Hey Wikipedia! Get Your Facts Stra… Oh, Nevermind…

Posted on June 18, 2012 by geelw

For the record, Oh, mighty but overrated and often unreliable source of “information” that too many people rely on for “facts”: THIS adventure game/RPG hybrid on the left is NOT at all THIS pretty solid port of a great PC-Engine shooter on the right. Two different games, two different developers and hell, two different genres if you really want to get overly fussy about it. Someone needs to fix this (and more, as I’d bet this is’t the ONLY thing on that site with a lousy bit of lazy behind it…

Are We Headed For A Data Daze? Maybe.

Posted on June 17, 2012 by geelw

Is the big new (or not so new if you’ve been following this stuff) push to charge consumers for data usage coupled with the elimination of “unlimited” plans going to cripple mobile and soon enough, console gaming in the future? I think so, specially for any users on a budget. Imagine your ISP capping the amount of data you can receive just because they can introduce these plans based on what amounts to a guessing game that traps some into paying more simply because they enjoy their hobby. Granted, I’m betting most users will pay through the nose (when you’re hooked, you’re hooked)… up until their service providers start charging them for storing and streaming data over their usage limits. Well, I’ll just sit back and wait to see what happens, but I expect a lot of virtual protesting to start popping up in a few ways at time marches onward… Of course, I probably don’t know what I’m talking about, but I also don’t see these bills going DOWN any time soon…

Burning Questions (Ouch): So, Why Isn’t Outernauts ALSO On The Vita?

Posted on June 16, 2012 by geelw

I’m just asking a pretty obvious question, as Sony really NEEDS something like this free Facebook-only game (which just so happens to be created by the folks behind some of the company’s key first-party titles since the days of the original PlayStation). The way I see it, Outernauts could be expanded onto the Vita as a budget-priced game and/or PSN perhaps as a bigger and more fleshed out version tailored to the handheld’s strengths. Between the addictive monster collecting and fun battle system PLUS the possibility for exclusive content (like character skins from certain popular Insomniac games), I’m just shocked that this project wasn’t considered as more than a “one site that’s not PSN” deal. Between this oopsie move and Ubisoft’s interesting looking Ghost Recon social game also not making an appearance on the Vita, you have to wonder what’s up with SCEA’s plans for the handheld’s future in terms of getting people to play all sorts of unique game experiences on the thing. I’m just saying that to me it’s a no-brainer that these two games (and more) should start popping up for those of us who dislike Facebook these days for any number of good reasons, is all…

You’re NOT Going To The Olympics, So You May As Well See What You’re Missing (Sort Of)…

Posted on June 15, 2012 by geelw

Nope, I’m not going to London either, but thanks to Sega, we all get to see these flybys from their upcoming London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games, coming to consoles and PC soon enough. Of course, I don’t think I’ve watched an entire Olympics since Mamo Walde won the Marathon. Then again, that was what, 1968? I forget. Anyway, Sega produced a few of these slick trailers (which look really spectacular), but I’m just posting these two, as like you, I’m not planning to watch (or more precisely, planning to MISS) this year’s Games. I might track the game down at some point, but it’s not too likely, as sports games and I don’t get along much unless there are explosions and maybe some cars bumping into each other. Not both at the same time, though. That wouldn’t be much of a sport, right?

LEGO Batman 2 Is Going To Be Absolutely Great, But There’s Just One Thing Missing…

Posted on June 15, 2012 by geelw

I’ve been thinking about this from the moment I found out how big the game was in terms on scope and amount of playable characters and after talking with a few people who feel the same way, well here you go. Sure, this will probably be the best-selling Lego game to date and TT Games has done a STELLAR job all around. That said, where’s the SERIOUS Batman/Justice League game in the vein of Arkham City? Imagine all that large and lovely real estate to roam around in and all that fast-paced action with a ridiculous number of regular looking (non-LEGO) DC characters? Heck, the dev team and publisher went to all the trouble to get tons of voice talent and cook up a bigger, much more coherent storyline this time, so I’m betting a lot of DC fans are probably on the same wavelength. OK, memo to WBIE, DC and TT – get to work on something like a Justice League Heroes follow-up that will appeal to those folks who somehow aren’t quite sold on another LEGO game (no matter how fun and awesome it is)…

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Update: Peter Cullen IS Optimus Prime Again…

Posted on June 14, 2012 by geelw

And all is good in that way fans of the show would want it to be in the case of one of the key character voices. Frankly speaking, the game is looking so polished and excellent that they could have gotten Gilbert Gottfried to to ALL the voice work and it would still be worth paying full price for. Hmmm… that gives me an(other) crazy idea (dot, dot, dot).

