Red Octane, the original publisher behind Guitar Hero, has had Kelly Summers, former CEO, reveal his thoughts on the demise of the franchise.
“(Activision) tried to get too much out of the franchise too quickly. They abused it,” he said. “There’s no reason why Guitar Hero cannot continue. It’s a great product. My gut tells me there is still a significant market for Guitar Hero.
“Not every game can be a billion dollar franchise, but maybe that’s what Activision wants. I’d be surprised if they sold the brand as it’d prove to the world there is still a market for this product and show them up. Look at how Take-Two has handled GTA. They haven’t thrown products out there. They’ve nurtured it for over ten years and it is still a strong franchise.”
Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an entire rebooting of the franchise within a few years. Of course, the game could also go the way of the Sonic…
Anyone familiar with the’ Transformers’ series will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect of another full length feature to hit the cinemas. In late 2010, an official trailer for the next movie was released, and quickly circulated around the internet. On February 6th 2011, Paramount Pictures revealed to the world a short 30 second teaser trailer for the third instalment of the live action Transformers series, directed by Michael Bay. Delivered in the form of a short TV spot during the Superbowl, the people of the world were told: “On July 1st, Earth goes Dark.”
From what can be seen in the trailer, it looks as though the antagonist Decepticons have finally gotten their metallic rears in gear. After their last two butt-kickings at the hands of the Autobots, it appears that the Decepticons have chosen to launch an all-out invasion of Earth. Apparently the time for subtlety is over. With only a handful of Autobots stationed on Earth, will Optimus Prime be able to lead his troops against an entire Decepticon army? And where did this Decepticon army come from?
How this ties in with the previous announcement trailer regarding the moon landing in 1969 is still up for speculation. Was the crashed ship a Deception sleeper cell holding the army Megatron needs to crush the humans? Or does it hold a secret the Autobots might use to once again save the day? And what of the humans? With Shia LaBeouf’s appearance in the trailer, will humanity yet again play a role in the War of Cybertron? Will Bumblebee ever get his voice unit fixed? Of course, there’s only one way to answer these questions for yourselves.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of the Transformers or not, this film is likely to be one of the must-see films this year for any action genre junkie. Previous instalments have always boasted fantastic visual effects, engaging soundtracks, and as always, a storyline that has more than meets the eye. From the teasers we’ve been given, its looks like the third movie will be of a very similar calibre. Transformers: Dark of the Moon will hit cinemas on July 1st this year in 3D, so prepare to once again see the Autobots and Decepticons clash in a battle that will determine the fate of two worlds. One shall stand, one shall fall.
Well, if your into maximizing your video game buying experiences, then you may want to check out your favorite retailers and see what they are offering for pre-orders of Homefront. If you buy the game from Best Buy, you can get a free headset. Check out the sweet pictures above to see I mean.
Buying from Gamestop or GAME will net you some different items, specifically those of the digital variety, like the 870 Express Shotgun, air recon drone, auto repair ability and the SCAR L gun. These little extra bonuses apply to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.
Even Amazon is getting in on the action for the game. Get some new avatar clothes, a digital mini guide and a $10 credit for a another video game purchase down the road.
Game: TNT Racers
Publisher: dtp entertainment
Developer: keen games
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10.00)
Consoles: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii and PSP
These days, a $10.00 game can bring you the same experience that a $40.00 game used too. We also have begun to expect that these smaller prices should give us a great experience. And why not? This is the future. A future where devices are miniaturized, but they cost less to produce. A future where consumers, creators and companies can work together to set the most reasonable and competitive prices.
TNT Racers blasts into this futuristic world with a price that is steadily becoming endangered. Yup, it is only 800 Microsoft Points. But with a price so low, does it bring an experience that rivals its competitors on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace?
