Oblitus follows the tale of a small, spear-wielding creature named Parvus who seeks to discover their purpose and origin within an unfamiliar realm full of huge, ancient terrors. Guest reviewer Steve from the “Entertainment Is Dead” Podcast was good enough to field a review of this title for BigShinyRobot! Among many things that make this game special is the fact that it was developed by less than ten people. Check out the video below, and sound off in the comments!

Want to make that 20oz bottle of Coke have the same value as Two-Liter? Pour the 20oz bottle into the bigger container, then fill the rest with water. While not all games are like adding water to hit that seventy hour mark, it is what we usually end up with. Every game hitting that seventy hour mark tends to be water added. I can only think of a few exceptions to this fact. This process is commonly referred to as the grind. However it bares many other names such as fluff, filler or something that is made to look like more than it really is.

Now grinds maybe good for some people who feel having something to waste time away on a game with minimal reward is great value. Perhaps its time those people explore iPhone/iPad/iPod games if that is their poison instead of investing in four hundred dollar game consoles and sixty dollar games and complaining because the value is condense to a pure more concentrated form. 

When I was younger and had more time, I would not only love, but demand my games gave me extremely long experiences, something that made me gravitate towards RPG’s most of the time. But these days, I barely have time to play a 5-8 hour games. I can take a twenty hour epic once in a while, but I just cant handle it if every game I get in my hands happens to be something like that anymore, especially now that I have the cash to buy multiple titles and would like to actually play them all. I never finished ‘Skyrim.’

I don’t mind long games but I do appreciate it when they are broken down into sections. ‘Last Of Us’ did that really well. The under-appreciated, ‘Alan Wake’ too. Even if you’re playing through in one sitting, it does a good job of regulating the sense of pacing. Breaking up the overall narrative into chapters or volumes, each with its own defined story arc that rises and falls is a great way to let the player take a breather now and then without feeling like they’re missing anything. It also lets you really relax since you don’t need to worry about whether any action you take might get you into a three hour rabbit hole when you have laundry to do. It’s amazing how our preferences change as we get older.

Even though I have a more busy life now, I still want that game experience that I can explore and/or grow with. Whether that means leveling up a character or improving a score or finishing a side story of a seemingly ever expanding world, or whatever. I just want more my from my games. I don’t want less that what I was getting years ago. We have the ability and know-how to keep the content and experiences that we have and love now, we just need to repackage it for the increasingly fast-paced audience.

Personally, I’d really like to see the industry make a shift toward smaller, cheaper games. Build an engine and make six or seven three-hour games that are creative and risky and tightly told rather than two epic games with soaring budgets that pad themselves out to justify their value and then you have to retire the engine and rebuild because, ‘Oh My Glob! It’s been six years.’ Games would get easier to consume, cheaper to buy, cheaper to make, and could tell more cohesive, riskier stories.

The best part about shorter games is that inevitably it means there will be MORE games. Instead of spending 3 years making a $60 game, a studio can spend 3 years making 3 games for $20. That gives players more choices, and purchasing habits can better inform what types of experiences are good/bad without punishing studios as much when there’s a flop.

Short or long? Whatever length it is, make my time with your game awesome. Do that and I will happily give you money. I’m just glad the market is diverse enough to reward players of all types with plenty of options to satisfy their tastes.

-Dagobot



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Photo: HTC ReVIVE

On the eve of Mobile World Congress, Valve and HTC revealed their joint project to bring their version of VR gaming to the world. Promising a single-room sized experience with an incredible refresh rate of 90Hz and one 1200 x 1080 screen over each eye. Developer units will be ready this Spring and the retail models will be out in time for the holidays. The gamer gets to use their own head phones and it goes without saying that the better your headphone choice, the better your audio experience will be. 

The trailer for “Re VIVE”  touts the endless possibilities reachable through VR, and with this being powered by Valve’s VR tech, make no mistake those possibilities are quite good. Heading into the market against Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift it makes one wonder, is this the next technologic step for gaming or is this a short-lived fad? I for one, hope that VR is the next big thing, so I can game without staring at your ugly mugs.

Picking one up at launch? Disugsted at the thought? Sound off below!

