Have you ever played a game and got to a point that just frustrates the heck out of you and no matter how many times you try you just can’t complete a task/perform a jump/find a switch?
That’s the point that I’m tempted to toss the controller across the room.
That point hit me while playing Mirror’s Edge the other day, the parkour-inspired game where you’re a futuristic courier on the run who must bounce, jump, swing and wall-run from the pursuing police. All had been going well until I came to a section where I had to wall-run, jump then turn and grab on to a bar. Do you think I could do it first go? If you answered no, you’d be right.
After about 15 minutes I was still trying to master the move, but generally ended up on my back on the floor below or missing the wall run completely and just dropped to the floor below me.
I think that was when I tossed the controller on to the couch - gently, mind you, as I’m too tigh... More »
What happens when people are reluctant to spend money? Well, they're reluctant to buy a $400 games machine, that's what.
Blu-ray predictions are down due to the struggling economy. PS3 sales should also be affected, an obvious conclusion made by analyst Piers Harding-Rolls.
"At the top end, the PS3 with its high price is arguably more likely to be impacted by a recession than the other platforms. This may prompt consumers to consider other consoles or wait for the PS3 price to drop."
But, sluggish sales of the PS3 won't be the only outcome of a recession economy. Credit has dried up in many areas, meaning developers of games may be forced to cancel or stall projects, before funds become more readily available.
"Where I do see an impact is with regards to access to credit for publishers that look to borrow to invest in content production... More »
Movie pirates are distributing fake Blu-ray movie titles in China, which are essentially ordinary DVDs passed off as Blu-rays.
According to a WSJ report, the counterfeit Blu-ray discs are ordinary DVDs that hold the same movie content as the original Blu-ray but it is encoded in the AVCHD format. AVCHD is based on the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video format, enabling recording of high-definition 1080i and 720p video onto cheap DVD discs.
"We are concerned and are assigning priority to this issue," said Mike Ellis, the Asia-Pacific managing director for the MPA.
The issue came into the surface last month when authorities raided a big stash of the new pirated discs in China, which is often at the leading edge of piracy trends.
The MPA estimates that within the next six months the high-definition discs could account for 10% of $224 million that its m... More »
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo may dominate the global market for video games, but they don't rule in every corner of the world.
The extremely high cost of new video game consoles and games in Brazil has led to unusual market conditions in that emerging country – and a potential market for video game hardware makers. Due to high import taxes, new consoles like the PlayStation 3 regularly fetch in excess of $1,000 USD in Brazil.
However, an intrepid Brazilian company called Tectoy hopes to capture a portion of the young, casual gaming market in Brazil with the launch of their Zeebo home console.
This innovative piece of hardware presents the first credible challenge to the popularity of the other big three manufacturers, and lights the way toward other potential opportunities in markets south of the equator.
Under the hood, the Zeebo is no slouch, especially considering that i... More »
Why EA would promise both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners fresh DLC, when everybody knows that Mirror's Edge PS3 is getting the exclusive?
We asked our friendly neighborhood EA representative.
To quote: “It’s downloadable content for both platforms,” a spokesperson told GameCyte.
While PS3 might well have some token exclusive DLC (just look at how EA is handling Dead Space), DLC in and of itself will apparently not be exclusive.
Every year kids (and adults that wish they were still kids) make lists of what they what for Christmas. This year there are tons of great titles to enjoy. We’re here to help you along with that list. Here are some of the great games of the year for any system.
The Nintendo Wii is sure to be another big seller this season. Whether your just now getting the system or looking for a good game you may have missed, we got you covered.
First we have the music games. It really doesn’t matter which you get, if you’re into feeling like your in the music any of the instrument games are good for you. You can choose from Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero, or even the new Guitar Hero World Tour. All these games are great for family and friends, or a solo bash. Maybe you’re looking for those hidden gems, well then you definitely want to look up World of Goo and de Blob.
If you’re looking for mass market hits you have the new shooter Call of Duty: World at Wa... More »
A press release from Epic Games China has officially announced the opening of Titan Studios, the developer of the upcoming PlayStation 3 game dubbed Fat Princess.
Press Release: – Epic Games China, Ltd. today announced the opening of Titan Studios, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary based in Seattle, Wash. Titan Studios was formed to create original games that incorporate exceptional production values along with core technologies that extend the functionality of Epic Games’ award-winning Unreal Engine 3, and also to provide additional time zone support to partners using Epic Games China’s outsourcing services.
“We are recruiting highly talented and hard working developers, and giving them the resources they need to be successful,” said Paul Meegan, chief executive officer of Epic Games China. “We believe in creating small, cohesive teams that leverage Unreal Engine 3, our production talent in Asia, as well as our Asian and Western design sensibiliti... More »
Gaming, like all mediums in existence, is constantly evolving. The Internet is almost unrecognizable from just 10 years ago.
Television programming has changed greatly, including such technologies as TiVo (DVR) and the unfortunate rise of reality shows on nearly every channel except Nickelodeon.
May God help us all. In the meantime, there are some trends we have noticed appearing in a lot of our favorite videogames, and those trends show a bright future for our favorite hobby. Some may disagree that these are good things, but they are indeed a part of gaming these days for better or worse.
5. Instant Co-Operative Play
Back in the day, co-op modes would typically split the screen in two in order to allow one player to move independently of the other. Split screens, however, were never very popular as they cut out the potential field of vision for both players and were often seen as a necessary nuisance. Since the Sega DreamCast... More »
(2) 
