Backlog: The Embiggening - August, 2012
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 08/05/12 at 02:37 PM CT
Welcome to another look into the near future. This summer’s game drought is proving to be just as bad as the actual drought currently baking the entire Midwestern United States. Will the drought break, or will gamers wither on their stalks like so many ears of corn?
One thing I didn’t see coming this summer was the bi-annual Steam Sale, as I am still a new user of that service. The Steam Summer Sale, which ran from July 12 to July 22, took the bored, weather-beaten gaming populace by storm, providing discounts between 40% and 80% on pretty much everything currently available. As a result of this irresistible pricing, my backlog unexpectedly grew by 8 games. Sure, none of them are particularly new, but embiggening is embiggening.
But July and the Steam Summer Sale are in the past. What does August hold?
In an unprecedented move since the 7th Generation began (at least it feels that way), we are getting a second month without any new FPSes. I could almost be gleeful about …
Why you should buy a Nexus 7 tablet
Nick - wrote on 08/01/12 at 07:47 PM CT
The Nexus 7 Google tablet has been a long awaited release to compete with the popular Kindle Fire 7 inch tablet by Amazon. Many people don't want to pay the outrages prices of Apple products or for large screen sizes like the Galaxy tablets. Asus has done a good job in producing a Nexus tablet that has everything you need at an affordable price. Price is one reason why the Kindle Fire has done so well. Unfortunately, Amazon re-skinned the Fire (modified Android OS) and locked it in to use with the Amazon store. Still a great device, but the Nexus 7 blows it, the Nook, and the iPad, out of the water. And here's why.
Screen
The screen on the Nexus 7 looks spectacular. It has a 1280x800 resolution, which beats all the other 7" tablets which only have 1024x600 pixel screens. This is one place where price increases the most, it is amazing Google and Asus were able to use this great looking screen and keep the starting price at $200.
Android OS
The Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, …
Is Windows 8 a Catastrophe Waiting to Happen?
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 07/29/12 at 02:30 PM CT
This past week, two of the biggest names in PC game development/publishing, Blizzard and Valve, had some… unflattering things to say about the upcoming Windows 8. According to both Gabe Newell and Rob Pardo, Windows 8 is shaping up to be “a catastrophe.” While I have not personally had the chance to try out Windows 8 yet, my impression of Newell’s comments – and his apparent newfound interest in Linux as a gaming platform – is that he’s just spreading a bunch of FUD.
Why do I think that the man in charge of the greatest PC gaming platform is mistaken? Here are five reasons:
1. Linux is Linux
If Gabe thinks gamers will switch from Windows to Linux in droves, he’s insane. Linux has been under open-source development for 21 years, and is still a user-unfriendly POS that has no place in the typical PC user’s life. You think Windows has been sold in too many different flavors recently? Linux laughs at the tiny variety of Windows versions, then goes back to …
Why I Don’t Own a Tablet PC
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 07/20/12 at 07:37 PM CT
I have been intrigued by the concept of tablet computers since they were referred to as "UMPCs." Yet, here we are in 2012, in the midst of the “post-PC” tablet revolution, and I still don’t own one. No iPad, no Droid, no nothin’! Why? Allow me to elaborate.
I never sprang for a UMPC back in 2006 because they were high-priced gadgets with anemic hardware. If I was going to own such a device, I wanted the ability to use all of my regular Windows software on it. Paying twice as much for half the hardware capability as my regular desktop PC just didn’t click with me, so I waited for the price to drop.
I’m still waiting.
While the UMPC evolutionary branch still exists, it was largely a dead-end, supplanted by true tablet PCs inspired by touchscreen smartphones. Thanks to a huge marketing blitz and rapid release schedule most people think Apple invented the tablet PC concept with their iPad, despite the fact that similar concepts were actually in development by a …
Ouya! Oh Yeah?
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 07/15/12 at 02:58 PM CT
This past week, a new Indie developer came out of nowhere and took the world of console games by surprise. This new company, called Ouya, isn’t, however, an Indie game developer, but an Indie console developer. Could such a thing actually work?
Ouya launched via Kickstarter with a relatively-small venture capital goal of $950,000. Less than $1 million to engineer, manufacture, and distribute a game console? Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo should take notice! Of course, Ouya didn’t just earn their initial goal: As of this writing, they have accumulated nearly $5 million in contributions, the vast majority of which comes from backers at the $99 level, which essentially amounts to pre-orders, as $99 will be the Ouya console’s retail price.
In the modern console environment, the Ouya is bucking all of the trends. While the PS3 launched at the price of a decent laptop computer, the Xbox 360 launched at an equivalent price to a reasonable desktop PC, and the Wii launched at the …
Backlog: The Embiggening - July, 2012
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 07/05/12 at 01:42 PM CT
Welcome to another look into the near future. As the summer game drought continues, let’s see what has managed to trickle forth from the dry well in July.
