[GameRatty] tag: hands-on

Are Video Games Getting Dumber?

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:29:48 +0000

Kris Erickson writes:

"It increasingly feels as though game designers feel that we the players are dumb, that we need our hands constantly held throughout a game, lest we throw down the controller in frustration.

These two recent console games, while obvious examples, are not the only offenders in this recent trend of dumbing-down the challenge factor in videogames. The recently released Too Human features automatically scaling enemies so that players will never encounter any foe that is way beyond their level of experience. Fable II will include a "Breadcrumb trail" so that adventurers will never get lost while traveling from one objective to the next in its sprawling fantasy world. "

BlizzCon 08 Dance Contest Video: Funny SNL Chippendales Dance Wins Over The Crowd

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:01:29 +0000

Ripten: "Day one of BlizzCon 08 wrapped up with a dance contest hosted by comedian Jay Mohr, and while there were no shortage of contestants, the gentleman below was our hands-down favorite.

Anyone who has seen the SNL Chippendales skit featuring Patrick Swayze and the late Chris Farley will really appreciate the moves and music exhibited during this fine routine. Hit the jump."

BlizzCon 2008 cosplay collection

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items

Sometimes, just sometimes, words aren't enough to express a person's love for any particular game. In cases where your fan-cup overfloweth, we often recommend playing your favorite tracks from the franchise/game of your choice. While the music is rocking you are to dance around fervently, making jazz-hands and other increasingly faux-street maneuvers until the music finishes. If after this display of (assumed) exceptionally powerful fan dancing you remain wholly unembarrassed, well you know what to do next: dress up like characters from the game!At this year's BlizzCon, we're treated with...

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GoNintendo End of day thoughts - Sonic Chronicles impressions

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:40:08 +0000

Huge thanks to Sega for sponsoring the ‘End of day’ thoughts in the name of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood!

I don’t know what I did to my back yesterday, but I’ve been walking around like an 80-year-old man. Sitting at a PC for most of the day can’t help! I am going to do my best to sleep in a position that can help my back. I’m not looking forward to waking up crippled in a few hours! Regardless of what happens to my spine, I’ll make sure to crawl my way over to the desk in a few hours! I hope you all have had a great week thus far. It’s Friday gang…just one more day until the weekend! See you all after my 40 winks.

_________________________________

I have such a backlog of games…it’s a bit ridiculous. Those two days away last week set me back even further! The holiday season is here, and new/important/big games come out every week…by the truckload. With so much to play for review, I dedicate all my time to those titles first. Thankfully, Sonic Chronicles is one of those titles. Just a couple hours ago, I finally had the chance to crack open the box. With a good amount of time under my belt, I can officially say that I am…underwhelmed.

Many of you know my impressions of Sonic Chronicles during the development process. I had three changes to play the game in various stages, and none of those play sessions left me excited. Now that I have the final game in my hands, I can say that things have been cleaned up since my last test run. With that said, the game still feels like it could benefit from more development time. Actually…I really wish SEGA held the title back even longer to let BioWare spruce things up.

(more…)

Game economy grows with micropayments

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Business models, Culture, Economy, MMO industry

As was recently discussed in a similar topic here at Massively, the idea of micropayments for our MMOs and virtual worlds is growing in popularity among game developers, but is it the best option? According to several highly-successful companies such as Nexon and MindArk, it's not only the best option, it's the future of online business models.A spokesperson for MindArk, maker of Entropia Universe, says that over $400 million in U.S. funds has changed hands in their game's four year lifespan. While some companies have strict rules against the interchange between real world money and virtual...

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Molyneux wishes the sun's 'rays were a little less harsh in the early sunset'

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:02:54 +0000

Game development is a labor of love. I’m almost sure of it. Developers and executives sit around in white-walled rooms for years, talking about concepts, themes, and design. And once that game flies out of production facilities and into consumers' hands, I’m sure there’s a deep sense of pride involved. Yet, what does an executive like Peter Molyneux think about after a game (Fable 2, in this case) goes gold?

I wish we had two more bones in the top lip of each character so their mouths could form the words a little bit better. I wish they blinked more. I wish the sun’s God rays were a little less harsh in the early sunset. I wish the leaves were just fractionally smaller, because they tend to be a little bit large for trees.

It’s a list of trivial little things where, perhaps if you bring them all together it brings down the game a fraction. And that’s what I mean by that. I don’t think anybody in this world, whether you be a reviewer or someone who’s [worked in the industry for a long time], can sit looking at Fable [II] and say, ‘That is a perfect game set in a perfect world.’ Because it’s not.

I find his comments fascinating. Molyneux, an extremely passionate man in his own right, doubts his work much like I do. He’s constantly thinking what could have been better, what he should have done differently. It only humanizes the game, doesn’t it?

[via VG247]

First trailer for new Nerf Wii gunand obligatory game

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:02:40 +0000

Hey, in case you missed it or your game radar isn’t tuned to arcade shooters, the Wii has and is getting more great light-gun style games ie Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and House of the Dead Overkill. To help gamers truly get that arcade vibe (and to make some fat cash as well) several companies have already put out Wiimote gun adapters. One such adapter that we caught a glimpse of earlier this year from EA and Hasbro is now ready for the Holidays.

The Switch Shot EX-3 is Nerf’s ultimate gift to living room shooter fans. Not only can gamers now choose another cool gun, but this one is also a working Nerf blaster which makes it just that much cooler when taking it to a gaming party. The EX-3 comes packaged with a game as well, though that hardly matters. The game, Nerf N-STRIKE, looks good for what it is; but the edgy kids and side story seem a little creepy like the government might be monitoring little kids’ mad sniper skills for their super soldier program.

Nerf N-STRIKE is retailing for $59.99 in the US, which could put it at just the right gift price for family or yourself. Either way, be ready to duck when the EX-3 makes its way to gamers’ hands this November.

Molyneux all but confirms Fable 2 DLC

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

OK, so notorious over-promiser Peter Molyneux did stop short of guaranteeing that the soon-to-be-released Fable 2 would actually receive downloadable content. But he did tell VideoGamer.com that Lionhead would be "pretty dumb" if it wasn't planning it. In case you don't speak Molyneuxese, that means he wanted to wanted to tell them all about it, but his PR handler had his hands around his own throat, making the international sign for "I'll choke you to death."

So, what can you expect from the ephemeral content? Molyneux explained he wouldn't "want it to be just a whole load of new weapons and armour," and that it would be nice if fans "didn't have to wait months and months for it as well." Here's hoping the PR guy leaves the room for a smoke soon so we can find out what Pete is planning.

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Top 10 Signs You Play Too Many Video Games

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:57:57 +0000

There are many ways to know that you've played too many video games in your day. Some reasons are more obvious than others. Ever get that pain in your hands from holding a controller too long? Ever need to get up and go to the bathroom to see if your eyes still work? Ever refer to yourself in public as the "blue bomber"? The signs are numerous for this phenomena, and in this list we will go through the top ten ways to know that you've played too many video games. This was a difficult list to make as there were numerous ways of knowing that you were knee deep in the video game world…and never coming back. Are you, like us, one of these people who are never coming back to "reality"? Here's how you can tell.

de Blob - review

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:22:51 +0000

A portion of a DToid review…

So where does de Blob belong? Well, if you like games that offer tons of freedom, energy, and mischief, then de Blob belongs in your hands, eyes, and ears. The only way this game could be more pleasing to the senses is if it smelled like flowers and tasted like candy.

Full review here