Fox has joined Hulu, ABC, NBC, CBS and a whole bunch of other shortsighted companies in blocking Google TV from accessing streaming video on the their respective websites. GTVhub.com has a list of websites still allowing Google TV to access video. USA (Psych) Spike (Entourage) and PBS (seriously?) are a few of the awesome companies still allowing internet and TV to be harmoniously together. Dish Network is also offering a $179 deal that includes”variety of content on the Web with DISH Network’s onscreen programming data, DVR and Video on Demand content.” You can read more about that here. Hopefully, we can soon all settle our differences and have a fantastic world free of DRM, net neutrality issues and licensing disputes… Oh wait.
An all new game from Brad Borne, Over the Top Games and EA, The Fancy Pants Adventures will be coming to XBLA and PS3 in the spring. Fancy Pants got its start with two flash games. However, The Fancy Pants Adventures will be a totally new experience. Fancy Pants Man must rescue his sister, Cutie Pants, by exploring a plethora of unique levels and using new abilities and weapons. Get ready to Run Fast and Run Fancy. Looks to be a pretty sweet game. It also gives rise to a new experiment: Will enemies cower before us if we start wearing some fancier trousers?
With a release date of February 25th of next year Bulletstorm isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to bringing the hardcore action. People Can Fly and Epic have brought us yet another crazy over the top video which shows us some gameplay and some voicework. If being told to pull up your skirt and strap on a dildo shows us anything; it is that Bulletstorm is ready to bring some comedy to it’s destruction.
Set to Hey Man, Nice Shot by Filter this video demonstrates the fast paced action with giant monsters, big guns and big mouths so to speak. Showing off is obviously one thing that Bulletstorm does well, especially considering their tag phrase is to kill with skill eh? Regardless though I don’t believe I’ve heard so many one liners spoken during an FPS since the old Duke Nukem days.
Ready to see even more new fighters in action for Marvel Vs. Capcom 3? Well then you are in luck because we have another pair of characters jumping into the fray from each side of the battle. From Capcom we have Zero, from Mega Man fame. Plus there is She-Hulk from Marvel Comic. While She-Hulk may not be quite as popular as her male counterpart she sure can deliver just as much of a beating, especially when she hits them with a car.
With the list of fighters growing longer it’ll be interesting to see who we will see released next, but until then check out the videos below where both fighters are introduced and show off their special moves. First is Zero, then She-Hulk.
Call of Duty: Black Ops has a bunch of little easter eggs just waiting to be found and the Next-Gen team has managed to find yet another little easter egg, this time within one of the multiplayer maps. The map Nuketown is already a reference back to when Nuclear tests were being performed in deserts on fake towns to test their effectiveness.
Now a long time ago David Vonderharr from Treyarch was quoted saying that there would be something special that would happen if the players were able to “kill” every mannequin on the map within a fast enough time. Now Next-Gen Tactics looked to take this as a challenge and set off to accomplish the feat. By shooting the heads off of every mannequin within only fifteen seconds they unlocked the easter egg.
The song slowly begins to play over Nuketown’s speakers and what is that tune you may wonder? Well it definitely appeared a few times within the game itself but any lover of Rock songs should recognize it as Rolling Stone’s Sympathy for the Devil. You can catch the video below and may I say thanks to the Next-Gen team for organizing that, if only there was a way to have it play all the time huh?
Have you perchance already finished Fable III? Do you own everything in the nation, or have 20 different wives/husbands? Well then you may feel like you’ve exhausted what Fable III has to offer you at the moment, but fear not because Microsoft has already developed DLC to expand upon your experience. The DLC called Understone Quest Pack will be available next week on November 23rd.
This pack will run for 400 MSP and will add a handful a few new quests to the game. The main quest is called The Voice and revolves around a mysterious voice that has been controlling the people living within Undertown and the player’s quest to find out what it is and do something about it.
The other two quests are The Wheel of Misfortune and the Shooting Range. The Shooting Range will take place inside of the Mercenary Camp, which has now become a tourist attraction after the defeat of Saker. Players will be able to compete for the high score and win different prizes. The Wheel of Misfortune returns as a reusable feature inside of Reaver’s home and give players a chance to do battle in the arenas with various monsters and win even more prizes.
That is the main feature of the upcoming DLC, but there are a couple smaller packs that will be available. The 5 Star Dog Potion will upgrade your faithful companion’s abilities to their max for 160 MSP while the Exclusive Hair Pack containing corn rowns, afros, and a bob hairstyle to the game for 160 MSP as well.
2K has jumped on the 3D bandwagon. If you buy NBA 2K11 at Best Buy, starting on November 16, 2010, you will automatically have the “I want to see the ball coming at my FAACCEE” 3D experience for NBA 2K11. This applies only to the PS3 though. A free patch will be be available on the Playstation Store for current owners of the PS3 NBA 2K11 game. The patch will release in January.
“The authentic broadcast presentation of NBA 2K11 is something we’re really proud of,” said Greg Thomas, president of product development for 2K Sports. “The new 3D capabilities literally add a new dimension to the experience and provide a level of immersion that has never been experienced in a basketball video game.”
You guys like Pokemon? Do you *want* to like pokemon but hate that it entails liking something that 5 year olds like? Do you just like just seeing fantastical looking creatures? If any of the latter describes you, then take a look at this amazing artwork (fanmade). Click on the thumbnail to see it in its full size.
