Humor: NWA World Has Its Own Opinion About Valve’s Big Steamy Plans…

Posted on September 25, 2013 by geelw

The funniest thing about this video is NWA’s animators used the late Crash Bandicoot (!) as Sony’s mascot when poor Crash hasn’t been in a game (or on a Sony console) in YEARS. Oh well, nostalgia runs deep over in Taiwan I guess. Either that or the fine folks at NWA didn’t want to animate the more up to date (and even more hugely popular these days) characters Ratchet & Clank because it would have taken a few minutes more to get an extra figure running about in this clip. These guys work FAST, you know. Anyway, yeah – things are getting REALLY weird on the console front with everyone wanting to take over that living room. I think poor Apple won’t even bother trying to make a console at this point. They’ve missed this train a few times and their customers aren’t necessary going to buy into a console that plays games they can already get on their phones and tablets and maybe try playing through Apple TV. Eh, we’ll see, I guess. Score one… no, TWO for Valve. Friday’s next big reveal should be equally or even more innnnnteresting…

Valve Drops Shoe Two of Three: Steam Machines, From A Few Sources (Plus How To Get One Early!)

Posted on September 25, 2013 by geelw

BOOM. Well, it’s not actually surprising, this badly kept secret of Valve’s, but at least the company knows how to make “old” news really damned thrilling. So, yes… in addition to their new Family Sharing plan, Valve is making a FREE downloadable game-centric SteamOS AND a console you can run it on. Even better, those upcoming Steam Machines are going to be coming from a few different producers so users will have a choice of styles as well as the flexibility to tinker with their individual systems and even create content if they’re that type of gamer. If half of that last sentence sounds familiar, it’s because Panasonic’s MUCH maligned 3DO Multiplayer ended up also getting a few variants produced by Goldstar and Sanyo at different price points and with different pack-in titles.

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Lichdom Gallery: Looks Like A Magical RPG Experience for PC Gamers…

Posted on September 25, 2013 by geelw

Atlanta-based developer Xaviant is hard at work on what’s looking like an incredible new role-playing game, Lichdom (which in those screens below seems to be subtitled Redeemer). The currently PC-only title, (powered by AMD and Crytek’s highly versatile CRYENGINE) is centered around some rather heavy magic spell usage and as you can see in that trailer above, those spells pack quite a wallop. From what I’ve read on their YouTube channel, the game isn’t an open world experience at all, but promises to have an extreme level of immersion (always a good thing in a game such as this).

While those screens below don’t show off any in-game character models (that trailer above does nicely enough at that), but does feature some very nicely detailed environments that yes, recall Skyrim and a few other RPGs of the soon to be previous generation.

Even in an early graphics test the game looked magnificent, so it’s definitely going to be a PC card melter when it’s finally completed. That said, this is exactly the sort of game the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One need to lure in gamers who don’t see any RPGs on the horizon, so there’s hopefully at least some consideration given to porting the game over at some point (after it launches on PC, of course).

As for the game’s story, main character and other details, well… that’s below the jump in handy press release form (of course)…

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Need For Speed Trailer: Put it in “Park”, Pinkman…

Posted on September 25, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, joblomovienetwork!)

Oh, this is going to hurt, but here goes. We really do NOT need… a Need for Speed movie. Seriously. Aaron Paul may be a hot star thanks to Breaking Bad, but this soon to tank out effects-filled gasser isn’t going to gain him any fans unless they’re too young to watch him as Jesse but right in the clutches of this upcoming car flick. Not that it’s supposed to be a big thing to see an actor come off such a huge TV show ride as BB and make the leap to Oscar bait right away, mind you. I predict this will do well on opening weekend if there’s no Fast and the Furious flick rolling out at the same time, but anyone lining up looking for character depth may as well play Need for Speed: The Run, which was EA’s attempt at making a racing game play like a movie… and it didn’t work all that well despite the best of intentions. I’d laugh if there were a game tie-in on a console (I can definitely see a cheap app popping up, though) at some point next year. We gamers don’t have THAT short a memory (well, I sure don’t)…

Oh well, I’ll shut up now with my predictions and let this one find its level. If it’s in YOUR wheelhouse, enjoy the show. Me, I’ll hold out for the cable premiere and kick myself later if I was incorrect in my forecasting…

Earth Defense Force 2025 US Cover Art Revealed: The Gang’s All Here (Almost)!

Posted on September 25, 2013 by geelw

Nice. While the game’s Japanese cover art was a relatively simple shot of multiple motherships converging on an about to be invaded Earth, the North American art features all four playable classes and some of the many enemies you’ll face off with in this BIG bug and ‘bot blast fest. I loved that they used in-game character models and not a standard painting, although the import version DID ship with one of two reversible cover images done in a cool manga style. I’ll put in a quick Q to D3PoA’s PR and see if we’ll be blessed with that alternate art choice, but even if we don’t get them, this one’s a fine looking bit of art that will make those non-EDF playing pals of yours automatically ask what’s up with that cast of armored guys and gal and that upside down spider that’s making them nervous. Five new screenshots are below: