Talk Video Games

Minecraft coming to LEGO this summer

Cptnodegard — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:48:49 GMT

When I was little I spent hours sitting on the floor playing with LEGO, and now, 15 years later, I find myself doing the same thing with Minecraft...just not on the floor. The two concepts have a lot in common, and while the toy and game industries team up a lot these days with everything from Angry Birds plush toys to Call of Duty hats, I can't even remember the last time making a game into a toy made this much sense.

Unfortunately this isn't a standard LEGO range, but rather a special $35 set that stands on its own when it arrives this summer. It came out of a site where people can vote on LEGO concepts which can then become reality, so it's not exactly like those themes that (used to?) take up two pages in the LEGO catalog. The set can be pre-ordered from jinx.com.

As for the set itself, it will basically be a chunk with a creeper, Steve (the player), and various LEGOfications of Minecraft blocks pushed into a cube which contains both water, lava, grass, a cottage, a couple of trees and so on.

Unfortunately this is more of a collector's item than a toy, which the scale is an awkward reminder of. They chose to use two 1x1x1 pieces on top of one another to represent one Minecraft block, which only makes sense when they're never even considering making more sets. Had this been a full theme, a 2x2x4 setup (a normal 2x2x3 block with a 2x2x1 plate on top) would have made more sense in order to make stairs, fences, doors and so on work. It's really too bad, introducing LEGO and Minecraft as a package to a kid is the first reason I've had to get one, ever.

[Pocket-Lint]

Kinect Star Wars Xbox 360 available April 3

Master Devwi — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:53:00 GMT

Microsoft and LucasArts have announced that the Kinect Star Wars Xbox 360 bundle will be released on April 3 for $450. Microsoft routinely releases special edition Xbox 360 consoles in conjunction with major video game releases, but the Kinect Star Wars edition is arguably the coolest.

The console itself sports an R2-D2-inspired paint job, while the metallic gold controller features C-3PO stylings. Both appear to have been lovingly created by the design team. The stark white Kinect Sensor, on the other hand, clearly evokes memories of Stormtroopers. R2-D2's iconic sound effects can be heard when the console starts up or opens the disc tray. What's more, dedicated Star Wars fans will be pleased to note the "Industrial Automaton" logo (an in-universe droid manufacturer) and the "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" inscription on the disc tray.

The Kinect Star Wars bundle was originally announced at Comic-Con last summer, but the release was pushed back six months in order to improve the quality of the game included with the system. This also allowed the development team to add support for 3D. Kinect Star Wars, which will also be released as a standalone game on the same date, features five gameplay modes--Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing, Rancor Rampage, Galactic Dance Off, and Duels of Fate. Those who pick up the limited edition bundle will receive an "exclusive C-3PO unlockable for Dance Mode."

[Major Nelson]

Star Wars: The Old Republic amasses 1.7 million subscribers, 2 million copies sold

Master Devwi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:51:00 GMT

BioWare announced on Wednesday that its first foray into the world of MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic, has amassed 1.7 million subscribers and sold more than 2 million copies in its first six weeks on the market. Some analysts were concerned that the game had not fared as well as some had originally hoped. Unfortunately, Electronic Arts was unable to refute the rumors until the release of its quarterly earnings.

BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, is obviously excited about the game�s initial success. The developer is touting The Old Republic's 99.5% uptime, post-release support via updates and downloadable content (DLC), and a variety of other statistics. Since the game�s launch in mid-December, players have spent more than 239 million hours in-game, killed in excess of 20 billion non-player characters (NPCs), and spent nearly 150 billion credits.

1.7 million subscribers is fairly small when compared to World of Warcraft�s mammoth 10.3 million-strong community, but it�s a great start. The biggest factor, however, will be whether players continue to pay for a monthly subscription. So far, approximately 85% of players have decided to stick around.

[Star Wars: The Old Republic]

Modern Warfare 3 DLC system announced, sure to give you a headache

Cptnodegard — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:47:48 GMT

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 also introduced the Call of Duty Elite system, which is essentially a subscription deal for players who are...very into the game, let's put it that way. This Elite system will also be used for DLC distribution, which combined with existing platform differences make the whole distribution model rather confusing.

Basically, there will be four different types of players. Xbox Elite, PS3 (and I assume PC) Elite, Xbox normal and PS3/PC normal. Elite subscribers will get the DLC first, and in smaller, more rapid packages with a map or two in each. Normal players will have to wait for DLC collections, which is likely the same type of deal that has been used for DLC in earlier years. Microsoft is still trying to compensate for the Xbox' inferior hardware by bribing game developers to give them DLC first, so Elite subscribers on Xbox will see small DLC releases first, then Elite subscribers of the other platforms, and then when that adds up to bigger releases it will be released to non-Elite players with Xbox again being first.

