Monday, April 15, 2013

First Impressions: "Xbox Tournaments App"

Everyone knows that video game developers these days could care less about making a quality product, and more about the money making part of it. Often times games are released half-assed, or require additional DLC purchases for you to get features that should have/could have been included with the game without too much more effort/investment from the developer. Well it seems the guys & gals over at Virgin Gaming have taken it a step further with what appears to be legalized gambling via the Xbox 360 console. Upon downloading the "Xbox Tournaments" app, and signing up for an account I found out (much to my dismay) that the tournaments only included sports titles, and that it had a sort of wager system where a players could put in real money (via credit card, or what have you) in hopes of securing a larger monetary prize. At this point I haven't really looked too closely at the offerings of the app, but these first impressions have me questioning the motives behind the people at Virgin Gaming as well as the potential for future thefts by hackers.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Guacamelee (PSN)

Guacamelee is a virtual pinata filled with tantalizing tidbits from various platforming genres. DrinkBox Studios, the developers behind this tribute based platformer have delivered a combined experience unlike any I've seen in my entire career as a gamer. You'll find hints of games like "Super Mario Bros.", "The Legend of Zelda", "Mega Man", and several Metroidvania style platformers. The developer even pays homage to various indie game studios (The Behemoth ...), gaming news sites (Destructoid ...), pop culture icons (Grumpy Cat ...), memes (Me Gusta ...), and even famous super hero battles (Bane vs Batman). There's not much that this cell shaded 2D platformer doesn't cover. Even with all of the similarities though you will find that this feisty fiesta style brawler stands alone as it's own unique experience.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Fall of the Video Game Industry: "Things That Will Spell Certain Doom For Gaming"

Over the past few years I've witnessed a very concerning trend that has impacted the video game industry, and the potentially fun experiences that it offers. As most of you know by now hacking is all the rage these days. You see Hacktivists like Anon making headlines, and other global hackers advancing to the forefront with their thieving tomfoolery. On the sideline of this ever growing fad are the delinquent little sh*t heads who have nothing better to do than waste legitimate gamer's time with cheap gameplay, and unfair hacks. These fudge packers have ultimately become a prominent part of gaming culture, and use their hacking BS to heckle us honest gamers. As an avid gamer with years of experience under my belt I have come to loathe this situation with a burning passion. Often times I spend $60 for a new online game only to find elementary school, and middle school aged f*cktards bragging about their hacking victories in online lobbies. I report these fools religiously, and as I often as I do I still run into them online. Game developers, and console developers stand idly by letting these degenerate lowlifes dominate the world of online gaming. They could easily implement a proper reporting, and banning system, but instead are so money hungry that they could care less about fixing the problem.

Friday, April 5, 2013

"Gamestop's Cheap !@#$ Rewards"

As a gamer with few local gaming places to shop I usually choose to visit the Gamestop located in town to buy the games, and accessories that I want. It's actually not far from where I live (maybe 20 mins. at the most) which is a huge convenience. In all honesty though I'm not a huge fan of Gamestop's product pushing, or trade-in practices. I find being pressured into pre-ordering games during my in-store browsing to be an absolute annoyance, and as such I usually give the employee the cold shoulder. I also find the trade-in system to be a huge rip-off. You'd be better off selling your games on Craigslist than you would be trading them in for credit at the store. Added to these list of issues I have come to realize that the "Gamestop Rewards" program is not all that great. Sure there are some worthy high end rewards that take a sh*t ton of points to obtain, but the lower end items that look cool are usually franchise knock-offs that are made in China. This in itself rubs me the wrong way, and for many reasons.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Death Goat (XBLIG): "An Interview with Brian Ferrara of Nocturnal Studios"

It's not often that I meet a developer in this line of work that is so much like myself. From our first email interactions I was able to determine that Brian Ferrara of Nocturnal Studios liked a lot of things that I did. He's a fan of heavy metal music, comic books, and video games just as I am. It is truly uncanny how alike our interests are. After I learned about his career as an adult comic book artist I decided it was a good idea to interview Brian. When I got the okay to go ahead with the project I typed up an interview Q&A session as I usually do. Brian then filled it out so that it could be shared with everyone here. In the following interview you will get to learn a lot about Brian, his many interests, and a little about the other guys at Nocturnal Studios. I hope you enjoy the interview, and give "Death Goat" a proper chance. As I said earlier in my review, it's a thoroughly enjoyable game that will have you returning for more.

Without further adieu ladies & gentlemen I give you my interview with Brian Ferrara!!!

Death Goat (XBLIG): "!@#$% Hardcore!!!"

In the video game industry there are different levels of "Hardcore". Netherealm Studios, and Midway began a trend with their highly successful ultra-violent fighter "Mortal Kombat", and even Rockstar Games stepped in to develop their own lewd rule-breaking series called "Grand Theft Auto". Very rarely do you see an indie developer delve deep into this seriously "Hardcore" stuff though. Thankfully there are some indie developers willing to push the limits with more "adult" themed content. Brian Ferrara, and Nocturnal Studios joined forces to bring us indie enthusiasts a truly awesome, and hardcore shmup (shoot 'em up). This game, otherwise known as Death Goat is filled to the brim with gory graphics, and a noteworthy heavy metal soundtrack. Collectively it brings a whole new meaning to the word "Hardcore". Even the art style seems to pay homage to the heavy metal lifestyle that many of you will likely be familiar with. You'll find animations resembling tattoos, and a color scheme fitting of such skin art. As a complete package "Death Goat" is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that takes the gamer deep into the bowels of hell, and makes them like it enough to return again, and again for more.