Microsoft announced that September 7-Sept. 13, conveniently coinciding with the launch of Destiny that any retailer will be providing a free game with an Xbox One purchase. There are no stipulations on the title you choose, the announcement clearly states that ANY game is free with purchase. Time to make your own bundle!
Go ahead and google ‘Open Letter To The Gaming Community.’ – The letter itself is pretty short and concise in content. Take a second and read it. I can wait. The list of names attached to this letter keeps on growing, more than two thousand have signed it. Video game developers from major studios, such as Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, as well as smaller independent ones.
I was in a pixelated bubble this past weekend at Pax Prime. I was, actually, playing video games ALL day, over four days. Not writing or reading about them or debating them online with the dark corners of the internet.
We’ve been over this one before – once your “freedom of speech” impedes the freedom of someone else, it starts to become a problem. As such, a core requirement of freedom of speech is that you RESPECT the fact that everyone else also has these rights/privileges.
Respecting that someone else might not agree with you simply means you do not harass them over having a different opinion. You do not threaten them because they believe in different things than you do. You do not IMPEDE their freedom in a deluded attempt to protect your own freedom.
Thats not how freedom of speech works. You don’t have to agree with everything other people say. But its not your job to make their lives a living hell just because they believe in different things than you do. Once you start to take action against people who have different views you leave the area of freedom of speech. And that is EXACTLY what people are doing here.
You see, if I were not to respect your rights of free speech – I would be free to impede and diminish your rights of free speech. Which would effectively be the same as me saying you do NOT infact have any right to speak freely. Not showing this simple bit of courtesy and respect directly means that you do not believe that *everyone* has the right to free speech, which inadvertently means that you yourself do not have this right either.
Its called “freedom of speech”, not “freedom to do whatever you please to whomever you please”.
Any activism, of any subject, will obviously evoke passions on both sides. This is to be expected. Let alone activism which seeks to tar entire subjects or a massive demographic with the one brush. Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes Against Women’ series, the ‘gamers are evil’ narrative adopted by some journalists lately being two good examples. Really? You’re surprised people are pissed about this? Furthermore, you’re surprised trolls, misogynists, racists, and any other form of bigot you can imagine exists within the millions upon millions of gamers? That’s a shock to you? Seriously? Then perhaps you just live in a bubble.
Not long ago, Lady Gaga’s fanbase were the new face of evil, with their death threats and vitriolic abuse. Political commentators face ENDLESS bile, not to mention politicians themselves. Gaming was never immune to this sort of character, it’s just that these characters didn’t have any reason to target specific people in the industry. Why would they attack developers or gaming journo’s? They didn’t have a reason. They do now. Because people within the industry and the gaming press have adopted and broadcast an ideological position. Often with inflammatory rhetoric. This is what it means to be within the public eye whilst pissing a lot of people off with the things you say. Anita Sarkeesian is not the first to receive a death threat, and she most certainly will not be the last.
This trolling has been disgusting to witness. I feel terrible for anyone who’s been affected. Second to that, there exists an issue within the gaming press, separate to the trolling issue. The readers are not happy that activism has simply become a part of typical gaming journalism. They clearly feel that there is not enough debate within the press, and that it’s just one massive echo-chamber. The trolling is to be entirely condemned, but not confused with the legitimate grievances.
I’m mixed about this. While I’m inherently proud to consider myself a ‘gamer’ – I do recognize that there’s a problem within the current descriptor of ‘gamer’. However, I still believe that video games are one of the best conduits for art and expression that humanity has as its disposal. It is a perfect blend of entertainment and ability to teach, shape and expand minds.
Don’t agree? Try a real dialog. But the stuff I’ve seen isn’t dialog. Threats, insults, vitriol, etc. I’d ask whether or not their parents raised them better or not, but there’s no point.
