the line the ability to have a conversation with exceptional sound quality, even in the noisiest of environments.
Parrot Zik is equipped with two technologies, which work together to cancel out the surrounding noise in order to keep only the voice. • Bone Conduction Sensor
This sensor, located in the cushion of the left earpiece, detects and analyses jaw bone vibrations and compares them to the all the surrounding noise. By matching the users’ movements with their speech, Parrot Zik is able to extract and separate the speech from the surrounding noise. • Active Noise Reduction (Parrot patented)
Two microphones record the sound and determine its direction, in real time. The digital signal processor of the Zik can then determine the origin of the unwanted noise and eliminate it.
How does it work? Thanks to high quality Neodynium magnets, the Parrot Zik gives a very powerful and very subtle sound with a frequency from 10Hz to 20kHz and a sensibility from 110dB SPL per volt to 1kHz.
The device is also incredibly comfortable. This is because of it’s ergonomic design –
An ergonomic innovation…
Designed as an extension of the Smartphone, Parrot Zik puts usability at the heart of technological innovation.
• Capacitive panel
Access to the Zik’s functionality is super intuitive thanks to a touch panel, like those of Smartphones, which is located on the entire surface of the right headset. Move one finger vertically to control the volume. Move one finger horizontally to launch the next or previous music track. During a phone call there is no need to look for your Smartphone, just tap on the right hand side of the headphones to answer a call or touch the panel for two seconds to reject it. Simple. • Head detection
A simple movement is enough to pause the music: just remove the Zik from your head and place it around your neck. Replace the Zik on your head and the music plays again.
The Zik is also supposed to be an extension of the human body. This is with it’s organic line feature –
Organic lines…
While drawing the organic lines of the Parrot Zik, Philippe Starck has illustrated the “biology-inspired” technologies which Parrot engineers had developed.
Parrot Zik is a ‘fused’ object full of sensors. The Zik merges with the body, like a technological extension of you listening to music. The Zik reveals your emotions.
“Despite its simple and humble design, Zik is certainly today one of our most successful products in terms of intuitive ergonomics,” says Philippe Starck. “The headphones are perfectly balanced and almost seem fused looking like a mere extension of the human body and all its needs. Sound, and consequently music, are just a search of one’s own world. The more the sound is close to you, the more you’ll like the music and feel comfortable. An object like this is a universe.”
The materials of Parrot Zik were carefully selected. The surface of the ear cups (matt black and soft to the touch) expresses the sensuality of the skin. Two steel-like ‘commas’ underline the skeleton of the headphones. The adjustable headband provides a contrast between metal alloys and “leather-like” band.
And lastly the device is compatible with a plethora of devices. Evidenced thus –
Multi-compatibility…
An extension of Smartphones and tablets, Parrot Zik is equipped with the latest wireless technology. The Parrot Zik is compatible with all brands of mobile phones available on the market and works with a large number of music sources: audio with Bluetooth stereo or via a three-point mini jack cable for the connection to audio and video systems. (E.g. aeroplane headphone ports.)
The Parrot Zik also integrates NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to allow simple Bluetooth pairing, thanks to a tag located on the left headset. A first for headphones!
“What we create at Parrot is primarily driven by software ideas. Parrot is a company of engineers who have worked for years on ‘spatialisation’, giving with Zik a much more natural ambience to music than any other headphones,’ says Henri Seydoux. “The headphone is virtually one of the most difficult things that we have ever imagined because it is, in some way, the most banal.”
The device also comes with the following features –
The Parrot Zik works with a Li-Ion battery rechargeable with USB /micro USB cable.
The headphones come with:
1 Li-Ion battery (800mAh, 24h autonomy)
1 USB/micro USB cable
1 three-point mini jack cable
1 protective pouch
The Parrot Zik headphones are looking like an amazing device. Be sure to check out the official website for more info.
Eastasiasoft has once again released another set of videos for their PlayStation 3 exclusive RPG Rainbow Moon. This time they have released a trailer for the North American launch which shows off what each party member can do, as well as revealing their names.
The trailer also reveals that there are seven party members in total. Eastasiasoft has also released the 4th developer dairy this time covering the character development, where you can find out how characters progression works and how combat order works. Rainbow moon is now available for download via PSN for $14.99 and both of the aforementioned trailers can be seen below.