TNT Racers is a racing game where you collect power ups and try to ram the other opponents off the screen. You play as a tiny car that must fight for the win. To accomplish this, there are a variety off weapons to use. For example, you can use giant hammers to cripple other cars. Or, catch the other cars up in a whirling tornado. Electrical stunning is another way to disable your enemies. It is really fun to use all these different powers. The sheer creativity of the varying artillery at my disposal made it all the more awesome to blow up the artificial intelligence. However, although there are quite a few weapons to go around, these weapons were very hard utilize due to control issues and some other problems.
The game’s camera angle is situated in a top down view, and thus it is very difficult to accurately control your mini cars. Endlessly jamming my analog sticks around, I was immensely frustrated with how little control I felt that I had over my ride. I would normally praise a game for having a lot of different track surfaces. But with TNT Racers, I struggled to merely keep the car on the marked road. Avoiding the countless puddles and mud was an impossible mission, especially when the other racers are also firing all the weapons they can.
This camera also caused other complications. Because the the action is so far away, it takes away some of the excitement that the game could have had. Using the collectibles is still fun, but when you can barely see what is happening below, it is nearly pointless. Aiming these weapons is also a pain, even when the game uses the auto targeting system (the system still needs your input to work, but once you get close enough, the aiming usually takes care of itself). Getting the game to recognize your input is rough though. I had issues finding my car since there was so much going on. Locating other cars and firing them on them accurately was annoyingly messy. All in all, the cars were just dwarfed by the larger backgrounds and the camera angle made them seem even smaller.
One weird part about the game that I noticed was just how much of a distinction there was between the backgrounds and cars. Let me explain further. The backgrounds and environments were extremely detailed and charming. A ton of different styles were exhibited. From icy oceans to Egyptian deserts, all of them were nice to look at. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the game, and it made me want to keep going when the other parts of the game got on my nerves. I wanted to find out what other kind of artistic touches the developers had put into the tracks. However, although the places you are driving through are magnificent, the cars are bland. Being so small, they get lost in the massive tracks. Just a few different color options are available to paint them too. I don’t know why, but this inequality separating the automobiles and racing locales seemed odd.
There are some interesting car designs though. Take as an example, the UFO car, which sounds exactly like what it is. Sports cars and trucks are featured as well. Even little compacts are an option. Nonetheless, the designs of the vehicles do not seem to matter. No matter how cool they look, there are no speed or power differences between any of them. Therefore, your only reason to choose one over the other would be based on the psychological eye candy appeal of each transport.
It is not all doom and gloom however. The points I mentioned above are true, but they don’t quite destroy all the game’s potential. It is still a awesome to blow up the other competitors. Destroying the others is not the only option in the game though. There are many other game modes included. As an example, you can practice your traffic cone avoidance skills (more fun than it sounds) or you can run over as many cacti as possible in a given time. Shadow mode also allows you to respawn, even if you fail. So, although your just a ‘shadow’ of your former self, you can still wreak havoc even if you died. Its too bad that you have to unlock one race at a time though. If you get stuck, you can only keep trying, unless you want to move to the harder tier and try your luck there.
Multi-player in the game holds a rare treat. Split screen play has been added! What what! I really appreciated this feature, even if I did not actually try it. It is good to see some developers still implement this in their games. But, as with all games, online is where its at. Unfortunately, I could find no other gamers to play with. That is weird too, because there were clearly many players ranked in the leader boards. This was a real disappointment, as I really wanted to try my killing/racing skills in the online world. Also, a good percentage of the achievements are centered around the online playing field. It appears as though most people will be unable to unlock them.
Finally, you can also create your own custom racing games. You can make tournaments or single race events. Pick your favorite modes and tracks and add them in. Now you have a party!
Another sweet morsel of goodness in the game is the soundtrack. The music is delightful. Cartoony in nature, it will put a smile on your face. Featuring trumpets and some drum beats, it transcends the game’s explosion happy gameplay and reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons. Although repetitive in nature, it is still a good backdrop of audio goodness.