-Dagobot
Get at me on twitter: @markdago
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The PlayStation Blog, has posted a hands on for a new title hitting the PS Vita this fall. “Murasaki Baby” is a touch-only puzzle game, that has you guiding the oddly lovable Baby through a dark world. Solving puzzles involves manipulating objects in the environment, switch backgrounds, popping other monsters balloons and more. Unique titles like this serve as a constant reminder to why I love video games. Trailer below.
Microsoft announced via the Xbox Wire that they have come to an agreement with Mojang and the BBC to bring “Doctor Who’ skins to the Xbox version of Minecraft. These skins will feature characters from all 50 years of the Doctor with different skin packs. Each pack will contain 6 doctors along with their companions. As of right now we know that it will include the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companion Clara (pictured above). The skin pack will also include the Doctor’s arch-enemy the Dalek’s. Allons y!
During their Japanese “3DS Direct” Nintendo announced the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS Xl, releasing October 11, 2014 in Japan. As of right now they haven’t given any information regarding a U.S. release for this year, but the system is definitely overhauled to be bigger and better.
The New 3DS
A few key points for the system are the removable storage area on the bottom that houses the battery and a port for a micro sd card. The new system will also feature more powerful processing, a new way to view 3d, and an NFC reader to integrate with the Amiibo toys.
NFC reader for Amiibos
Along with the NFC reader the system will also have a control stick C on the right side just above the buttons. This will be for Monster Hunter 4g, Dragon Quest X: Online, Final Fantasy Explorers and hopefully others. The 3d on the system has also been improved, so it will not blur when viewing from side angles. The screen will also adjust brightness automatically depending on ambient light.
The new buttons with “C-Stick” positioned just above
Launching this new system also gives way to releasing New 3DS exclusives that will help move the masses towards upgrading. The color scheme for the buttons is also similar to the Super Nintendo controllers (which I happen to prefer).
What do you folks think, will you be upgrading if this comes stateside?
I had the opportunity to sit down at PAX Prime today with the developers from Motiga and get my hands on ‘Gigantic,’ a 5v5, 3rd-person, PvP/PvE action game. Full disclosure, I’ve been really looking forward to get a chance to play since their announcement trailer sucked me into their visually-stunning and explosive, fantasy world. Although we won’t get to play a full release until early 2015, the game has entered friends and family Alpha testing and Motiga brought a ton of awesome stuff for players to explore at this year’s PAX Prime – including developer/community workshops, hands-on gameplay and a Lo-Fi party!
At the outset, I was already impressed with Motiga’s presence at PAX. Their developers were at the ready to engage with their players and help them learn how to play during the hands-on demo. Even though I only got to play one match, I was left really wanting to play more and am looking forward to when public testing is made available. The matches on the current map seem to take about 25 minutes long on average, and the entire match feels super engaging. You never find yourself at a point where you’re just farming up experience or waiting for some action to take place. To me it ended up feeling like a really good hybrid between a fast-paced, third-person shooter and an action MOBA. So, when Motiga says their game is gender-blended, they really mean it, and it’s executed on beautifully.
A match is divided into what feels like two phases – a capture-and-hold phase and “The Clash” with your Guardians. The capture-and-hold play supports map exploration, pvp / pve and strategic play, while “The Clash” turns to an all-out-brawl between the two teams and their Guardians.
Exploring the map and capturing points feels really good – every time you capture one you get the chance to spawn a creature that will then defend the point for you while you move on to another part of the map. This results in players feeling less like they need to be camping points to protect them, and then subsequently encourages teams to be mobile and versatile in their engagement strategies. I was also extremely impressed that when we got to the Clash and our Guardians came down the map to face off, we felt supercharged by the change in pace even though our team was losing. I felt like there was still a chance to make a difference and our team rallied despite knowing victory was a long shot. To me, this is something I really wish more pvp games would support, and it’s pretty difficult to design for in general.
