For the tech-savvy canines who love a social life, Radical iDeas Group have released a new social networking App for iPhones: Barkin’ Buddy. Okay, so it’s obviously not designed to be used by the dogs themselves. I mean, how would they enter their own details? They have paws! Barkin’ Buddy is more for pet owners and pet lovers. It is a relationship management App that is set to improve the dogs social life, allowing for pet owners to create profiles for their dogs, upload photos of their dogs, notify buddies when they are walking their dog, and plan out social activities for their dog to play with others. Barkin’ Buddy is out now in the Apple App Store (Aus/US) for just $1.99.
Sega announces 80% on selected IOS titles for limited time only
Like to save money on your games? Bit of a cheap skate who gets all warm and fuzzy by saving a few dollars? Well Sega have answered your prayers with a 48hr sale on selected Iphone, Ipod and Ipad applications from the Apple Itunes store. Head on down and enjoy up to 80% off on many selected hit titles from the Sonic and Monkeyball franchises to name but a few. While SEGA have not announced an expiry date, one would be wise to get in quick before the sale ends and prices return to normal amounts.
Need for Speed World adds new Treasure Hunt mode
Think you have seen everything that Need for Speed World had to offer? Beaten all your friends and strangers that just so happen to be foolish enough to challenge you and need something different? Well think again and rejoice, as EA have announced a brand new Treasure Hunt mode for Need for Speed World, their acclaimed Play4free online PC racing game. Explore the vastness of the NFSW environments such as Palmont and Rockport, searching for 15 different treasure items, earning players valuable rep points and in game cash rewards. And just to make thngs more interesting the items locations within the various levels will be reset daily adding almost unlimited replay value to the mode.
In conjunction to this new addition and to celebrate the titles first birthday, EA will be giving all players an anniversary gift of 1000 Speedboost, and two exclusive items, a vinyl and cool license plate. Also included for purchase is a vintage Porsche 959, designed by Svyatoslav Gampel, an 18 year old from Russia who won EA’s first community designed car competition. Other cars available include Dodge Viper SRT10, Nissan 350Z and the Volkswagen Scirocco to name but a few.
Need for Speed World is an immersive and fast PC racing game available to all for free. Players can essentially choose how much money they spend on customisation and new vehicles. Players can compete against friends or complete strangers from around the world in online matches complete with police chases. With an ever expanding track and car list Need for Speed World has something for all fans of the racing genre.
HALO REACH Community Night with Capsule Computers
16 HOURS TO GO BEFORE THE CREW IS DEPLOYED … ARE YOU ALL READY TO PLAY WITH THEM ??
Capsule Computers have just locked in a Xbox Live Community night event for Halo Reach. The cool dudes over at Xbox Australia have confirmed and we are ready for deployment for 8pm to 12pm AUS EST on Friday 29th July. Remember, this is Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Put this date in your diaries and also make sure you check the XBOX Community Dashboard (AU and NZ Dashboards only) for more details (shown below)
*NOTE this is open to all our community worldwide as long as you can get on and join us between 8pm-12pm AUS EST**
All you have to do before or during that time is message and send a friends request anyone of the following Capsule Crew members :- (gamertags in orange below)
MasterAbbott – Philip Federico
Discordman – Dustin Spencer
Marr 117 – Michael Marr
The Future Frog – Luke Halliday
Linkage Ayexe – Benjamin Web
We will add you to our friends list and then on the night we’ll invite you into the game we are playing if there is room, if not, we will split off and create five separate rooms. What we are thinking of doing is hosting some Private matches and we can change things around so we can get as many of the community in to play with us. We are open to suggestions so if anyone has any great ideas on what maps or style of games we can play leave a comment below or send us a message via XBOX Live to our gamertags.
Just to give you a bit of an idea about what it will be like playing with the Capsule Computers crew check out the staff page here. We have a few hardcore GEEKS on the team so prepare to get owned!
We will also have a few prizes to give away on the night, winners will be picked by the Capsule Crew, you don’t have to be the best player to win a prize, as long as your having a great time and not acting like an idiot you’ll have a good chance of winning. For now we have a XBOX Retail game and hopefully a few XBLA codes to give away. but we’ll keep you posted if we manage to get more.
