Besides being a completely spectacular gunfest involving Spartan-like kicks to enemies’ groins, Bulletstorm is adding another reason to game when developers People Can Fly and Epic Games head online this Saturday, March 12 for some multiplayer action on PSN.
Here’s how you can get in on the action:
Last week, Epic unveiled a tech demo showing off Next-Gen graphics in a seemingly Blade Runner-inspired setting. Tech demos are usually a sign of larger things to come and recent rumors are pointing towards a shakeup to the current home console lineup and the future of gaming.
Nintendo is known for delivering innovative features and the Wii 2 looks to be no different.
The vaunted Game Developers Conference wraps up tomorrow, and though we weren’t in attendance rounding up some hot news from the event right here seems the next best thing. So, in case you’ve been too busy actually playing video games this week to read about them, here are a few big stories to come out of the annual event.
WHAT’S A GAME CONFERENCE WITHOUT AWARDS? ‘Red Dead Redemption’ and ‘Minecraft’ top GDC video game awards [USA Today] Cowboys and zombies are an odd mix, but two of 2010s most beloved games managed to steal the hearts of the judges.
PROMOTION GONE WRONG San Franciscans angry over video game balloon stunt [CNET] Oh, THQ – couldn’t you just take a page out of EA’s book and run a silly ad campaign instead?
Just in case you somehow missed the hundreds of articles published today, Apple announced the iPad 2 will hit stores on March 11th. The upcoming model offers a bevy of new features – a slimmer build, two cameras and 3G capabilities. It also boasts a significant improvement to its hardware power thanks to a new dual-core processor – the A5.
What does this mean to gamers? Hopefully, better games. And if the device catches on (the original iPad sold over 15 million units in less than a year, so it’s probable), more of them.
When author and psychiatrist Carole Lieberman told Fox News that playing out sexual situations in video games could lead to an increase in violent sexual acts such as rape carried out in the real world, gamers understandably freaked.
Like an overprotective parent guarding their doe-eyed offspring (even if he or she does have a slingshot tucked away in their back pocket), the reaction to Lieberman’s claim that playing a hyper-violent game like “Bulletstorm”- the focus of the original article – might encourage players to rape was intense. And not in an “I’m writing a strongly-worded letter to her!” way. No – some people decided bombing her books’ Amazon.com listings with unflattering fake reviews would teach her a lesson: don’t mess with video games, lady!
Instead, it reinforces one of the worst gamer stereotypes: that we’re knee-jerk reactionaries who lack the intelligence (or grace) to argue reasonably and instead get personal.
Bethesda is holding a contest aimed at prospective parents: name your baby ‘Dovahkiin’ (after the fictional protagonist from the developer’s upcoming game “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim”), and be rewarded with a lifetime key to all Bethesda/Zenimax titles released on Steam. The child must be born on the game’s release date, which thankfully limits the number of children who could potentially have their lives ruined by stupid parents.
Add this to the already long list of silly, stupid and ultimately pointless things video game makers do to promote their work. And yes, the irony that complaining about this contest is just what Bethesda wants isn’t lost. Still, complaining is good for the soul, and it’s far more honest than jumping on the ‘Love the idea, Bethesda!’ bandwagon.
He sorta looks like he's smiling...
Sweden-based video game developer Frictional Games enjoys making PC horror adventures, like 2010s “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” and the earlier “Penumbra” series. However, a recent update to the company’s official blog exudes an emotion in stark contrast to those its games explore: happiness. And for those who can’t wait to experience its next dark and dreary foray into the horror genre (maybe!), Frictional divulges a few minor details sure to get fans’ hairs on end.
Update: Blizzard has changed its mind about this whole thing. Full coverage here.
To fairly represent both sides of Blizzard’s decision to identify its forum posters by real first and last name, Justin Massoud is standing with the common folk, while Jared Newman sides with The Man. Here’s the take from Justin.
Now that you’ve read one side of the story (the wrong side!), I think it’s time for me to crack a few wisdom eggs and make a knowledge omelet. Blizzard may offer reasoned explanations tempered with years of experience bolstering and supporting a massive community, but when you’re wrong, you’re wrong — and Blizzard is wrong here.
I really regret not writing about Avi Arad’s re-imaging of Pac-Man after seeing a teaser video during E3 last week, but now that GameTrailers has posted the video (minus 3D), you can probably get a sense of how dumbstruck I was at the time. The video debuted at Namco’s party to celebrate the 30th birthday of Pac-Man, and shows an adolescent dot muncher tasked with saving a world overrun by ghosts. It’s corny, for sure, which only adds intrigue to the way Arad, former chief executive of Marvel Studios, talks about it.