I got a chance to play Charnok, the Draconic Sorcerer; a Hero with fire-themed upgrade paths that were really fun. Since the art style is so colorful and pops right out at you, you end up feeling pretty awesome when you lay down a vibrant stream of fire or smash a volcanic meteor into the environment and players around you. There are still a few readability issues with some of the larger AOE attacks, but it’s obvious that they’re working on making the visuals both bad ass and readable.
To sum up my thoughts overall, I think ‘Gigantic’ is going to be really successful with its blend of fast-paced action, PVP/PVE design, and its ability to immerse you in strong emotions (and fun!) throughout the entirety of a match. I definitely recommend you check it out and keep an eye on development. If you like 3rd-person action and high-octane PVP/PVE, you’ll definitely want to give this a go!
To learn more about Gigantic: check out their website and sign up for Alpha testing here!
Sony has released their PlayStation Plus lineup for September. All games are downloadable at the beginning of the month. Septembers haul has a great lineup most notably with “Velocity 2x” and “PlayStation All Stars” If you haven’t subscribed to plus yet, we both know you’re doing it wrong.
With the hype of E3 behind us and Gamescom in the books, we can now concentrate on the Comic Con of video games: PAX Prime.
The Penny Arcade Expo or PAX Prime is a four-day gaming convention in Seattle that runs from August 29th to September 1st. Once upon a time it was a smaller show but it seems to grow in popularity every year; in fact, tickets for PAX Prime 2014 sold out in a matter of a couple of hours.
PAX isn’t so much about new reveals. It’s one of the expo’s that’s open to more than just the industry, it’s mostly where us regular folks can get a chance to demo the new stuff coming. Plus it’s nice to be surrounded by people with the same interests as you, you can always find someone to play games with, not to mention 200+ street passes.
These are the IP’s/Titles/Games that I’m most excited to check out:
1) BLOODBORNE– The Souls franchise that started with Demon Souls is one of the most immersive and thrilling environments I have ever gamed in. The punishment for death really makes the highs a celebration and the lows gut wrenching. If it’s open world with RPG elements it could be fun, but if it’s yet another linear blood/gore hack-n-slash, It could miss the mark. So far, It looks beastly.
2) QUANTUM BREAK– This game seems to be a lot like The Last of Us which was one of my favorite games from last gen. I expect it to similarly be primarily driven by the narrative with gameplay decent enough to get by. It is easily the best looking game and technically it looks to be doing things not done before. It’s been a while since any game made me stop and think ‘Eff, that is incredible’. Example, the scene on the bridge with the time collapse and the camera zooms in on those protestors was breathtaking. I feel the same way about Quantic Dream. Both studios are great and make games that are different, and different is good. I absolutely loved Alan Wake.
3) DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION– Bioware has been keen to make up for what many people see as the mistake of Dragon Age 2. With the third major installment of the Dragon Age franchise, ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’, the developers have introduced a number of new classes, characters and races for the gamers to choose from. Experience will be granted in Inquisition by the way the gamers tackle monsters and how they go after things. This way by the time you reach the highest levels of the game, you have killed some of the really vicious monsters of the world. Bioware has used the Frostbite 3 engine that features Destruction 4.0 to develop Dragon Age: Inquisition. This has enhanced the in-game destruction phenomena significantly similar to the original game Dragon Age: Origins, the race categories that are available are the Qunari, Dwarves, Elves and Humans. The class options to choose from are Rogue, Mage and Warrior. Cynics be damned; I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this game, and I can’t wait to dive back into the world of Dragon Age.
Some other notables:
Until Dawn looks awesome, reminds of the Cabin In The Woods and The Original Evil Dead or even the remake, it’s that kind of feel. Think about the possibilities, a horror movie where you make the choices and suffer the consequences. So many times I’ve watched a horror movie and just gotten mad at a character for doing something stupid, well now I will be the one who makes those stupid decisions!I love it.