In conclusion, TNT Racers tries to go down the same racing path that many of its predecessors have raced down. Games like Mario Kart and Blur. While these games were full of in your face action, TNT Racers almost makes racing feel like an exhausting chore. Flimsy controls and far away action meant that I was constantly trying to just keep up with the others. Even just trying to find the one car that I was controlling was sometimes a difficult task to accomplish. However, some pretty great power ups do make the racing worthwhile. Add in the cheap price tag, and this game is a nice deal. Nevertheless, you may want to check out the demo before you lay down your converted cash.
The Sims 3 Developer: The Sims Division Publisher: EA Genre: Simulation Platform: Xbox 360 (PC, PS3, Wii, DS [3DS version coming soon]) Released: Out Now
As far as console versions of ‘The Sims’ go, I think I’ve got some of the best credentials around. I’ve been with The Sims through it all; when they were “Bustin’ Out” in The Sims Bustin’ Out; when they made a move to the city in The Urbz: Sims in the City; even when they got their very first proper sequel in The Sims 2 during 2005. However, all these Sims games appeared on the last-gen line of consoles, so consequently, all were played be me on the original Xbox. The Sims 3 is, in fact, the first Sims game to arrive on the current line of consoles, meaning it will be the first time the series has been able to make use of the advanced next-gen graphics and supreme processing power. But the question is, with such solid foundations already laid down by its predecessors, what changes and new features can The Sims 3 bring to the table with the improved technology at their disposal?
The answer is, to put it bluntly, lots. The essence of Sims remains the same: a simulation of life with you tending to the needs of one or more Sims, commanding them as they go about their daily routine. You decide their job, who they socialise with, their love interests, their sleeping/eating/ hygiene patterns – all the directions they take in life. If all this was changed then it simply wouldn’t be Sims, that’s for sure, but the way in which the developers of The Sims can continually improve the experience and make it feel new without breaking the limits imposed by the standard formula is admirable.
The improvement that hits you most on The Sims 3 is the supreme customisation options. As you are kitting out your character for the first time, editing his/her physical attributes, clothing and accessories, the greater choice of options quickly becomes apparent. You can finely tune the face and body to look as life-like or ridiculous as you like, with intricate scroll-bars to shape both the body and face, especially the latter with all manner of different types of noses and eyes to choose from, as well as options to sculpt angles and position on the face. On top of this, the graphical boost that comes with the use of the latest technology makes it the best-looking Sims game yet.
Also upping the level of customisation is the new ‘Create a Style’ feature. As well as crafting your Sim’s face and body carefully, you can select the specific colour scheme or design from a expansive list for your Sim’s clothing. The ‘Create a Style’ is implemented throughout the game though, and not just in Sim Creation mode, therefore furniture, carpets, walls and even outdoors can be almost infinitely styled to your tastes. Everything being customisable has the added bonus of being able to chop and change between the categories too. Categories range between headings like ‘Fabrics’, ‘Abstract’, ‘Carpeting & Rugs’ and ‘Tiles and Mosaic’, but they aren’t limited to specific items, meaning if you want trousers with a brick wall design or perhaps a t-shirt with a mosaic print, then it is all possible. Another building block on other Sims games is the new ability to place furniture at diagonals instead of purely at right-angles, a change that may seem trivial but in actual fact surprisingly big when you have to map out your in-game house. Providing this option for placing furniture means you can create a more natural layout for rooms – if you look in real-life homes, all objects in the home aren’t parallel or perpendicular to one another.
Other new features include the introduction of ‘Traits’, ‘Wishes’, ‘Happiness points’ and ‘Karma’. Firstly traits: all the other customisations are cosmetic but traits allow you to tamper with your Sims personality. Upon giving life to your Sim you are asked to select a group of 4/5 traits for your Sim. These traits may seem like a bit of a gimmick that don’t really do anything (as has been done in the past with some personality aspects to previous games), but they are shockingly broad with over 60 to take your pick from. They cover a wide range of real-life traits, from personal attributes like being brave to lifestyle choices (Party Animal) or even eating habits (Vegetarian). Picking some traits can render unavailable to avoid contradicting one another, such as you choose ‘Artist’ and then go on to select ‘Can’t Stand Art’. These then take effect instantly, opening up new social moves or opportunities with certain items.