For now get on Xbox Live whack in your copy of Halo Reach and start practicing !! As your gonna need it !! The Capsule Computers Team are ready to take you all down 
If you have any questions leave a comment below. We’ll keep you all posted here as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Runes of Magic – Play RoM, Get Rich!
What:
Play RoM, Get Rich! competition made possible by RoM’s publisher, Frogster. Players must traverse the world of Taborea to find the hidden gold bars. Individual gold bars may drop after killing any monster. By collecting the gold bars, the player will automaticlly be entered to win an actual gold bar worth €9,000 as well as other unique prizes.
When:
July 28th – August 11th
Where:
Runes of Magic MMORPG (European servers – Channel 1)
Competition Prizes :
- Rank 1: 1x Gold Bar worth approx. €9,000
- Rank 2: 1x Silver Bar worth ~ 600€
- Rank 3: 1x ROCCAT Gaming Pack, including Keyboard ISKU, Gaming Mouse Kone & Alumic Mouspad
- Rank 4: 1x advanced star jewel – revelation, 1x advanced moon jewel – revelation, 1x advanced sun jewel – revelation
- Rank 5 to 10: 1x Wisdom Rhinoceros Mount (Permanent)
- Rank 11 to 15: 1x black sail treasure chest, 1x snack end table, 1x
classical engraved cabinet, 1x aristocratic engraved fireplace - Rank 16 to 20: 1x luxurious two story wooden house with basement contract
- Rank 21 to 25: 5x Star jewel – revelation, 10x moon jewel – revelation, 7x sun jewel – revelation
- Rank 26 to 30: 1x powerful pet growth potion, 1x magic perfume (1 Day)
- Rank 31: Little Giant Pet Egg
- Rank 32: Fire Manticore Pet Egg
- Rank 33: Ice Lizard Pet Egg
Important Details:
During this two week event, all monsters in Taborea will drop a black bar. A vendor, Eve, will be available to turn in “50 black bars” for an item package 3 times daily in Varanas. Anyone lucky enough to receive a gold bar should keep it in their *inventory* and not delete it until the competition’s end in order to be entered in the prize drawings.
*You must be on the European server in Channel 1 to take part in this event.*
BlizzCon – The Official Website
Overview
Okay all of you World of Warcraft junkies, the time hath come to get serious. Blizzard has recently issued a website to continually release updates for the coming BlizzCon in October. The heart and soul of this gathering is to join in celebration of each universe Blizzard has created – Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo. The attendees are able to engage in several activities: hands-on play, discussion panels, tournament game play, contests, commemorative merchandise, and more surprises.
Event Availability
The downside about being a highly anticipated event is the likeliness of being sold out. Fortunately, Blizzard has offered a virtual ticket to allow viewers at the home the opportunity to join in the jubilation of its many events. With a virtual ticket, the viewer will be able to access BlizzCon live in high-definition. This grand occasion will be the host of several events simultaneously through the website. Why not see these events at the same time? That’s what the All-Panel-Access allows you to do.
With four different stages being recorded live, you will be guaranteed to see more action than an actual attendee. Each of the four panels will have a unique purpose during the event. For instance, the main stage will be the foundation for ceremonies, contests, and discussions. The panel stage will deal more directly with developer discussion and Q/A sessions. Starcraft II tournament games will be held strictly at the RTS stage, and World of Warcraft will have its own stage as well. Did I mention that you could also leave for that bathroom break? That’s right! If you thought you missed something important, chances are you did. Don’t you fret – they have instant replay.
Web Exclusives
Thinking as a consumer of Blizzard games, I wonder what this website has to offer me. The live stream option seems reasonable for those who are purchasing a virtual ticket. But information about release dates and upcoming expansions is practically invaluable. If a beta for Diablo 3 is going to be released prior to BlizzCon, you bet people are going to be talking about it. In fact the site has its very own forums section where Blizzard consumers may interact with one another. A unique feature about the forums is that you may choose an in-game profile to serve as your identity. However, you may only post in the forums if you have an active Starcraft II or World of Warcraft account.
Tournaments prior to the event are available for viewing pleasure. As the tournaments advance, teams will be whittled down to the chosen few that will be in the finals at BlizzCon.