Via Playstation Blog

The PS Vita turns three this week, and Sony is celebrating by giving gamers mad deals on a stack of Vita games. While some of the titles may not be as sought after as a few of the critics choice sale items. It’s a great chance to snag up some games you may have missed. Might as well buy “Dracula X Chronicles” a third time while you’re at it. List below 

The sale will be live tomorrow after the weekly PlayStation Store update:

Disney released the “Star Wars Rebels” skin pack for “Minecraft” on all systems today. The pack gets you access to over 20 characters in the “Rebels” Universe. What price do they ask for? A scant $2.99 to add this to your block-crafting glee. This skin pack joins it’s friends from “Doctor Who” Volume 1 and 2, the festive skin pack and others as more content for your open-world adventure. Sound off below if you’re picking this up!

This episode features: Lance, Tyson, Tom, Jimmy, Randall, Steve, Jacob, and Vance!  

For you listeners of the Big Shiny Podcast!, you know you can expect three episodes every month from the usual cast of vulgar geeks: one covering TV, Movies, and Geek News, another dedicated to Comics and Collectibles, and a third focused on Video Games. Coming into 2015, we really wanted to give you the best we can offer on each of these geeky topics, so the Big Shiny Podcast! and the Entertainment is Dead Podcast have teamed up and taken over the Video Games episode to bring you all of the latest in video game news, peppered with our unique brand of commentary and personal anecdotes.

For you, our wonderful listeners, nothing will change in how you consume our podcast. The video game-centric episode will still drop into your iTunes or Stitcher feed once a month, but now you can expect a mash-up cast comprised of BSPC and EID regulars bringing the goods to your earholes! So check out the new format, let us know what you think, and be sure to check out our awesome friends over at Entertainment is Dead!

Topic: Video Games

Headlines:

• The casts personal “jerk moments” in video games
• What we’re playing
• Video Game News

As always, thank you for listening! If you like what you hear, please head over to iTunes and subscribe and rate us! Have feedback for the Big Shiny Podcasters? Want to suggest a topic to cover? Want to just give us a shout? Feel free to drop the host of the BSPC, Tyson, an e-mail at tyson@bigshinyrobot.com, or on Twitter, @Arse_bot!

Listen to the Big Shiny Podcast! on iTunes

Listen to the Big Shiny Podcast on Stitcher:

FanX 2015 is just behind us, and among the throngs of celebrities was Donald Mustard, Founder and Creative Director of ChAIR. In the interview he talks about his thoughts on mobile gaming, what it’s like working with EPIC Games and even mentions that they are working on an unannounced project. You can listen directly just after the logo, or read the short interview! Check it out!

That was a great panel, I enjoyed hearing your take on the industry:

Mustard: I like that too, you know, I love the Industry but I love seeing the more human side of it as well. I love the stuff where I can hear the process and the behind the scenes stuff.

What is different between working with EPIC and making your own IP?

Mustard: This is actually what we liked about EPIC. After Undertow and Advent Rising we knew being acquired was in our future, we were being courted by EA and Microsoft, but EPIC was saying, “We’ll buy you and you can keep doing what you’re doing.” While the others were saying, “It’ll be great, we’ll buy you and you can work on one of these titles.” That’s not what I wanted, we wanted to make our own games. So I have the advantages of doing what I want as a smaller studio, but with the resources of a larger studio.

Imagine in 15 or so years, the President of the United States will be someone who played “Mario.”

How do you feel about mobile games and their effect on the Industry?

Mustard: I know this topic is really divisive but, I personally love it. I love that there are so many different games now, that games are everywhere. I love that games appeal to my mom as much as they appeal to me and my kids. When we were growing up, most games were targeted to us, and I love that this is a big thing. Just imagine in the next 10-15 years, the President of the United States will be someone who played “Mario.” Games are not just our culture, but the culture of the entire world. In a large part mobile has allowed for that to happen, since so much power is in your pocket. I believe hardcore games will be around forever and so will casual.

What games are you playing now and what are your favorites?

Mustard: I am obsessed with two games now. The first is “Destiny”, and you know I have a lot of friends at “Bungie”, but I am not a “Halo” fan. I loved their core mechanics and shooting and vehicles, but the world never captured me. “Destiny” is that with an amazing meta game with the world and weapons and leveling. So I love that and “Hearthstone”, I just got my character in “Destiny” to level 32, so I’m moving up. 

 You can find more about ChAIR Entertainment at their website, you can also find Donald Mustard on Twitter.