As mentioned above, there’s also ‘Wishes’, ‘Happiness points’ and ‘Karma’. Both Wishes and Happiness points had been touched on in The Sims 2 through the Goals and Fears system, although the mechanic has only really been realised to its full potential now. You are given space for four wishes and one lifetime dream. The four wishes are usually small tasks and are constantly being updated depending on your Sim’s ever-changing outlook on their life. If they start getting close to another Sim then it could be a social aim related to that, or it could be to do with learning a new skill or getting further in a career. These wishes can be accepted or declined each time the game offers them to you, meaning you don’t necessarily have to take on a task that seems too difficult or takes you in a direction you don’t want to be headed.
Lastly, there’s the introduction of Karma, and Karma points. There has always been a dark, sadistic side to The Sims, but this particular addition will please those who go a bit mad with their god-like power. Where before you had to use your imagination to kill, torture, or at the very least humiliate these virtual people (i.e. creating 4 walls and a door, getting your Sim to walk in, then removing the door), the Karma power allows you to cause natural disasters and extremely bad luck to see how the Sim will cope, provided you’ve accumulated enough points. Alternatively, if you don’t want to bring this upon your own creation, you can also spite someone else with these negative effects as well. Karma is distributed at the end of each day based on the events of the day, but it isn’t all for evil scheming. On top of the negative Karma purchases that can be made, you can buy constructive power-ups too, for instance, one that fills all your living meters for food, sleep and such up to full.
When you are first plunged into The Sims 3 and the location of Moonlight Bay, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. Some of this is of the good sort, such as the vast new customisation options, but on the other hand, some of it isn’t. The Sims 3 is the most open-ended and free Sims to date – unlike previous incarnations, you get to pick your first place of dwelling, with the only limit imposed being the amount of Simoleons you begin your journey with. However, I think the game suffers from the lack of structure slightly, as it has much less so than its predecessors. Where the other games had aims to complete in order to move on to a new zone, a much larger game-world is all opened up from the off and both the camera and the Sim are able to move through each and every part of it. This makes a huge change from being isolated to the confines of your house, with only the occasional visit elsewhere by car. In The Sims 3 you can go anywhere, and even follow your Sim to the building where they work, which sort of removes the element of mystery that came in the past with directing your Sim to their carpool lift and then not seeing them until their shift was over. As well as being given to much freedom, another of the game’s shortcomings is the removal of multiplayer. I have no idea what prompted them to remove local multiplayer as it has featured in other console Sims games, but not having an extra player available to partner up with detracts from the experience. Previous games were always more fun with someone progressing alongside you, and I imagine that had The Sims 3 been treated to the same luxury of multiplayer, then the same would be true here. Sadly multiplayer has been removed, meaning you are left with the dilemma of having to juggle multiple Sims by yourself if you want an in-game family.
The Sims 3 builds on its predecessors greatly, and with 5 years since the last Sims console game, it’s no surprise. The game has clearly had a lot of work put into it over its time in development with an unprecedented level of variation and customisation present in the final product. As the first Sims to appear on this next-gen line of consoles, it does the new equipment justice with improved visuals and a much larger play space. However, the new freedom that comes with this substantially larger game-world has some side effects, namely a feeling of “Where do I begin?”. Where the prequel and all the games before that were happy to confine you to a small house, getting you to explore the region slowly as you worked your way up the property ladder, The Sims 3 is the most ambitious Sims to date, allowing you to roam the region as you wish. However, you soon come to adapt to your new-found liberty, so it isn’t as detrimental as it first may appear. Unfortunately, something that can’t be overlooked is the removal of multiplayer and as someone who played through most past games in the series with a partner in tow, it is saddening that two-player couldn’t find its way into the title. With all this said though, it is still the high quality game you would expect to see from such a well-recognised brand like The Sims, with enough new features to keep you satisfied. If you like The Sims style of gaming and you haven’t picked this up already, then it’s worth the purchase. As with others, it’s addictively and should hold your interest at least until your Sim runs through the cycle of life and passes away.