Open at the Close
An intriguing event filled with exciting contests, tournaments of champions, and upcoming releases should make any gamer drool. Well, I am here to tell you that the BlizzCon website will serve its purpose in providing viewers with continual information. So if you require more minerals or have a depleted vespene geyser, remember to stop and mine BlizzCon for more information.
9mm Review
9mm
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Genre: Action/Shooting
Platform: iPhone(reviewed)/iPad
Release: 14/7/11
Price: $7.49AUD/$6.99USD
Overview
After killing the brother of a drug lord in a raid, John “Loose” Kannon and his team have a bounty on their heads. The only way they can keep not only themselves safe, but the whole town, is by stopping the drug lord known as El Diablo dead in his tracks. Gameloft’s latest game for iOS is a hard-boiled shoot-em up crime stopper the whole family can enjoy. On second thought, best keep the kids away from this one.
Gameplay
Keeping with the police theme, if you are a rookie to Gameloft games, then you probably won’t have the hang of their controls. Not to worry, it doesn’t take long to pick them up. Moving a finger along the left side will move Kannon around the game, there is also the ability to run by pressing a button, which comes in handy when you need to barge though some doors and dish out some butt-kicking. There is a fire button on the right hand side, next to a rather cool little button that will definitely help you along the way. Designed to look sort of like a clock, this button will slow time down and allow you to take aim and fire at any criminal scum who may come into your eyeline. For the most part, 9mm is a fairly typical Max Payne style game (and I stress the word game, it is not, I repeat it is not similar to the movie at all!) where much of the game is directed by blasts of gun fire. This ability to slow down time makes 9mm stand out from other games, allowing you to make some rather spectacular shots over large distances. These sorts of shots are generally rewarded with an equally cool slow-motion cut away to the criminal falling back as blood sprays from whatever new hole you may have created. Not only that, but by slowing down time and toggling the clock-like icon you can pull off some rather impressive dives, with both guns blazing. As gruesome as it may be, these little cinematic like qualities that are embedded in gameplay are one of distinguishing features of Gameloft games, and are also one of the reasons I have come to enjoy Gameloft titles so much.
There is one element of the gameplay which I am not completely convinced by. 9mm tends to cut into the flow of the game by incorporating interactive cut scenes that have you pressing on screen buttons, or swiping in a certain direction to move the character. While they serve as a little break from all the running around and shooting, I’m not certain that’s actually what I want from the title. While the cut scenes are visually stunning, the interactive element takes away from their cinematic quality, making them a little slow and dull. However, perhaps incorporating these types of is a positive thing. An overload of cutscenes would get tiresome, as most of the game’s memory would be dedicated to animated scenes and the game would feel like running between segments, rather than actually playing through a narrative. Furthermore, if these little interactive moments were to involve more swiping or button-mashing, perhaps then it could take away from the genre of the game as a whole. As I said, I am not interely convinced by these small cut aways from the game, but will admit that I do enjoy them when they happen to crop up.
Graphics and audio
Gameloft are a game developer who are known for their countless delivery of quality games to mobile gaming devices, especially when it comes to graphics. 9mm is no exception to their growing list of visually stunning and detailed game worlds. Gameloft have also decided to showcase their graphical skills by incorporating a large number of cinematic cutscenes into gameplay. While the game might have a large number of cutscenes, they rarely distract from the gameplay itself, most often they occur at the end or beginning of missions, pushing the narrative of the game forward and justifying the actions that have just taking place, or motivating the actions that are about to occur. Of course, this is what any good cutscene should do, but Gameloft have a certain to charm to way they carefully integrate story into their gameplay. Given the high number of casual puzzle games on iOS devices, it is refreshing to play a title with an embedded narrative.
9mm has a unique hip-hop soundtrack, which while it might not be the type of music I would ever voluntarily listen to or even tolerate, it’s hard to argue against it being used as a backdrop to accompany kicking in doors and shooting up a crime lords hideout. I’ll admit some of the voice acting is fairly cheesy at times, but hey, it works. The characters are a hard bunch of cops not afraid to play by their own rules, which in turns might result in breaking someone elses, and the voices really capture this.
Conclusion
The dialogue might be cheesy, the characters might not be the most complex bunch of people you will ever come across and the gameplay is fairly easy to pick up, but isn’t that exactly what you expect, nay, want from a title like this. With his cannon in hand, Kannon cleans up the streets by making a mess, delivering a unique and entertaining game for Apple devices.