January 20, 2014 at 7 pm Pacific Time Mike Ross along with the Tournament Organizer Mr. Wizard presented the game lineup for Evolution 2015. This was given as the definitive list for the tournament, with no last minute additions happening this year. Most notable additions to the tournament are Tekken 7 on Arcade Cabinets, marking the first time in ten plus years that Evo has had arcade cabinets on main stage. This will also be the first global tournament for Tekken 7. There may also be controller compatibility for the arcade cabinets to support the global community. Missing from the lineup is Under Night In Birth and Blazblue, but this is an incredible lineup featuring multiple consoles. Another notable game missing from the main lineup is King of Fighters XIII, which will have a side tournament at EVO, but will not have main stage support. You can learn more about Evolution 2015 Here. The event takes place July 17-19 at Bally’s/Paris in Las Vegas, Nevada. Registration will open in early February, Hotels are available to book now.

The games featured at Evolution 2015 will be: 

• Ultra Street Fighter 4
• Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
• Super Smash Bros: WiiU
• Guilty Gear XRD: Sign
• Killer Instinct
• Mortal Kombat X
• Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax
• Super Smash Bros: Melee
• Tekken7 Arcade Cabinet

Each Friday we will be bringing you weekend-viewing movie picks available for streaming on Netflix! From the popular to the obscure, we will browse Netflix’s Streaming library so you don’t have to, and bring you what we consider to be “Must Watch” selections!

“Video Games: The Movie” –  (7.5 out of 10)  – Directed by Jeremy Snead; Written by Jeremy Snead; Narrated by Sean Astin; Released July 18, 2014.

“Video Games: The Movie” delivers exactly what is promised by the title, 105 minutes of pure, concentrated, video game history and enough little tidbits for your gee-whiz file to dominate the gaming category at your local pub quiz. The documentary was produced by Zach Braff and narrated by Sean Astin doing his best Patton Oswalt impression.

The narrative begins mostly chronologically, beginning with the debate over the true father of video games. The answer seemingly varies depending on who you ask, but the documentary makes a pretty convincing case for a group of MIT students/employees in 1962 and their game “Spacewar.”

From there we move into the future. From Atari, to the NES; from the PlayStation to computer gaming and modern consoles we can see in stark reality the evolution of and progression of video games not only as a technology but as an art form.

Appearances and interviews with Zach Braff, Chris Hardwick, Wil Wheaton, Donald Faison, Ernie Cline (author of “Ready Player One”) and more, as well as industry experts offer insight into the behind the scenes world of games as well as nostalgic personal perspective. A common theme among those who grew up in the early days of gaming was the way they were captured by the concept of being able to interact with and manipulate images on the screen. Gaming took story telling from a passive experience to one that allowed for and ultimately required active participation.

I personally remember getting a Nintendo Entertainment System for my fifth birthday, it’s one of my earliest memories. I still own that console, and, on certain special days, when my feng shui is balanced and the planets aligned, it still works. The state of modern video games, with cloud storage, photo-realistic graphics, and simultaneous online multiplayer are so far beyond the dreams of that five year old kid that it would make his head spin. I never could have imagined that gaming would make it this far and because of the gradual progression over a few decades it’s easy to take it for granted.

By placing the complete history of video games into a compact narrative it makes one truly appreciate the fantastic rate at which the technology has progressed in a relatively short time.

Aside from an overarching narrative of video games, the documentary also takes some time to talk about a few important moments in their history including some pretty major snafus, specifically the “E.T.” game, (thanks a lot Atari) and the medium’s resurrection and savior Mario (thanks a lot Nintendo… for realsies).

There is no better testament to the fact that humanity was starved for digital entertainment then that our most beloved and enduring video game character is a poorly rendered mustachioed plumber.

By the time the doc gets to the end, you’ll have a proper understanding and respect for what it takes to make a game as well as for the almost magical rate at which the medium has improved. It is truly a marvel of modern technology and it seems the medium is here to stay.

Full disclosure, I had a little trouble getting through the whole thing, but only because half an hour in I really wanted to turn on my console and play something and if you ask me, that’s a success.

In case you didn’t wake up at 6 am PST like the rest of us game crazed lunatics, we have you covered. Since you decided not to live your life powered by energy drinks and coffee in a zombie-like state you can simply click below to watch the archive. This months Direct gives you info on Majora’s Mask 3D, New 3DS XL, Xenoblade Chronicles, Amiibo, Kirby’s Epic Yarn and more! Sound off with your favorite announcement below@