In a shocking turn of events, not a single FPS is coming in July. Is this a sign that the Mayans were right about the world coming to an end? If so, why are there no FPSes in July, while the Mayan calendar runs out in December? Regardless, I’m just happy that the cockroach of genres this-gen is taking a little break.
Of course, the OTHER genre cockroach is still going strong: Licensed games. This month every platform capable of running it is getting a tie-in for “Ice Age 3: Continental Drift.” In addition, the two big-boy consoles are getting a licensed exercise game based on Adidas shoes for use with their respective motion controllers.
The only other noteworthy console releases consist of multi-platform titles. For driving fans, there’s “Test Drive: Ferrari Legends.” For jocks, there’s “NCAA Football …
Best and Worst Game Consoles: Part 2 - Villains
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 06/29/12 at 04:01 PM CT
Last week, I covered the heroes of console gaming. But it seems that where there is good, there must always be evil. When acts of greatness are replaced with evil deeds, not only do gamers suffer, but the industry as a whole suffers.
This week, I will look at the five vilest villains of console gaming:
5. Sega Genesis + Sega CD + Sega 32X
In contrast to the wise philosopher-king of the 16-bit era, the Genesis was nothing but a sophist, attempting to lure-in the uneducated through tricky wordplay. ‘I do what Nintendon’t!’ it said. ‘Blast Processing!’ it said. And when its sophistry failed, the Genesis tried to seduce the lowest common denominator among American gamers (a nation where the villain actually found some popularity) with bread and circuses: ‘My version of “Mortal Kombat” has blood!’ Regardless of its evil nature, the Genesis made a fine rival for the SNES, and the competition between the two was part of what made the Golden Age golden. Sadly, …
Best and Worst Game Consoles: Part 1 - Heroes
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 06/24/12 at 03:47 PM CT
As the 7th Generation of consoles draws to a close and the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 take their last, gasping breaths before shuffling-off into obscurity, it seems like a good time to take a retrospective look at the history of game consoles. This week and next week, I will stroll among the headstones, offering tribute to those great console heroes that have built the gaming hobby into a wonderful thing, while spitting upon the graves of those who would be better off forgotten, if not for the fact that remembering the great failings in history is the only way to avoid repeating them.
This week, I will look at the five greatest heroes of console gaming:
5. Nintendo Entertainment System
Looking back, the NES didn’t exactly have a stellar library of games. The library of games was pretty big, but for the most part (though there are several exceptions), the only ones worth playing were by Capcom, Enix, ICOM, Konami, or Nintendo themselves. But what makes the NES a hero among game …
10 Game Sequels that Surpassed their Originals
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 06/16/12 at 12:50 PM CT
Previously, I looked at examples of sequels that went horribly, horribly wrong. But on the reverse side of that coins are sequels that didn’t just meet their originating game in quality and enjoyability, but actually surpassed it in every way. Here are 10 examples of sequels to mediocre-to-poor games that ended up being spectacular.
10. Silent Hill 2
While I am of the opinion that all Survival Horror games can die in a fire, Chris informs me that “Silent Hill 2” is scarier and generally more awesome than “Silent Hill.” I guess we’ll have to take his word for it?
9. 007: Agent Under Fire
This follow-up to the ridiculously-over-hyped “GoldenEye 64” blew away Rare’s crowning achievement in every way. Not only did it look much better and have a much more usable default control layout, it was also a Bond game that wasn’t based on a movie. The entirely original narrative combined with a mission layout that felt like it was designed specifically to be a game …
E3 Impressions 2012
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 06/08/12 at 04:28 PM CT
After last year’s exciting E3, this year was a significant let down. Just when it seemed E3 was recovering from its near crash-and-burn in 2006, we get another year full of blandness, secrets, and overall malaise. While there were still a few rays of hope in E3 2012, it was a disappointing showing from all the major players.
Microsoft:
Want: Nothing
Not Sure if Want: Nothing
Do Not Want: Everything (SmartGlass, Kinect, new Xbox games)
Microsoft did a great job this year of reinforcing my disdain for the Xbox 360. Between SmartGlass (useless for someone who doesn’t own a smartphone or tablet), a variety of Kinect retardation (the Kinect should be solely used for UI navigation, never for gameplay), and the usual slew of ‘M for Juvenile’ games I am so fond of ignoring, MS may as well have stayed home and continued working on Windows 8.
Sony:
Want: “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale,” “LittleBigPlanet Karting”
Not Sure if Want: PS3 Wheel, “Ni no …
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