Some companies go out of business with no mention of what they have done in the past, not even a final good bye. But Bizarre Creations can’t just close their doors without at least saying farewell. The companies cinematic director Eamon Urtone has decided to release a small montage which shows off some of the more recent accomplishments from the studio’s history.
It is depressing to see a studio that has been around since 1994 close its doors. Activision’s purchase of the company was met with many road blocks and after a poorly received Blur, Activision closed its doors. Farewell Bizarre Creations, hopefully your employees will find jobs at other studios quickly.
It looks like when Amazon.com dropped the ball and put up the inFamous 2 Hero Edition on their website they had all the specifics correct already. Sony and Sucker Punch released information today about inFamous 2’s release date and rumored special edition. Confirming what we saw previously, inFamous 2 will be released to US stores on June 7th.
At the same time they also confirmed the existence of the Hero Edition for $100. The Hero Edition comes with everything pictured above which is a 8.5-inch statue of Cole, a replica messenger bag, a mini-comic, the game’s soundtrack and all of the rest of the pre-order DLC content. People who do not wish to buy the Hero Edition can still get their pick of pre-order DLC depending on where they pre-order the game from.
Anyone who pre-orders from Amazon will get the 24K Gold version of Cole’s “Amp” weapon, Best Buy purchases will come with a character skin of Kessler from the first game. GameStop will give Cole the Lightning Hook Power while Walmart gives pre-orderers the Electrocution Grenade ability. Personally I’d pick the Lightning Hook Power because of the way it sounds.
Zombie Runaway is a simple and fun game that is easy to enjoy for all gamers of all ages, for both hardcore and casual players. It’s fun, addictive, full of character and in short it’s just a blast to play. Fans of games like Doodle Jump, Angry Birds, and Bewjewled should definitely look into picking up this title. A must have for anyone wanting a enjoyable quick game to waste time.
Presentation and Gameplay
Players take control of ‘Chubbie’ a fat zombie who happens to be the last zombie alive (or undead?), and is being chased by humans. To survive you must run away from them in a giant graveyard. The path is never ending, and the further you get the harder obstacles become, and you must get through it all without being killed….again. The farther you run the more points you get, trying to achieve a high score. There are three buttons that appear on screen: left, right and jump. They’re simple, responsive and work well. It’s very pick-up-and play and it’s learning curve will last about half a second at the most. Collecting coins gains you extra points and jumping on a ‘booster’ will make you invincible for a short burst of time, allowing you to run over tombstones and other obstacles for bonus points. Achievements can be gained and they can unlock selectable rewards which are human weapons stuck into your skull, that get you extra points and similar advantages while making the protagonist look a little humorous. There really isn’t much more to say here other than it becomes very addictive trying to beat high scores and seeing how far you can it.
Further emphasis on this is seen in the ‘blitz’ mode, which has a timer and when it goes up it’s game over. What makes this extra fun is that the time can be extended, so you really get the feeling that your fighting/running for your life here. To make things better there are plenty of connectivity options, with scores to post to facebook and the com2us hub, so you really get a nice feeling of competition that shows much potential for this game to take off and gain a rather large fan base. Levels are quick and fun, so if you have a minute bus ride or something you can just bring out your iPhone quickly and do it there, or a quick game while your in the bathroom, or a quick game while waiting for your 2 minute noodles to cook or whatever, which makes it very ideal for casual gamers and a nice game to have in your pocket. The only real flaws it has is that it lacks depth, but it’s a game that doesn’t require depth. It would be nice though if we had other areas or levels to run through other than a graveyard. Hopefully in the future com2us will consider updates with other levels or themes, similar to how Lima Sky does with Doodle Jump. Zombie Runaway also has a nice story to it as explained in it’s press release and in the app store, but it’s a shame its not explored or even mentioned in the game itself. It would’ve been nice to see something about it, but perhaps it wasn’t in the interests of the developer and maybe they wanted to keep the game simple as it is. Either way it doesn’t effect or change the gameplay at all.
