|
Videos
|
|
Written by Sarge
|
|
Thursday, 18 May 2006 |
|
This is a little off the beaten path for our news, but I saw on the BoingBoing.net blog this morning a link to a YouTube video of The Velvet Undergrounds John Cale and Lou Reed performing the song Heroin in France in 1972. This is a rare glimpse at a performance of the band that influenced so much of Rock and Roll from the 1970s onward. The Velvet Underground was where (in my opinion) Rock discovered its dark side and was a true counterpoint to the relatively straight laced pop music at the time. How many other bands in the sixties can you think of that were singing about addiction, prostitutes, and murder among other taboo subjects? I first heard them in the mid-80s when I started exploring the "Alternative" music of the time. Every other artist mentioned them as an influence so I felt I needed to check them out. It was well worth it. Make sure you check out also check out some of the other videos there,especially the one with Nico signing Femme Fatale. |
|
General
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Monday, 15 May 2006 |
Deep down inside, I know there is an eloquent writer just waiting to be heard. Since my subconscious iD seems to have squashed that little guy like EA squashes independent game studios, I have no choice but to let others do my speaking for me.
Enter David Wong. His article, Life After the Video Game Crash covers his impressions of E3 and the brewing console wars. In it, he highlights what happened in the mid 80s when the first gaming crash occurred. He even predicts that crash is about to happen again. I agree with him, but I want to add one more thing to his great article. The more games that are made for PCs in conjunction with consoles, the further down into the pit of hell PC gaming will slip.
Case in point.
History says otherwise. History says that youd eventually get bored with the machine even if there wasnt a better one to replace it.
Lets take this a bit further.
Which brings us to today. Weve now advanced from realistic 3D to slightly prettier 3D and... even slightlier prettier 3D with slightly better reflection effects and slightly better animated water ripples and - oh, look! This game has the most realistic fog yet!
See the problem?
What does an art form that relies on novelty do when it can no longer offer up anything novel?
Does any particular PC game come to mind? Yea, pick one. Battlefield 2142194268-72, Quake MMMMCDXIX, UT2069? Bueller? Bueller?
Battlefield 1942 was popular because it was different from anything else out there. Battlefield 2142 is the same old wolf in sheeps clothing. It is this exact reason that I predict BF2142 will ultimately be the worst selling of the franchise.
I know... I know... You think I am just EA bashing. Well.... Ok, so I am. Can you blame me? Every time a company develops a hot property that breaks the mold, they buy it up and run it into the ground. To make matters worse, when was the last time EA developed a unique, original game?
Im saying both Sony and Microsoft will wind up losing money on their consoles this time around. Nintendo wont, because they quite frankly dont seem to have that much invested. I think the pool of gamers, for the first time in 20 years, will shrink.
If I remember correctly, EA lost money last quarter because of the delay of the next generation of consoles. EAs fate is inevitably tied to the guys mentioned above. As a gamer, and an older gamer at that, I am ready for my next fix. I dont count on these guys to provide it.
Or even worse, I may get to where I have to practice a game, working to make my skills sharper and sharper so I can rub victory in the face of annoying teenagers Ill never meet, feeling the pressure to log more and more hours in the game so I dont embarrass myself in matches. I dont want to do that. I want to relax. I want to play.
....I want something new, exciting, innovating and entertaining....! Not a rehash of the same crap with better water, fire and fog.
Can I get a Hallelujah, Amen Brother David! |
|
|
How Stupid Can You Be
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Friday, 28 April 2006 |
|
Yesterday, I received my telephone Bill from Verizon. It is usually a non-event, but this time I was in for the shock of my life. Having recently moved half way across the country, my wife and I make a lot of Long Distance calls back to our family. Because of this, I purchased an Unlimited Long Distance plan so we could call home without worry about the cost. Imagine my surprise when I open my bill and see $350 worth of Long Distance calls. What follows is a recount of my calls to Verizon to fix the problem. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
General
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Friday, 21 April 2006 |
Based on the Top Selling PC Games for March 2006, it really looks like it.
1. The Sims 2 Open For Business Expansion Pack
2. Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
3. Star Wars: Empire At War
4. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
5. Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth II
6. World Of Warcraft
7. The Sims 2
8. Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Collectors Ed
9. Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth II Collectors Ed
10. MS Age Of Empires III
13. Battlefield 2
*List is based on units sold by more than 70 channel partners, representing 90% of the U.S. retail consumer market. |
|
|
Videos
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Tuesday, 28 February 2006 |
The Gauntlet reports: Cold have decided to break up and call it a day. A statement
below is from frontman Scooter Ward on the bands official message board regarding
the split:
"Today we will no longer survive as cold. sam and i will write new songs, make a new
record and see you guys in due time..we love jeremy .hes my brother and i welcome
him at anytime.we thank the cold army for all their support throughout the years,
the memories the love and the freinds we have made are worth everything..."
This is a shame. I enjoyed their music |
|
|
Neverwinter Nights
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Thursday, 16 February 2006 |
Its no secret, I love Neverwinter Nights. The original on AOL started me down the road to where I am today. Fans of Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale or the new Neverwinter Nights should deffinately check out this interview with Obsidians Ferret Baudoin (dig that name!).
