And (More) Miles To Go Before I Sleep (But I’ve Got Toys To Dream About)…

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Yikes. I’ve a LOT of Toy Fair 2012 stuff to write up, but it’ll get done over the next week. I got a nice laugh earlier because I’d initially planned to do about five big articles that covered everything I saw that I liked. Of course, those plans got steamrolled once I started going through my note, then sorting out catalogs and contact info. Anyway, there will be at least one huge article and a bunch of smaller ones coming, so just watch your inboxes if you’ve subscribed for updates. Anyone else (meaning new folks I ran into at Toy Fair), you’ll be hearing from me directly. That is all – I’m going to sleep, as I’m over my word count for the day…

Classic Gaming Expo 2K12 Update: Registration Is Open, Prices Are Awesome!

Posted on February 18, 2012 by geelw

And so it begins! CGE 2012 Registration kicks off with an excellent pricing whether you sign up for Early Bird, Advance or even at the door tickets. Additionally, the lovely and newly renovated Plaza Hotel is the venue and the special CGE rates are quite affordable at $65 per day for a Deluxe room. Of course, you’ll need to do something about transportation to and from Las Vegas (road trip!) as well as any sightseeing options. As for food, well you’d be surprised (or maybe not so surprised) to find way too many options in Vegas to make sure you’re not going to starve at any hour of the day.

Back with more CGE 2012 updates as they’re announced…

Toy Fair 2012: Skylanders Giants: Activision’s Other (Not-So) Secret Weapon For 2012

Posted on February 18, 2012 by geelw

Despite all the skeptics (professional and otherwise) out there predicting all sorts of astronomical failure for the product, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures was a massive hit for Activision and veteran developer Toys for Bob across multiple platforms, transforming the gaming landscape with a crossover product that combined a solid, fun video game with collectible figures. At Toy Fair 2012, the next wave of Skylanders was rolled out to what looked like pretty positive overall response. Skylanders: Giants introduces eight new characters into the fold including four huge elemental hulks that change up the gameplay considerably. If last year’s success caught Activision off guard, this year they’re loaded for bear and ready to rake in even more of your gaming and collecting dollars…

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The Journey Is Almost Over: March 13 Arrival, Expect Lots Of Sand In Your Shoes…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

thatgamecompany’s fantastic new title, Journey has been a game I’ve wanted to dive into ever since I saw those first screenshots and movies about two years back. Heck, I even started my preview by breaking out in song (well, sort of). Anyway, the PSN/SEN exclusive game finally has a concrete release date, which is March 13, 2012. Without saying too much (other than BUY IT – when has thatgamecompany ever made a bad game?), let’s just say a lot of you reading this with PS3’s (and a PSN account, as this isn’t coming out on a disc) will be amazed and absolutely in love with what the team has crafted. The word “innovation” is highly overused in the game industry, but here’s a case where you’ll get to see, hear and more importantly, PLAY a game that goes above and beyond the call. Hopefully, a Vita version is in the cards, as this is far too great a game to be confined to the home space…

Kid Icarus: Uprising Three Sacred Treasures Trailer (Try Saying That Three Times Fast)

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Nintendo’s biggest (or at least most wanted by many) first-party 3DS game of 2012 is soaring toward its release – here’s the latest trailer bound to get fans thrilled (and me wanting to see an sequel on the Wii U). Of course, I’d also love a new 3D Metroid game at some point, but I guess we’ll have to see what’s what at E3 this year…

WipEout 2048 Launch Trailer: Yet Another Great Reason To Grab A Vita…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

The one constant for every Sony system: A great WipEout game. 2048 looks to continue the trend, this time as a prequel to the long-running franchise that also shows off how powerful the Vita is and as a first-gen title, it’s a total knockout (long load times aside). Provided Sony gets all the support from its dedicated console base PLUS a fair shake form the pure tech dopes who think a dedicated gaming device with standalone games (many available as digital or physical purchases), I think the Vita will be a bigger hit than some skeptics are thinking.

Max Payne 3 Trailer # 2: I’ll Have a Shot Of That…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Delay of game aside, the new May 15 launch date also gives me time to recuperate from my birthday a week earlier. Given that I’ll most likely be spending it buried in some new game, I get a few extra days to finish whatever I’m playing before Max makes his appearance. Perhaps Rockstar was thinking of me after all? Well, maybe not, but a guy can hope, right? That new trailer is up on the other blog if you’re curious, George…

Double Fine Adventure Update #1: Tim Goes Platforming, Money Still Rolling In…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Well, the game is hugely popular, big name publishers are kicking themselves in the face and butt simultaneously and all sorts of game projects are looking to Kickstarter or other crowd funding sources as all of a sudden people realize that SAYING a genre is dead because you’re too damn lazy to make games and drum up interest for them is a LOT different than allowing developers who KNOW what they’re doing to make the games they want to make in the first place…

Remember kids, just because something is popular (i.e., makes a ton of money automatically year by year), doesn’t mean it’s actually GOOD. Class dis-missed!

Toy Fair 2012: Floppets – Sometimes, Smaller Is Better (And Cooler. And Cheaper)…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

While the big name usual suspects were strutting their upcoming stuff behind closed doors or in appointment-only booths or events, some of the most fun items I saw were actually scattered all around the show floor. A few of the best things at the show were found in smaller booths that were easy to miss unless you were paying attention or were strolling by as a sample was being handed out. Which is how I stumbled upon Floppets, a new impulse product that’s definitely going to get a lot of notice one word gets out on how cool they are. And once you see them, it’s all about how much you NEED to buy one, and another, and another (and so forth and so on)…

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Syndicate Hands-On Update: A Fresh Perspective That’s Just Right (Again)

Posted on February 16, 2012 by geelw

With the release of Syndicate less than a week away, here’s a quick (and mostly spoiler-free) update on what to expect from Starbreeze Studios’ reboot of the PC classic. I had the chance to play through the game’s first two missions plus a tough co-op map with a few fellow journalist types at the Spotlight EA event last week and as I’ve been saying, the game absolutely nails the feel of the original game in many areas, improving on things by dropping the camera to first person and putting you into the shoes of cyber-enhanced corporate agent, Miles Kilo. Those of you out there still skeptically on your internet forum soapboxes need to step down and pick up a controller at some point, as any bit of quality time spent with the game will prove that it’s a winner that improves on many elements the original pioneered.

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