Memo to Activision: maybe think about giving Gilbert a call and hell, get him to narrate the TV commercials while you’re at it. I know people who bought a Shoedini just because he was the voice talent in that infomercial. Or maybe not. Hey, I’m entitled to feeble attempts at both humor and dipping a toe into some PR person’s day to give them a chuckle from time to time…

Gravity Rush Is In Stores Now. If You Own (Or Want) A Vita, It’s A Must-Buy.

Posted on June 14, 2012 by geelw

It’s almost too bad the Vita didn’t launch with this title, as it’s a new IP that introduces a character any gamer will love as well as shows off what the system can do quite well. Thankfully, this trailer shows off some of those cool things quite nicely. I’ll try to jam in a review at some point this month, but no promises, as it’s a bit hectic at the moment. For now, however, I’m absolutely recommending you check this one out if your Vita has been feeling lonely or you’re thinking about the system and want another definitive killer app that’s pure fun from the moment you pick it up and start playing…

The Dark Knight Rises… Just In Time To Take Your Ticket Money Early.

Posted on June 12, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm… there’s over a month to go before its release and they’re selling tickets already? I didn’t know there was a Broadway play version coming (ha ha). Anyway, this pre-selling stuff is obviously in place to give the film a record-breaking box office take for the first day and weekend more than it is to assure everyone who wants to see the film can see it when they want to. Well, I guess as long as you don’t have to wait for those tickets in the mail only to lose them under the stove or go to pick them up at the theater only to get there and forget that you left your receipt stuck to the fridge (with a bat-signal magnet, no less)…

Random Film of The Week: Alien 3 – Yesterday’s Mess Is Today’s Masterpiece…

Posted on June 12, 2012 by geelw

With the exception of some clumsy CG effects and the annoying, hastily re-shot ending sequence (that was more silly than scary), I loved Alien 3 the first time I saw it. Warts and all, for a first film effort, David Fincher’s solid direction and vision along with Eliot Goldenthal’s haunting score had me hooked in from the beginning even though I understood the production was troubled from the outset. The trailer I saw looked promising and thrilling, and like many who saw it, the idea of Ripley being stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a prison planet with no weapons and at least one Alien running around made for a must-see flick. I recall reading about some production troubles and that the film was being rushed to make a target date without a completed script, something I found hard to believe for such a big franchise. Then again, the law of diminishing returns dictated the cinema deities must have their sacrifice increased tenfold after any second film in a series, so things were looking grim when I read those first reviews…

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Should You Dread DREDD? If The Poster Is Any Indication, Nope.

Posted on June 11, 2012 by geelw

Well, OK… a movie poster is JUST another slice of the hype cheese wheel, so at the end of the day it’s actually meaningless if the film it advertises stinks. That said, after reading the plot synopsis, I have a feeling that Judge Dredd’s second Hollywood outing will be a hell of a lot better than that first travesty, where the acting performance by a “robot” made it worth watching (yes, Mean Machine was the best thing in that flick).

Still, I did do a double take when I read the press release, as I mixed up Keith Urban and Karl Urban in my head and nearly choked on a bagel. Good thing I remembered who was who before it was too late or you’d all be wondering why I hadn’t posted in a while. Anyway, September 21, 2012 is the release date and I’m imagining the commercials will start dropping sooner rather than later if the studio thinks it’s got a winner on their hands. One thing I DO want in this one is Anthrax’s “I Am The Law” playing over the end credits, so let’s hope that’s been taken care of.