This seems to be a ploy to get more people to subscribe to the Elite service, but I'm wondering if the result won't be that friends simply can't play together instead because one has Elite and the other doesn't. At least the memberships are available in stores as well, making it easier for all the kids who aren't actually old enough to play the game to get past the fact that they don't have credit cards.

Anyways, the first DLC should hit Elite box subscribers on January 24th, and from there on come at least once a month.

Mass Effect 3 with Kinect impressions

Master Devwi — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:33:00 GMT

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We had the opportunity to play Mass Effect 3 during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, and we were very impressed by what we saw. Like many hardcore gamers, we were initially skeptical when BioWare announced that the final entry to the Mass Effect trilogy would include support for Kinect for Xbox 360. Would it be really be "better with Kinect," as the marketing campaign claims, or is it just hype?

After spending a few hours playing the game, we can honestly say that it's fantastic. Mass Effect 3 only supports Kinect's voice control features, so don't expect to kill a Reaper with your body as the controller. But what if you could order your companions to attack without bringing up the Power Wheel? What if doors could open with the power of your voice? Or what if you could immerse yourself in the game by calling out a dialog choice rather than selecting it? With Kinect, you can.

Voice control works extremely well. BioWare took care to ensure that recognition would be accurate regardless of language or accent. You don't need to shout at the TV or preface every command with "Xbox," it just works. "Open" will open a nearby door, "Jacob, Carnage" initiates one of your partner's fantastic combat abilities, and "Shotgun" swaps weapons. These are just three examples, but the game includes many more. Our favorite command, however, was "Quick Save." Yes, you can save the game without ever opening a menu.

Honestly, there really isn't a downside. Kinect might have a little difficulty hearing you if there's a lot of talking in the background, and you can't say "Open" from more than a few feet away--thus dashing our dreams of running through corridors with auto-opening doors--but these are really minor quibbles.

So is Mass Effect 3 better with Kinect? Yes, yes it is. If you don't believe us, you can check it out for yourself when the Kinect-enabled demo is released on February 14.

The Old Republic adds more content with "Rise of the Rakghouls"

Master Devwi — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:09:00 GMT

Star Wars: The Old Republic, the recently-released MMO recognized by Guinness World Records as the ”Largest Entertainment Voice Over Project ever,” will receive its first major update in a few hours. Dubbed “Rise of the Rakghouls,” Game Update 1.1 will triple the size of the “Karagga's Palace” Operation and add a new Flashpoint called “Kaon Under Siege.”

“Karagga's Palace” now features a larger army of bounty hunters and battle droids, as well as a massive final battle. The loot has also been upgraded, especially for those playing on hard mode.

“Kaon Under Siege,” meanwhile, takes place on a planet ravaged by an outbreak of the Rakghoul virus. This virus, first introduced in the original Knights of the Old Republic, could spell doom for the galaxy if it is unleashed. The official trailer can be seen here.

“Rise of the Rakghouls” will go live on Tuesday, January 17 after a somewhat short server downtime, which is expected to last from 2:00 a.m. CST (12:00 a.m. PST/3:00 a.m. EST/8:00 a.m. GMT/9:00 a.m. CET) until 10:00 a.m. CST (8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST/4:00 p.m. GMT/5:00 p.m. CET).

[Star Wars: The Old Republic]

Interview: Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Master Devwi — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:36:00 GMT

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Alan Wake's American Nightmare is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade as part of the House Party promotion, which kicks off on February 15. We got to play the game at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, and we were very pleased by what we saw. The game manages to maintain the classic Alan Wake feel while improving the combat and controls.

We also had the opportunity to interview Oskari "Zazz" H�kkinen, Remedy Entertainment's head of franchise development for Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Check out the video above for a great summary of the game, as well as what is included in the highly-anticipated XBLA "sequel."

Four fantastic games coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade with House Party 2012

Master Devwi — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:14:00 GMT

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At the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, Microsoft announced that four fantastic games will be coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade as part of the House Party promotion. House Party, like Summer of Arcade, which brought gamers such classics as Bastion, will be kicked off on February 15 and deliver a new title every week: Alan Wake's American Nightmare, I Am Alive, Nexuiz, and Warp.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is the sequel to the well-loved but under-sold Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake. American Nightmare is a stand-alone experience in which Alan finds himself in an episode of Night Springs, a TV show which he once wrote for. The combat has been beefed up, but fans of the story needn't worry. It doesn't exactly continue Alan's story, but it does provide a great side-experience set in Arizona. And make sure to check out the new survival mode, which we had the opportunity to play on the CES show floor. It's a lot of fun, and it should provide gamers with hours of Horde mode-like gameplay.