On the left is Giovanni (final gym leader of original series and villain) with the gargantuan Nidoking looming in the back. Also shown here are Nidoqueen, what look like a male and female? Rhydon, a Golem, a Dugtrio and finally, Mewtwo wearing it’s robotic inhibitors.
In the middle is the series main protagonist, Ash with the giant Charizard in the back. Also shown are Lapras, Venusaur, Blastoise and the still somehow cute Pikachu.
Finally on the right is Jasmine, a gym leader from the second series with her trademark steel pokemon, Steelix and Magnemite.
Click on over to this user’s pixiv account to see more from them. They apparently also do re-imaginings of final fantasy creatures which look incredible. Pixiv is a Japanese site, so everything is in Japanese. You also need an account to fully browse people’s work, of which I cannot obtain. But keep reloading, it will cycle through some of their stuff.
Is anybody reading this out there old enough to feel the nostalgia of the great pinball machine? Going in your local arcade, popping in a few coins and rumbling your way to glory. Well even if you arent old enough to think back that far, it has announced that Marvel Pinball is coming to a console near you in December.
On the Xbox 360 it can come as a DLC for Pinball FX 2. No confirmation on whether 360 gets a separate game also. Ps3 will get it as a package of 4 machines. Those 4 machines are Blade, Spiderman, Wolverine and Iron man (as seen above). Zen Studios also added that regular DLC will likely come for Marvel Pinball. More machines equals more fun to go around.
Game Name: Baseball Superstars 2011 Platform(s): iPhone/iPod Touch Publisher(s): Gamevil Inc. Developer(s): Gamevil Inc. Genre(s): Sports, RPG Release Date: 4th November, 2010 Price: $4.99 (BUY NOW!)
Overview
Gamevil has done it again. The latest addition to their popular baseball franchise is not to be miss by any baseball fanatics out there. This game will even appeal to the non-baseball fans. Do not be fooled by its name, it is not just another sequel. In fact, many new features and enhancement have been made in this new version that it feels totally different than the previous versions.
Gameplay
Gameplay wise, there is a huge amount of content for both casual gamer and hardcore baseball fans here. If you want to have a quick game before you leave for class (for example), you can try Exhibition mode. With all the different settings allow (chance setting, inning setting, detail setting), you can have a quick game in 5 minutes, or one full game which completes in an hour, your choice. These settings allow you to determine in which situation you would like to play, and how many innings you would want to play. You could also choose to play in the stadium of your choice. There is just so much room for customization here.
Then, there is this “My League” mode to those who want to develop their own baseball character, let it be pitcher or batter. Baseball manager-wannabe is not left out either, as there is the Season mode for team-managing purposes. If that is not enough, there are also Homerun Race to enjoy the excitement of hitting homeruns combo (which I love), Mission mode and Match Play to satisfy all your baseball desire.
In addition to the already-robust game modes, RPG elements were embedded within the game. Different endings can be achieved as a batter or a pitcher with vary popularity and fame stats as you proceed in “My League” mode. Players can visit the stadium, downtown, school, hospital, or the broadcasting station to unlock various events with various NPCs, which adds more twist to your game. Also, your batting position may be change depends upon your batting performance; you may negotiate your salary (and get turn down after, with some very horrible punishment).
Overall, the baseball gameplay is much more challenging than the previous version, but that is in no way a bad thing. Pitching and fielding are much more robust. The batting timing is way different from the previous versions, which takes some time of getting used to when you first lay your hands on the game.
Many people might disagree with their in-app purchase (IAP) model. Not to worry though, you do not need to spend anything more than $4.99 (to buy the game!) if you do not want to. It’s optional. Buying golds through IAP is faster, but you can choose to earn them yourself instead. It does not restrict your gaming experience at all since it’s not hard to earn the gold coins, by completing achievements and missions in game. Ongoing events will help players in accumulating gold coins as well. For a start, Gamevil announced their latest event which allows you to earn up to 10,000 coins per game. (For more details, look HERE).
Graphics/Sound
The graphics in this game is absolutely stunning. So much improvement from the last version. (Of course, I also love the bigger-size-batter). It is not Retina Display graphics as expected, but it goes easy on your eyes. Its sleek interface complements the game’s graphical presentation to give you a comfortable baseball-ing experience throughout. That is what’s important and Gamevil nailed it down perfectly.
The audio aspect of the game has got to be one of my favourite. There is an amazing mix of soundtracks, which immerse you into the game and keeps you entertained throughout your gaming session. Not to mention that the sound effect is so well designed, it feels extremely realistic. The different collision sound effect between the bat and the ball, the crowd roaring, the voice-over commentator (Strike! OUTTT!), everything is right on, awesome.
Controls
The controls are nothing too complicated. The game fully utilize the on-screen touch controls like the previous releases and honestly, that is one of the best control scheme you can have in this genre. Nothing beats having dedicated buttons for specific action in sports game. The controls are further enhanced with customizable controls, in terms of size, visibility and placement. No more worries about your thumb being too big or the buttons being too small. I do look forward having gyroscopic/accelerometer control in future releases, adding more difficulty to the game.
Conclusion
I am not going to lie. This is one of the best full-featured baseball simulation games yet on the App Store, hands down. It’s the brightest superstar in the franchise, a highly recommended buy to everyone unless you really really hate baseball. You will not be disappointed. There is one problem though, it is highly addictive. Be warned. *evil grins*