Shack: Though the game will still focus on the city of Neverwinter, its obviously inadvisable to simply "port" the city from the original game to the sequel. What changes can we expect to see to the recreated city of Neverwinter?
Baudoin: One of the big map-making changes in Neverwinter Nights 2 is were no longer tile-based, so that opened up whole new vistas for Neverwinter city herself. Hills, winding roads, parks, etc. are now all doable. So the city may not look much like the first game. You visit some of the same districts (like Blacklake and the Docks). [As far as storyline is concerned,] The reason its so different is the construction after the war in the original game.
Read the full 2 page interview, plus awesome looking screenshots at Shacknews.com. |
|
|
Microsoft
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Friday, 10 February 2006 |
Press Release
Master Chief Dual-Wields His Way to Windows Vista
"Halo 2," the award-winning sequel to the instant classic "Halo: Combat Evolved" to make its PC debut on the Windows Vista platform
"Halo 2," the game that redefined first-person combat and multiplayer action for millions of gamers worldwide, is set to explode onto PCs exclusively for Windows Vista. "Halo 2" for Windows Vista will be developed by a dedicated Microsoft Game Studios team in partnership with Bungie Studios.
Only for Windows Vista, "Halo 2" will offer gamers both the single-player campaign and multiplayer experience of the original, as well as the additional maps offered in the "Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack." Gamers will also have the exciting opportunity to build, create and customize their own multiplayer levels.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
General
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Thursday, 09 February 2006 |
Press Release
Durham, USA — February 9, 2006 – Funcom announces the release of a new trailer for the highly anticipated adventure game ‘Dreamfall: The Longest Journey’. The game is scheduled for a Windows and Xbox release this spring. For the first time Funcom also offer an iPod version of the trailer, as well as a version for cell phones*.
‘Dreamfall: The Longest Journey’, winner of multiple E3 awards as the best game in its genre, is the continuation of a saga that began in the award-winning The Longest Journey, considered to be one of the finest adventure games ever made. In Dreamfall, players are taken on an epic journey of exploration and adventure as they venture through a thrilling and emotional storyline. ‘Dreamfall’ features a fully interactive world where beautiful music, stunning graphics, fascinating characters and unparalleled gameplay variety promises to bring the adventure genre into a new era. Prepare for a spiritual, fantastic and powerful gaming experience.
The trailer, screenshots and more information can be found on the official website:
http://www.dreamfall.com
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Interviews
|
|
Written by Sarge
|
|
Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
Gamespot has published a short interview with Frank Delise, formerly of Trauma Studios - Developers of the popular Battlefield 1942 Mod "Desert Combat" and Dan Kelly, Senior VP of business development at THQ. He and the rest of the Trauma Studios crew have formed a new game development studio called "Kaos Studios" and are working on a new game with the backing of the THQ Publishing House. Look for an official announcement later today from THQ. Here is a snippet of the interview which I think captures exactly what made the Desert Combat Mod so successful:
FD: One thing we were really good at [with the Battlefield 1942 mod Desert Combat] was we really listened to players. What do they want? What do they want to see next? Its really passion about the stuff we make. That obviously paved the way for us to develop the Battlefield 2 R&D projects. But now we have totally different ideas of where the action-drama should go. The most important thing to me was I wanted to keep the core team together and even expand on that.
Edit: The press release is out! Click "read more" to see it in its entirety.
Creators of Desert Combat and Battlefield 2 R&D Projects to Head Up New Studio
Feb 03, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) today announced the opening of Kaos Studios, founded by veterans of Trauma Studios, creators of Desert Combat and Battlefield 2 R&D projects. Kaos first project is an original intellectual property for next generation consoles and Windows PC scheduled for release in 2007.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Hot Off The Presses
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
This is how a big game company does business....
From Gamasutra.
According to online reports confirmed by an official statement made to consumer site GameSpot, Electronic Arts has laid off around 5 percent of its staff worldwide, following a cautionary conference call in mid-December regarding the slowing video game market.
Although the EA spokesperson did not specifically reference affected studios, its believed that the EA Redwood Shores, EA Tiburon, and EA Vancouver studios were all affected notably by the layoffs... |
|
|
Videos
|
|
Written by Atomm
|
|
Tuesday, 31 January 2006 |
Day in Rock reports: Wanna hear what Rebel Meets Rebel (the project feature Vinnie
Paul, Dimebag, Rex Brown, Country writer David Allen Coe) sounds like? You can now
hear snippets from the album before it hits stores in May. Head on over to the full
story link to check out some of the songs that will cruch the worlds of metal and
country together.
Full Story |
|
|
Hot Off The Presses
|
|
Written by Raze
|
|
Monday, 30 January 2006 |
|
According to a study at the Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, video games are good at reducing pain, or distracting you from it. The study showed that Fighting and Sports games to be the most effective in taking your mind off the pain you may have. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 Next > End >>
|
| Results 2223 - 2244 of 2392 |
Listen Now
Playlist
UT2004 (R)
blast basterd (U CA)
