Posts tagged video games
The Xbox One will kill used games and control second-hand sales, and that’s great news (Really!)
Ben Kuchera talks Xbox One and used games. If what he’s saying is true (and we’re not really going to know for sure until E3) then I like how Microsoft is handling the GameStop delema and, hopefully, funneling more money into the gaming industry.
It needs to be made clear, if all the studio closings and constant lay-offs haven’t made this explicit: The current economics of game development and sales are unsustainable. Games cost more to make, piracy is an issue, used-games are pushed over new, and players say the $60 cost is too high. Microsoft’s initiatives with the Xbox One may solve many of these issues, even if we grumble about it. These changes ultimately make the industry healthier.
I Love Video Games
You may have heard that Microsoft showed off their new Xbox yesterday. I’m wearing my Ginch Gonch “I Love Video Games” briefs today to celebrate.
Underwear for stylish gamer. I approve.
Actually… this whole tumblr is filled with pretty stylish underwear. Cool.
Mob of the Dead - Trailer
This trailer for the Call of Duty Black Ops 2 expansion is awesome. It actually looks a lot like a Left 4 Dead level, complete with an escape airplane at the end. They’ve even brought on an amazing voice cast, Ray Liotta Joe Pantoliano, Michael Madsen, and Chazz Palminteri.
I would play this as an entire game and have absolutely no regrets.
I did not want to play Blak Ops 2 until now. Now I want it really badly.
This DLC comes out April 16th.
[via Kotaku]
Talking to a friend about Tomb Raider, and the infrequency of raiding tombs. Really proud of my point at the end.
Editorial: SimCity, Diablo 3 and a review of customer service
Alexander Sliwinski has opinions that are directly in line with mine about the SimCity server debacle that has been sweeping the internet.
With SimCity and Diablo 3, I think the already tempestuous machine of game reviews in this industry has changed forever, and as a collective we haven’t yet determined how to proceed. SimCity and Diablo 3 aren’t just games, they are also services. The question: Should these games be reviewed separately from their service elements or should they be reviewed in combination?
…
I do wonder how long as a collective we can keep arguing about how unfair it is to judge a game by how it treats paying customers, especially as we keep being told that games are now a service.
I have a new answer to “what iPhone game are you playing right now?” The answer is Worm Run. It’s awesome and you can download it now in the App Store.
The Incredible Rise and Fall of a Hacker Who Found the Secrets of the Next Xbox and PlayStation—And Maybe More
Stephen Totilo calls this the “wildest story I’ve reported in a long, long time.” It’s the crazy tale about an Australian hacker who has compromised several huge game developers and may or may not have a few dev kits for the next Xbox. Great read.
PlayStation 4: Putting The Gamer At The Center
Obviously the biggest news from Sony’s PS4 announcement was that they never actually showed their new console. Fine. But what about what they did show. Now that we’re more than 18 hours removed from the conference, and I’ve watched it again, I think I can wade through all the noise. Ready? Ok.
First, I don’t care how many developers Sony had on stage or which games they were showing off. The console isn’t out yet, so we have absolutely no idea what the games will look like, or what the hardware is actually capable of (yes we have specs but specs don’t mean anything).
We don’t know what it will look like, but we know what it will feel like.
Right at the top of the show, not 5 minutes in, Andrew House said:
“The living room is no longer the center of the playstation ecosystem, the gamer is.… With mobility and the ability to share content and experiences becoming an increasingly important part of the gaming experience, connectivity between devices and the ease with which they connect has been essential to meeting the demands of today’s casual or core gamer.”
While we didn’t see what the box looks like, Sony did show us a new controller. They’re calling it the DualShock 4 and it looks like a DualShock 3 with an added touchpad along the top.
But forget the touchpad for a second, the most interesting part of the new controller is a share button. Yes, nestled right in between the D-pad and the touchpad is a button labeled ‘share.’ The share button can capture the video on your screen and broadcast what you’re doing to your friends. They’ve baked in live streaming capabilities via UStream.
They also alluded to the PS4 hooking into existing social networks to enhance your experience. I can imagine something like starting a live broadcast and tweeting the link. Or making a Facebook post of a video you’ve recorded.
Feverishly downloding this weeks Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin show and you should too!
This week on The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show my guest is Eric Zimmerman, a professor at NYU’s Game Center. Game Center is an entire program at NYU that sits right next to the film school and offers classes in game design, production, and criticism. Not only do Game Center students have access to a library of over 7000 new and classic games - they are actually required to play many of them for class.
In this episode we discuss what games go on the syllabus, what makes a game great, and what classics students groan about having to play. As Eric repeatedly reassured me during the interview, this is 100% a real thing.
From the Game Center’s FAQ:
What will I learn during my time in the Game Center MFA program?
The Game Center offers specialized classes that will help you refine your skills in one or more areas of game development, such as game programming or game design. However, the most important things you will learn transcend these more narrow areas of expertise. Some of these larger key skills include solving problems through design and iteration, best practices for creative collaboration and teamwork, and understanding how to analyze games on multiple levels, from their mathematics and aesthetics to their history and culture.
What is a Game Center MFA thesis?
Every student’s experience culminates in the creation of a thesis project, which is the focus of the second year. In most cases, a thesis project is a group collaborating to create an original digital game. However, some students may choose to create a game off the computer (perhaps a collectable card game, or a large-scale game event) or to work on their own. Students with a criticism focus may end up creating a website, series of podcasts, game exhibition, or research paper.
This is my favorite kind of Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show - something that you probably didn’t know existed, but after hearing about it you think, “Of course! Why wouldn’t that be a thing?” I really enjoyed getting to talk to Eric, and am already cooking up excuses to get him back on the show.
The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show comes out Tuesdays on iTunes, YouTube, and JeffRubinJeffRubinShow.com.
Love this poster.
(via typographie)