Check out other Gameloft news and reviews brought to you by the team at Capsule Computers
Nintendo Announce “Launch Windows” for Super Mario 3D & Mario Kart 7…
While most of us are still recovering from Nintendo’s jaw dropping price drop, an overlooked note has been the launch windows and names given to Mario Kart and Super Mario 3D, which were also listed in the company’s big announcement earlier today. Mario Kart 7 will be the name of the new and upgraded version of Mario Kart, and will land on the 3DS this December while Super Mario 3D Land will drop one month earlier in November.
I think the smart thing to do is get as many of these titles out as soon as possible, and Nintendo giving consumers this small time window along with the monumental price drop of the 3DS should nudge sales along quite a bit. I honestly am not too fond of the name Super Mario 3D Land though, as I think the “3D” is what is scaring potential 3DS owners away at the moment.
Those of you who are awaiting Kid Icarus will also be happy to know that Kid Icarus: Uprising was also mentioned to be releasing this holiday season.
Nintendo to slash the price of the 3DS to $169.99!; Free Nintendo Classics to be Offered for Early Buyers!
While the 3DS just launched four months ago, Nintendo are now slashing the price to $169.99, which is a rather large cut compared to the previous $249.99 price-tag. This is huge news, as this cut which takes place on August 12th will put the device at the same retail pricing as the Nintendo DSiXL. We have heard rumors of poor sales for the handheld, and this move all but confirms that Nintendo are out to try a different strategy to increase ownership of the 3DS.
“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”
Now you might be saying to yourself, “BUT I PAID FULL PRICE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO!”
Well, Nintendo have thought ahead on that, and will be offering a great supplement for those who already invested in the 3DS.
Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.
These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:
Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES Virtual Console games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.
More details about this program will be announced in the future.
I was a tad frustrated with the price decrease since I was one of the early-buyers, but I can now say that this move of supplying 20 free games (and a fantastic selection at that) have completely dried up any anger I had, so I think that this huge marketing move will go down without a hitch. This also confirms GBA titles for the eShop, and after the dry year we have had so far, this wave of titles seems to be quite thirst quenching indeed.
A huge price cut and free games, not a bad move Nintendo, not a bad move at all.
UPDATE: Australia will also be getting this price slash, which will change the MSRP from $349.95 to $249.95.
What are your opinions on this monumental price cut? Leave your opinion in the comments below.
Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD – iPad Review
Game Name: Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD
Platform(s): iPad (reviewed), iPhone
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Developer(s): Gameloft
Genre(s): Strategy/Shooter
Release Date: July 14, 2011
Price: $6.99 Buy Now!
Since originally releasing earlier this year for the iPhone, Gameloft’s Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard has been rather successful for the platform due to the way the game handled multiple commands on the touchscreen. As you would guess, having a property such as Rainbow Six on such a small device is a stretch, but Shadow Vanguard somehow pulled off this task with ease on the iPhone and set a bar for future contenders in the market. Fast forward just a few months, and we now have a brand new version of the tactical shooter out on the iPad, boasting HD visuals with the same gameplay that made the title a hit, and now with a much larger screen to make your thumbs even happier. So how does this Rainbow Six title actually handle on the device? Here is my review for Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD for the iPad.
Story
As with most Rainbow Six titles, the main story in Shadow Vanguard revolves around leading a squad to defeat a terrorist organization. It’s not to deep, but the game’s small cutscenes do a decent enough job at making these tasks feel important, so this plot is pretty easy to follow due to the simplicity. One thing about the story I would have liked to see more of was a bit more background on the main character I was playing as. Not having that depth lead to everything feeling rather generic character wise, but thankfully this genre is more about the gameplay than some elaborate story, so most fans of shooters shouldn’t feel too unfulfilled in the long run.
I always have felt the iPad is more of a pick up and play platform, and I can easily say that Shadow Vanguard’s lightweight plot fared well for this game as you can just jump right back in and not have to worry about the details you left behind during the last play session.