Graphics and Audio
Zombie Runaway contains some nice scenery and some nice character models. Textures look great and character design is cute and well done. Same can be said for the artwork accompanying the menus and such, as they are bursting with style and look beautiful. Audio on the other hand ranges from good to great, with the soundtrack being a bit of a mixed bag. In game its upbeat and fun, and in the menu’s it’s a smoother, easy going beat. There are a few burp and fart noises heard in the main game soundtrack which feel a bit too childish and a bit cheesy, but it still is a decent track. Sound effects are good and they work well within the game.
Conclusion
Zombie Runaway is full of charm, style and character, you can play through a level in short periods of time, you can compete for high scores and you can connect with your friends with ease. It’s simple but not too simple, addictive and fun. It’s also less than $1.50 in the app store, so it’s great value there. It’s not perfect, and it won’t be your most favorite game you’ve ever played in your life, but players will love it in short bursts and it’s a great game to play to kill time. It may be simple and some may criticize it for it, but it’s simplicity is what makes it so fun to play. A must have for high score junkies and fans of casual games.
PROS
Easy ‘pick up and play’ controls
Both normal and blitz mode are both very addictive!
Achievements, rewards and items.
Post scores to Facebook!
Great graphics and cute character design
Lots of fun
CONS
Could use more themes/levels to run through
Can get repetitive, best enjoyed in short bursts rather than played for hours on end.
A new behind-the-scenes video has emerged, giving a look at the story and design process of Lord of the Rings War in the North, the Action/Adventure Role-playing game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Snowblind Studios.
The trailer takes a look at some of the in-game locations which will be a completely new phenomenon to all, as the War depicted in the films and books was based in the South of Middle Earth. It also gives some commentary from leading figures from the development team about the game, on top of some explanation of how they came to create these new areas through their artistic reading between the lines of Tolkein and Peter Jackson’s works.
It is always nice to see the big companies giving back, especially when the company in question is Nintendo. Nintendo of Australia have commissioned four of the country’s top artists to paint inspired artworks on eight Wii consoles to benefit the indigenous education program and charity Shalom Gamarada. The Shalom Gamarada Scholarship Plan will receive all funds raised by the consoles, using the charity to further encourage indigenous students to complete their university education with some financial support to those in need. The program has already helped make a significant impact in lowering the drop-out rate within the indigenous community, so this would definitely qualify as a good cause.
The consoles themselves will come in custom built acrylic display cases and will all be non-playable to ensure art preservation. If you happen to win on a bid though and still want to play on the system, Nintendo has bidders covered as winners will also receive a separate functioning system.
“Having these important artists create these pieces for Wii will not only raise much needed funds for indigenous education, it will also open new doors by raising awareness to people who would not normally be familiar with the work we do at Shalom Gamarada,” commented Jenny Hillman, Curator of Shalom Gamarada Ngiyana Yana.
“Some of the artists involved can boast selling individual pieces upwards of $20,000 and what they have created for Wii are exceptional, one-off originals that I am sure will draw national attention for the eBay auction,” added Hillman.
Highly acclaimed artists involved in this exciting project include Gloria Petyarre, Barbara Weir, Emily Pwerle and sister Gayla Pwerle.
I think the idea of turning video game systems into art pieces for charity is fantastic and for Nintendo to be behind such a project is even better. Now I know many of us out there cannot afford to throw down $20,000 for a console, but if you have the funds and want a conversation piece of a lifetime as well as helping students in need, by all means throw down a bid. If you are interested in bidding or just curious to see the items being auctioned off and what the eventual pricetag ends up at, check out http://stores.ebay.com.au/inDemand-Causes/wii between the listing date of Feb. 25th and the end date of March 6th.