I Am Alive is a unique survival game set in the ruins of a city. Players will traverse the wasteland in search of their family, whom they were separated from before the disaster. This gameplay is very unique, and the sound design and art style are fantastic. We really enjoyed playing it at CES, and we're sure you will too.

Nexuiz is the only game in the bunch that didn't immediately entice us. It's a fairly typical first-person shooter, but variations in the laws of physics keep things interesting.

The final House Party game, Warp, gives players control of Zero, a little alien being studied in a facility. Equipped with a variety of special powers like warp, frag, echo, swap, and launch, Zero must escape the facility with his puzzle-solving skills and stealth. It has a very endearing--if brutal--style and the abilities we tried in the CES demo lent a bit of humor to the game.

House Party has a great lineup, and we're really looking forward to most--if not all--of the titles. Alan Wake's American Nightmare and I Am Alive were the most impressive, but Warp and Nexuiz should be a lot of fun too. Exact pricing and availability for these games have yet to be revealed, but we wouldn't be surprised to see each one priced at 1600 Microsoft Points ($15). February 15th is coming up soon, but you can watch the trailer while you wait.

[Major Nelson]

Refresh your old game controllers with a new shell

Cptnodegard — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:57:15 GMT

Game console controllers rarely outlast the consoles they came with, at least not if you're an avid gamer. No matter if you intentionally throw them against the wall after a bad round of CoD or if you just mash the buttons to pieces, these controllers tend to look rather beat up after a couple of years. Then there's dirt, which loves to take up permanent resident in every nook an cranny.

When I sold my 360 years ago, I had two such controllers left over. Dirty as heck with worn down analog sticks and taped together outer shells I found it best to not sell them with the console as they would give an inaccurate impression of how the console itself had been treated. Before Christmas I found these controllers again and decided to give them some plastic surgery.

Replacement housings can easily be found for most controllers on various Chinese sites such as Dealextreme. I picked up two black kits for 360 controllers at $6.40 each with free shipping. You can also find housings for other controllers, the consoles themselves, handheld consoles etc. I've previously done this to a GBA SP I bought used for close to nothing, and while the original casings are always better, the replacements aren't bad either.

For the 360 controllers in particular, you also need a screwdriver, specifically a security torx T8H (i.e. with a hole in the middle). Keep track of these screws, as you need all of them to make the casing keep together properly. There's a hidden one underneath the smallest sticker in the battery compartment, so don't forget that one.

Once disassembled, there's a lot of loose pieces to keep track of. Put the analog sticks on the PCB first to get those out of the way, then assemble the two pieces (inner/outer) of the D-pad. put each button in where it belongs and use the rubber membrane from the original, as this particular kit doesn't come with those (nor spare screws, which is odd). The lower shoulder buttons can be annoying to switch out as they're on plastic mechanical contraption. I didn't bother switching out the framework, only the shoulders themselves. Remember that little button that connects the controller when you assemble the top shoulder button piece, and then put everything back together. It's pretty self explanatory where everything goes, you just have to be patient, careful, and remember which way gravity goes. make sure to snap the PCB securely in place, which is when the D-pad is as springy as it should be.

It took me about 45 minutes to do the first controller, having to deal with figuring everything out and also some screws that were slightly damaged. The other one went way faster, so it's just about figuring out how the internals work.

The end result is nice. The plastic is a bit more roughly cut than the original, but the difference to the broken down, dirty controllers is still massive and positive. All the buttons work nicely and you couldn't really tell the fixed controllers from originals.

For $6.40 it's a pretty nice deal with new controllers going for $30+.

The best video games of 2011

Master Devwi — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:08:00 GMT

2011 was a great year for gamers. It was arguably not as big as 2007, which brought with it such massive hits as Halo 3, Portal (The Orange Box), Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, BioShock, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and even Rock Band, but the past year still had a fantastic selection of titles. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite games of 2011. It should be noted that these are my personal favorites, and may not represent the opinion of Talk Video Games as a whole.

Portal 2, the long-awaited sequel to the classic first-person puzzler, finally hit stores in April. The game perfectly lived up to its predecessor, expanding the game’s universe and introducing a series of hilarious and memorable characters.

After years of anticipation, Star Wars: The Old Republic launched on December 20 to great success, amassing more than one million subscribers in three days. Occasionally referred to as “Knights of the Old Republic 3-12,” the MMO allows gamers to play through a KOTOR-style story solo or in a group. The voice acting is fantastic, and the massive amount of content should keep subscribers happy for years to come.