Gameplay
If you have ever played a title in the Rainbow Six franchise, you should feel right at home here. Instead of using the run-n-gun method of gameplay one would expect from a shooter, everything is much more tactical where you must think before you act. Doing otherwise will lead to a lot of game over screens and frustration. That is the main charm of Shadow Vanguard though, as this style fits well with the iPad, where nearly all of the strategy can be thought out and easily executed with the touch screen commands.
There are 11 missions to go through within the game, where the player takes their squad through different areas, planning out a strategy before attacking foes. Players control the main character with the touch stick, and pull the camera on the right side of the device to turn and look up and down. The active weapon is located in the upper right-hand corner, and the player can quickly switch between guns with the slide of a finger. While this mapping of controls certainly works well, extra commands appear at times to allow control for your squad members. For instance, you can have both members stand on each side of a door or behind cover and issue an attack based on the command selection given.
This cover-based combat is the main gameplay style that Shadow Vanguard utilizes throughout, as players can duck behind pillars, boxes, and any area where a green marker is shown. Team members can also be assigned to these points, but sadly, this system also takes away a bit of freedom as the player must only take cover at the pre-determined points. Thankfully, each stage provides missions that each have a different feel, adding in a bit variation, so you never feel too much repetition in this formula.
One of the most useful tools in the player’s arsenal consists of the snake cam, which allows for you to get a sneak peak at the next room. While in this mode, any foes can be marked with a simple touch behind the safety of a door or barrier, allowing for your team to make quick work of their targets. Enemies behind doors can also be stunned with a flashbang or blinded with a smoke grenade, giving your squad the upper edge as they burst into the room.
As the game progresses, XP is rewarded and as a result, new ranks can be earned that give perks such as new weapons, gadgets, and upgrades. None of these change the feel of the general gameplay too much, but they can result in better accuracy (such the red dot sight) and add in bit more strategy overall. The game rewards the player for performing these missions well, so head shots and speed are just as important as the element of teamwork.
While the gameplay is pretty top notch in this title, my biggest gripe comes with the game’s AI. Your squad-mates are not too proactive through the campaign unless you actually tell them what to do. Sometimes a team member will actually go after a terrorist on their own, but most of the time I would look behind me to see both of my squad members turned around, staring at the nearest wall. I guess you could also say that the enemy AI balances this, as many times the terrorists would just stand there as I busted through a door, begging to be shot in the head. With such sharp and tactical gameplay, I would have liked to have seen more of a challenge in Shadow Vanguard, as it was rare to see competence from any of the NPCs or enemies on the map.
Multiplayer
Found within Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard is a well designed multiplayer, allowing for co-op with up to two extra players, or a competitive online mode where you can do battle with up to ten competitors in 5 different maps. I really enjoyed the competitive mode, as the gameplay actually got a chance to shine with the much smarter human opponents. I also encountered very little lag or slowdown over wi-fi, which is a rarity for any online iPad game. I can say that the opponents online seem to treat the Deathmatch as a run-n-gun experience, rather than a game of stealth, but I was still quite impressed with the way the game handled itself online on the device.
Graphics/Audio
While the visuals in Shadow Vanguard are not going to hold a candle to their console and PC brethren, I must say I was very pleased to see the level of polish that went into the models and environments for this mobile offering. Animations are fluent and each character’s attire has been nicely detailed to look as realistic as possible. Environments are also beautifully designed, with blown up vehicles and tattered buildings providing a fitting atmosphere that the player can lead their team through.
The music in the game wasn’t too noticeable, but the high level of voicework stood out with the cast giving decent performances to pull of the characters they portrayed. Minor touches such as the sounds of grenades blowing up and a silenced gun shooting a bullet truly put the player right in the action and tied in with the visual presentation nicely to provide one of the more realistic shooter experiences in the iPad’s gaming library.
Overall
Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard is a perfect on-the-go experience for fans of shooters and utilizes the iPad well to pull off it’s clever control mechanics. The AI does hold the game back from providing much of a challenge, but I still felt the game was fun throughout due to the high levels of production and the strategy that was needed to succeed in the single player campaign. The multiplayer found within was also memorable as it took all of the best elements from the standard game and let them shine with human opponents. While it is by no means flawless, for only $7, Shadow Vanguard delivers a well crafted formula that fits nicely with the iPad’s touch screen controls and proves that there is room for more hardcore titles on the device.
I Give Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD for the iPad:
