Archive for May 10th, 2008
« Previous EntriesThis Week’s Top Downloads [Download Roundup]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008- AVG Free Anti-Virus 2008 Released, Much Improved (Windows)
"Aside from a general interface overhaul and faster performance, the updated anti-virus scanner has added several new features with a focus on web security." - Harmony Downloads Album Art for Fullscreen Coverflow (Windows)
"Freeware application Harmony integrates with your iTunes library to provide an attractive, Coverflow-like interface of your albums." - Xobni Beta Now Open to the Public (Windows)
"Xobni adds email analytics, better contact cards, fast search, threaded conversations, and more to your Outlook inbox." - Cairo-Dock Adds Slick, Custom App-Launching to Linux (Linux)
"Free utility Cairo-Dock makes a strong showing, not least for its highly-configurable and slick appearance, as well as a good range of plug-ins and third-party applets." - OpenOffice 3.0 Beta Now Available, Adds Native OS X Support (All)
"OpenOffice.org, the free office application suite, has released a beta of its 3.0 version to the public with a few key features rolled in." - PandoraBoy Brings Streaming Radio to Your Desktop (Mac)
"Free, open source application PandoraBoy pulls the popular streaming internet radio site Pandora out of your browser and integrates it with your Mac desktop."
LOLBox Art: You’re Doing it Wrong [Lists]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
1Up has a running feature on worst-ever box cover art. It's been about six months since the last installation so they drop another dozen or so for us to laugh at. Yes, Okami's watermarked box makes the list. So does the Orange Box. Remember, just because it's bad box doesn't make it a bad game. In fact, a good game triumphing over bad packaging is ... even gooder!
Some of these are so bad they look like LOLz. Utterly incongruous text over the graphics. Like someone developed a game and then they retrofit whatever art was laying around because they ran out the packaging budget. Pure Pinball? That looks more like a concept for Fox Force Five or something.
The Worst Video Game Box Covers, Part 4 [1Up]
Get Your Party On with the Emergency Party Button [Weekend Project]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
You're a busy person, with a button-up career gig that takes up most of your waking hours. So when you clock out, you don't have time to put in all the work to get into party mode. What you need is a button—a party button—to take you from straight-laced to party in a matter of seconds. The emergency party button, activated by turning a key and pressing a big red button, does exactly that. After dimming the overhead lights, the party button turns on the party lights, turns up the music, and fires up the fog machine. Hit the jump for a video of the party button in action.
If Nintendo Made Halo 3 [Clips]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Reader Dead Hex found this — apparently it was posted in mid-April and we missed it? But it's a concept video that dares asks the question, what if Nintendo developed Halo 3?
Oh, most of the punchlines are predictable stereotypes (you see, Nintendo develops games like this and Microsoft develops games like this) but, c'mon, some of it's pretty clever. Especially the final level. And the aerial combat. As soon as they take off, I was waiting for Starfox and ... yep, it doesn't disappoint.
Gal, Guy and Villain [Major League Gaming, via Typing Loudly, thanks Dead Hex.]
The Stalin vs. Martians Interview [Communist Space Opera]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
We've mentioned the Russian RTS Stalin vs. Martians, which is set in Siberia circa 1942 and features the Red Army versus ... martians. Kieron Gillen has posted a funny interview with Alexander Shcherbakov, the lead creator, over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, which features tantalizing hints at future projects (A game featuring Lenin? A winter add-on pack for Stalin vs. Martians?), as well as some generally gaming related chatter:
Still I open up the reviews section in the gaming magazine, check the latest releases and most of the time feel that I just don't understand who's buying all this crap. Make me say "Wow!" or go to hell. Perhaps I'm just tired of gaming. Strange enough, but most of my favorite titles are not katamaris and patapons. It's more like, Civilizations, Street Fighters, one or two odd Game Gear titles like Defenders of Oasis, Tetris (I had to say that for patriotic reasons) and Shenmue. Actually, Shenmue is my weak spot, I speak about "original concepts", but deep inside my heart I want to make a couple of Shenmue clones. And I will. The story will be unique though. You know, I'll run a random word generator and get something like: Lenin, vampires, steam robots. Sounds good enough.
Worth a read through — Shenmue meets Lenin, I can't wait.
RPS Vs. Russians: The Stalin Vs. Martians Interview [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
Sociologist Finds GTA IV is “Less Sensational” Than Real Crime [Grand Theft Auto IV]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Slate contributor Sudhir Venkatesh is a Columbia sociology professor who has written a book about street gangs, even going so far as to run with one in Chicago for a book. So, naturally, Grand Theft Auto IV would intrigue him. His verdict on the game's realism? It "actually offered a less sensational portrait of gangland and ghetto streets than the one put out by most cops, politicians, policymakers, and even academics."
But it does pretty much nail the always changing landscape of a criminal's life, in enemies who become friends and vice versa, risks taken trusting someone and goals that were of vital importance at one point becoming expendable in short time.
It's still "a carnival of violence, deceit, and cruelty that makes you slightly nauseated after playing for only a few hours" — well, remember he's writing for a Slate audience. He fesses up to lacking joystick skills to control the cars, but offers up a couple informed suggestions.
One, set the next one in the south side of Chicago (isn't that Carcer City in GTA canon?) and two, for multiplayer: Form gangs, or clans, which themselves have their own alliances and enemies and bargains. That gets GTA IV into MMO territory of course — but isn't that the rumor we're hearing out of latest developments with Realtime Worlds and APB?
What Grand Theft Auto IV Gets Right About Gangland and Illegal Economies[Slate]
Turn Gmail in an Always-On Baby Book [Parent Hacks]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Blogger Rafe Needleman uses Gmail to record memories of his young son's life. With the hefty storage, easy accessibility and robust filter and search tools, it's a neat way to be able to quickly pull up that time when your little one met Santa Claus—or yanked your laptop off the table. Of course, with stuff this precious, it's always a good idea to back it up.
Academics vs. ‘Gaming’ Academics: Let the Snark Begin [High Drama]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
While academia occasionally manages to maintain the veneer of being 'civilized,' academic battles of words can frequently be just as epic as anything occurring outside the Ivory Tower — even when couched in elegant language and well-reasoned points, you can tell people are out to draw blood. So it (sort of) is with Roger Travis, a classics professor who wrote a passionate plea for gamers to "turn the tables on Aarseth and other doyens of game studies" in the Escapist:
When you take or teach courses called, for example, Game Studies 101; when you hold a degree in "new media studies" (wink, wink); when you publish your research in a journal called Game Studies; or when you actually are a professor of game studies, you end up feeling like you know what games do - and what they should do.That wouldn't be so bad - it's business-as-usual for academics, in fact - if game studies didn't harbor what amounts to a desperate need to lay claim to ownership of game design as well as theory. It turns out that they don't just want to write articles and grant Ph.D.'s - they want to design our games, too.
Well, Ian Bogost — one of those people Travis is referring to — fired back
A considerable portion of my first book and my other writings object to the very idea that game studies stands alone. You cite a three-year-old prolegomenon by Aarseth, one meant as a provocation (something he's known for), and decide to attribute it to all game scholars. You make a "plea to gamers to turn the tables on Aarseth and other doyens of game studies" (myself included). Many (most?) of us already have done work to turn those very tables. Do you actually read any game studies scholarship?
Oh, snap. I consider myself lucky to be in a field that doesn't really suffer from a 'real world' vs. 'academic' split — we have enough drama amongst ourselves. The debate continues in the comment sections of both pieces, and is worth paging through if you have the time.
Quibus Lusoribus Bono? Who is Game Studies Good For? [Escapist] & A Response to Roger Travis [Ian Bogost] [both via GrandTextAuto]
New Age of Conan Videos Show Braless Demons [Age Of Conan]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Age of Conan is going after World of Warcraft in the MMO space. It's also a vehicle for getting those hot babes Roy Thomas drew in Savage Sword of Conan into 3D animation. Seriously, the Conan franchise's sensuous representation of bodies in combat is absolutely one of its drawing cards, acknowledged or not. So developer Funcom has gone to it with gusto, looks like.
GamesRadar has two videos up of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, which releases for the PC on May 20. It's due for Xbox 360 sometime by September. The first shows combat and the character classes, with some dry narration about succubus boobies and a not-really apology if anyone's offended. The second covers the dungeon crawl.
Edit: I tried to embed these but it dint work the thang's broked stupid embed code etc. Best to just visit the GamesRadar site. They're still pretty slick to watch.
Two Exclusive Age of Conan Videos [GamesRadar]
New Sega Title Begins Testing in China [Three Kingdoms Ftw]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Adding to my theory that Three Kingdoms-related material will outlast us all, Dynasty Gaming has announced the start of closed testing with the first of their Sega-licensed "China Series" of games. And what would that game be? A MMORPG entitled Sanguko Seisen ('Saga of the Three Kingdoms'), designed to "secure a loyal following of SEGA game enthusiasts in China." Considering the current success of domestically-produced titles, it seems a little late to be trying to secure a 'loyal following,' but people do love their Three Kingdoms related stuff. Full release after the jump:
Dynasty Gaming Commences Testing of First Licensed Sega Online Game in Mainland China
After the successful signing of a License Agreement with SEGA Japan (SEGA) for the design and production of several on-line multi-player digital games with DNY BVI Limited, [HQ: British Virgin Islands], a subsidiary of DYNASTY GAMING (OTCBB: DNYFF) (TSX-V: DNY) [HQ: Montreal, Canada] (Company), the Company is pleased to announce that the first of its licensed SEGA online games is undergoing a closed testing process with the Company's China partner, Beijing Baiyouhuitong Net Technology Co. Ltd. [HQ: Beijing] (Partners).
Interviewed in Beijing, Company CEO Albert Barbusci stated that, "This represents the final step in the process to launch the first of our licensed 'China Suite' of SEGA games; a massively multi-player online roll-playing game (MMORPG) to be known as 'Sanguko Seisen' (Saga of the Three Kingdoms). Testing will continue throughout May to ensure that the new SEGA game meets all specifications for mainstream commercial operation in Mainland China."
SEGA, one of the most internationally recognized names in world-class, digital gaming products and software, worked in close collaboration with Dynasty Gaming and Partners to create "Sanguko Seisen." Adapted from a popular Japanese street game, SEGA seamlessly transposed unique elements of traditional Chinese culture, fashion and style in designing a fast-paced, exhilarating game of challenges and skills. Using the latest, state-of-the-art digital gaming technologies, the final product will engage Chinese players in a game of personalized roll-playing that stimulates strategic thinking. Designed to give players the opportunity to achieve personal goals as well as sharpen tactical manoeuvring and focus, players attain ever greater strengths in a game that is never the same twice. The realistic imagery and dynamic characters give the player a true sense of being in a real-world setting of ever-changing scenarios that will maintain player interest and guarantee longevity for succeeding generations. "Sanguko Seisen" also promises to secure a loyal following of SEGA game enthusiasts in China; hungry to see subsequent games in the SEGA "China Series."
"This is an exciting milestone in the company's goal to establish the dominant software design, operation and distribution networks within Mainland China, and join in congratulating SEGA and our China-based Partner in the fulfillment of this extraordinary goal," said Dynasty Gaming CEO, Albert Barbusci.
The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this news release.
How to Water Your Lawn Efficiently [Outdoors]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Spring is upon us, and with a little know-how, you can water your lawn more smarter this year. Tutorial site wikiHow offers strategies to reduce your water usage while maintaining a healthy, hearty lawn. For example:
Water deeply to encourage deep root growth. Frequent shallow waterings encourage weed germination, and they also cause the grass plants' roots to grow shallow, leaving the plant more susceptible to drought and to certain diseases. Watering only when your grass really needs it encourages the roots to grow deeperThe article is full of other smart watering tips—like watering early to avoid evaporation—that are worth a read before you put out the sprinklers. Photo by Finstr.
Gametrailers Blows It with PS3/360 Footage [Race Driver: Grid]
Saturday, May 10th, 2008So I poked the console-wars snake last week and learned a big Fat Albert lesson about people's feelings in the process. Gametrailers, with a longer history than me, not so much.
We've been hearing a lot of chatter about how they botched a comparison video of Race Driver: GRID. In an attempt to show cooler crash physics on the 360, they used PS3's instead — easily identifiable by the controller map in the lower left corner. Doh!
Gametrailers took down the video after getting barbecued in the comment flamewar. But someone already YouTubed it and spliced in comments pointing out the negligence, or worse.
Anyway, here you go. Just shows that console comparison is absolutely the third rail discussion in our neck of the woods. And if you undertake it, everything has to be bulletproof, or you'll get ripped for looking like a shill.
GRID Playstation 3 vs Xbox 360 Comparison is Fishy [onaxis]