In an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has revealed that Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots will be getting a patch for trophy support. Kojima did not reveal when the patch would be released, but did say that the game would be receiving a new price in Japan this August.
Kojima also revealed that Konami is planning a Metal Gear 25th Anniversary event in Toyko, which will take place on August 30th at Tokyo Midtown (where Konami’s headquarters are located_. What do you think about Metal Gear Solid 4 finally getting trophy support, and will you reply through the game to collect the trophies?
With Comic-Con International happening this week it only makes sense that Viz Media reveal what they are planning to do during said event. However one of the biggest draws of Viz Media’s events may be the fact that they are giving away some free goodies, including free ice cream.
Shonen Jump fans can meet up at the company’s food truck which may or may not look like the one shown above, though it would certainly be awesome if it does look like the one pictured. Either way, those who meet up at the truck can get a nice frozen treat, chat with the Shonen Jump Alpha team as well as meet other fans. Plus, those who visit the truck can take a picture with a life-sized statue of Luffy from One Piece and also have a chance to win some neat Viz Media and Shonen Jump goodies.
It is also worth noting that those who meet up during the show at Viz’s booth, which is #2813, will have a chance to sample some of the latest issue’s of Viz’s near-simultaneous digital manga releases. Those who happen to sample the product and like it, can sign up for a year membership and get a special Slifer the Sky Dragon YU-GI-OH! trading card.
The company will also be hosting a panel on Saturday, July 14th at noon in Room 7AB. This panel will feature a number of special guests such as Yoshihisa Heishi, Kouji Yoshida and Kengo Monji. In other free goodies, the first five hundred people who stop by the Viz Media booth on the Preview Night can get a Shonen Jump Alpha tote bag for free. Those who don’t get a chance to be one of these five hundred can still try and get a bag by completing various activities around the booth and getting lucky with their timing.
London 2012 Developer: Sega Studios Australia Publisher: Sega Platform: Xbox 360 Release Date: June 26, 2012 Price: $49.99 – BUY NOW!
Overall
Every four years, the entire world comes together as one to participate in the biggest event in humanity’s history, the Summer Olympics. Since the days of the NES, developers have put out a good number of titles to pay homage to the event, but aside from a few gems, nothing has lived up to the excitement that the actual product has to offer. This year, London is home of the worldwide sporting phenomenon, and with that is yet another video game adaptation set in the historical city from Sega. The question is, does London 2012 show us a spectacle, or is it just a quick cash grab with perfect timing? Here is my review for London 2012.
Gameplay
It shouldn’t shock anyone to know that at it’s core, London 2012 is a title made up of a good number of Olympic games. There are around 40 in all – covering swimming, track and field, archery, and all the rest of the standard fare that you would expect to see. Yes, the sheer amount of variety should impress anyone looking forward to the real deal, but execution is everything, and part of the reason why London 2012 doesn’t hit all of those sweet spots.
A good portion of the events are controlled like a quick time event, where the player must steer or control their character’s movements with some button mashing fare. For example, table tennis only requires the player to shuffle around the table with the left stick, and rally the ball while carefully timing their hits with the right. When it comes to a sport on a grander scale such as track and field, the player must then mash their action button appropriately to fill a gauge, while still staying withing the gauges range. Some could easily criticize the simple nature of these mechanics, but they do work and make the game easy enough to pick up for anyone; even if the end result is less than satisfying in some cases.
Like any compilation title, there are a good number of sports within London 2012 that are a blast to play and make up for the lack of challenging gameplay. Archery for instance is great fun, as the player must strategize their shot based on the wind direction, and then aim and fire the bow by pulling back on the right stick and giving it a quick flick. Biking is also another event worthy of mention, as the player has full control over their athlete and must tap like a mad man in order to pedal while smashing up against other competitors to get that upper advantage.
With every noteworthy event comes two that are less than stellar, and that is a shame considering how true London 2012 is to the actual Olympic games. Diving was one of my most anticipated events to see, as you would think you have complete reign over a diver as they make their major spash. Instead of anything thrilling however, the game allows little choice to the player, and goes back to having timed button presses and analog jerks to perform the tricks of you’re choosing. Kayaking is another watery sport that is just as disappointing, as poor implementation make for some frustrating moments when you are speeding down a stream, struggling to appropriately steer a small kayak that feels like the Titantic. As you can tell, there is a lot of hit in miss in the gameplay department. Now, nothing is completely broken or even terrible by any means within the game. It does feel however that some of these prestigious events got more attention than others.