The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter looks interesting, just not a fan of first person view, would love it to be a third person, but that’s just me. The player takes on the role of a detective with the supernatural ability to visualize scenes of violent crimes which he needs to find a kidnapped boy and save him. Exploration and the discovery of clues are the main focus of the game which aims to evolve immersive storytelling. It looks to be a great mystery to solve. I did reach out to Adrian of The Astronauts who stated, and I quote ‘Ethan is a mere month away, and we’re all chained to our desks in order to make sure the release does, indeed, happen.’ Personally, I just think this is misdirection.
Life is strange is DONTNOD’s second game ever – it’s also the studio’s second game starring a woman, following 2013’s Remember Me (totally underrated title). L.I.S. an episodic, narrative-driven point-and-click game heavy on drama, action and supernatural events. At first I thought this was a completely new direction for them but then after they told us the protagonists power I realized that this is a game that uses the memory rewrite segments of Remember Me as a base for the whole game. It could be VERY interesting.
PAX Prime is also all about the awesome panels. With over a hundred of them to choose from, it’s best to plan ahead. Whether you’ll be on the show floor, or watching from home via stream, you might want to know what panels are the best of the bunch. These panels will happen in theaters scattered around the convention center, and it’s best to arrive early to get a good seat.
I picked TWO from the weekend that you just can’t miss (The PAX 10 rules, I love indie games):
Friday 8/29
6:30PM (Wyvern Theatre) The PAX 10 Panel: Part 1 – The PAX 10 is a showcase of independent games to be exhibited at PAX. Our group of over 50 industry experts have culled a selection of games into what they collectively feel are the ten best in regard to gameplay and overall fun-factor. Join the creators of those games live and on stage! Questions will be asked! Answers may appear! And you will get a chance to talk to these up and coming indie game superstars. This panel will feature the creators of The Counting Kingdom, Mushroom 11, FRAMED, Flickers, and Life Goes On
Sunday 8/31
6:30PM (Wyvern Theatre) The PAX 10 Panel: Part 2. This panel will feature the creators of Stikbold!, Poof vs. The Cursed Kitty, Duet, Nova111, SkullDuggery!, and Duet.
Last but not least, THE PARTIES!
Friday 8/29
If you want to catch the ROBOTS live and direct here is where we will be. First, I’ll be rocking along side of Nerdcore MAINSTAYS Mega-Ran, Kirby Krackle and others (see flyer here) I’d love to see all of your FACES at this.
Saturday 8/30
We should be at the Fangamer/Attract Mode gallery (http://attractmo.de/get-ready-fangamer-♥-attract-mode/) OR we are going to crash the IGN Meet & Drink at the Amber Lounge (since it is already at capacity).
Sunday 8/31
Pink Party Prime is the place to be! An LGBTQ+ gaming shindig. They are expecting over 1,000 guests this year and it’s hosted by Jennifer Hale (star of the Mass Effect Tril). P.P.P. will take place 9pm until ?. Tickets start at only $15 and cosplay is encouraged. For more info, visit pinkpartyprime.com
Monday 9/1
Catch us at Seattle Indies Expo @ Melrose Market Studios. More info here: http://six.seattleindi.es/ & later at the Invisible Arcade the info for this one is here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/invisible-arcade-afterparty-edition-tickets-12435152877
Keep up with us and let us know what you want to see at PAX Prime 2014.
-Dagobot
Get at me on twitter: @markdago
Like me on THE Facebook: facebook.com/markdagoraps
Download my latest EP for free: markdago.bandcamp.com
Listen to MY podcast http: http://poppundits.libsyn.com
The creator of Dark Souls is working on this PS4 exclusive that was revealed at E3 this year. While the combat still looks a little unpolished, the boss fight at the end looks phenomenal. The intricate environments are also nothing to complain about. If this game can deliver story and immersion the combat system may not be as big of a concern. Does this have what it takes to be PlayStations killer app?
This episode features: Tyson, Kiley, Jimmy, Lucas, and Tom, with special guest Cassidy!
Topic: Comics/Collectibles
Headlines:
Discussion: Tom’s Trip to EVO!
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