As far as the Kinect support goes, don’t go in with high expectations. Yeah, I’m sure most of you would have guessed this, but the motion control only works for a select few events, and doesn’t ever feel as fluid as the standard controller inputs. Some of the events work well, such as cycling or running-based romps, but these only work well because of their limited scope as the player is just required to flail their arms like a jogging lunatic. I understand that Kinect support makes sense in any casual sports title, but London 2012 isn’t any better of a product because of the extra add-in of motion support.
Even with the somewhat lackluster events in the mix, London 2012 still ties the sports together well in it’s main mode, where players tackle 10 events as a representative of one of 36 countries, with the main goal of course to grab as many gold medals as possible. Events mode works about the same, but lets players customize their own playlist, where they can add friends to the mix and compete in any sport of their choosing. This mode is honestly where the game’s true core is highlighted – as when London 2012 is set up like a themed party styled game, it provides a ton of cheap yet fun entertainment to all players involved. Also to be found is a bit of customization as well, where you can change the look of your athlete to best suit your own preference. It’s a small addition, but one that benefits the game greatly, and makes events feel less stale after multiple playthroughs. Even after you have finished the events, there is always a world record to break for every sport within, giving the game a good amount of replay value that should keep fans of the almighty games happy for hours on end. Online mode is also a welcome addition, letting players compete with competitors all over the world to fight for
Visuals and Audio
Most of you know how licensed titles of any kind end up when it comes to presentation. We usually see bland character models inside flat environments, and the entire design just looks sloppy and rushed. That is NOT the case at all for London 2012 at all though. In fact, this is a beautiful game. Each arena is detailed well and has an epic feel as you perform in each event due to the spacious structures that are beaming with color and life. London 2012 makes you feel as if you are at the Olympics, and that alone is what made myself want to enjoy the game much more than I did.
Audio is another department where London 2012 shoots for the stars. Yeah, the soundtrack is mainly made up of an overused inspirational melody, but the commentary is sure to get all participants excited as both the male and female commentators bring a lot of excitement to the events they cover, without overly repeating themselves or making the wrong calls like we have seen in so many other sports titles. You are supposed to be enthused to call such a grand event like the Olympics, and these voices do a great job at putting the player in the head of the athlete they control.
Overall
London 2012 bares a fantastic presentation that is captures the historic event to near perfection, but never can be fully realized due to the gameplay’s shortcomings. It isn’t too much of a surprise these days to see this in a sports title, but considering that this game nails it in every other area, it was still slightly disappointing to discover that a good number of these events just don’t live up to their potential – making the game feel average as a result. Of course London 2012 is still worth a look as there are some entertaining sports to participate in and things are definitely more enjoyable in multiplayer, but those who are just casual fans of the 5-ringed spectacle are better off watching the real deal this year.
NIS America has already started to take the anime industry by storm and now it seems they are moving into the iOS field as the company announced today that they will soon be releasing a title called Character Chowdown for the iOS. Character Chowdown will be an educational game which will be released sometime this Summer.
The title will be used to learn new languages and was originally developed by a team called Yummy Yummy Tummy. Some of Nippon Ichi Software Inc.’s popular characters from the Disgaea series will have some appearances in the title as well. The game itself will be used to teach users different languages and it appears that various language packs will be released for purchase, though the first Japanese pack of katakana will be free upon release.
Mulitplayer experiences are great fun, but they’re often ruined by cheaters, or ‘hacks’. In the past players have mostly just had to deal with it, maybe rage a little, and ignore them as best as possible. However, Max Payne 3 players won’t have to grit their teeth and bare it anymore, with their introduction of the Cheater Pool.
Starting today anyone who Rockstar have found guilty of using hacked saves, modded games, or any other forms of cheating, have officially been dropped into a dedicated cheater pool.
To report any cheating that you see send an email to [email protected] with the following details:
• Platform (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360)
• Cheater’s Gamertag / ID
• Description of the violation
• If possible, include concrete evidence, such as a video or a screenshot
You can also send an email to that same address if you’ve been placed in the cheater pool and think there’s been an error.
For more information on what this ban means, head on over to the FAQ on Rockstar’s site HERE.
What do you guys think? Is it about time that they stepped in and took action against those cheaters? Do you think this will have an impact on your multiplayer experience?