LA Noire came out of nowhere and surprised me by how good the game was. It was one of those games I wasn’t originally anticipating, but ended up enjoying quite a bit. LA Noire is an open world game, but its investigative gameplay was a refreshing change from your standard slate of games. Less than 10% of the game is spent in combat, but don’t let that discourage you from playing this unique title.

Like LA Noire, Deus Ex: Human Revolution drew me in with its engaging story and gameplay. I managed to play through the entire game without firing a shot; a challenge that usually isn’t possible in other games. The boss battles were a little out of place, but everything else was quite enjoyable. Just keep a spare Praxis Point or two on hand for when you get in a pinch.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary managed to recapture the spirit of the original classic while giving the visuals a fresh overhaul. It is still a fantastic game, even ten years later. And new features like skulls, terminals, achievements, and Kinect integration make it even better.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception continued the cinematic Indiana Jones-inspired adventure series. The story was probably the best of the trilogy, and it nicely wrapped things up. Even multiplayer was quite fun, supporting both versus matches and co-operative missions.

Like many of 2011’s biggest titles, Assassin’s Creed Revelations concludes the story of both Altair and Ezio. The scope of the game wasn’t as big as some of the past installments in the series, but the story was very enjoyable. The multiplayer expands upon the idea introduced in AC Brotherhood, providing a fun and unique alternative to the standard deathmatch found in so many games.

After a series of somewhat over-the-top installments, Gears of War 3 closed out Marcus Fenix’s story with a more personal tale. Epic Games learned from its experience with Gears 2, and managed to provide a stable and fun multiplayer experience this time around. Horde and Beast mode only added to the enjoyment.

And last, but certainly not least, is Modern Warfare 3. The core game hasn’t changed much since the original Modern Warfare, but Infinity Ward has continued to evolve the experience over the years. The game’s intense story was easier to follow this time around, and Spec Ops once again delivered hours of fun.

Unfortunately, there’s only so much time for gaming every year. As disappointing as it is, some games slip through the cracks. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Bastion, and Dead Space 2 are all fantastic games, and I fully intend to play them over the next month. And while they didn’t make the cut for my favorite games, honorable mentions include Battlefield 3, Crysis 2, Fruit Ninja Kinect, The Gunstringer, and Stacking. What were our readers’ favorite games of 2011?

Modern Warfare 3 DLC starts January 24

Master Devwi — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:41:00 GMT

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 hit store shelves just under two months ago, but gamers are already looking forward to the first piece of downloadable content (DLC). In a Roll Call video released exclusively to premium Call of Duty ELITE members shortly before Christmas, Infinity Ward Creative Strategist Robert Bowling revealed that the game�s initial DLC offering will be released on January 24.

Additional details are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, but we do know that the 2012 Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Content Season will kick off with the map �Park.� Other features include �Spec Ops missions and a variety of things that players have never seen before,� said Bowling.

In addition to receiving all MW3 DLC for free, premium ELITE members will have access to the content ahead of everyone else. Microsoft previously inked a multi-year exclusivity agreement with publisher Activision, ensuring that all Call of Duty DLC would hit Xbox 360 ahead of the competition. As a result, premium ELITE subscribers on Xbox 360 will receive the content first on January 24, followed by the general Xbox 360 public soon after. Premium ELITE PlayStation 3 (PS3) subscribers are expected to receive it approximately one month later, followed by the general PS3 audience and finally PC gamers.

[IGN]

Star Wars: The Old Republic hits one million subscribers in three days

Master Devwi — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:46:00 GMT

Star Wars: The Old Republic, the story-driven massively multiplayer online (MMO) role playing game from industry veteran BioWare, has managed to amass one million subscribers in just three days on the market. The game has been in beta for a few years now--first as a private beta and more recently as a semi-public beta--but it officially launched on December 20 after a one-week Early Access Program for those who pre-ordered the game.

World of Warcraft (WoW), by comparison, currently has more than 10 million subscribers. The Old Republic’s launch membership is quite small by comparison, but it is excellent for a brand-new MMO. In fact, BioWare had the “largest one-day subscription account registration process in MMO history” on Thursday. Other statistics include more than 28 million in-game hours, an average of five hours of gameplay per day, and 3.8 million characters created so far.

Most impressively, the game’s servers have continued to function normally throughout all of this. Some of the more popular servers are experiencing 5-10 minute wait times during peak hours of the day, but it isn’t usually a problem. BioWare appears to have a hit on its hands. Between the fantastic Star Wars setting, BioWare’s trademark storytelling, and engaging gameplay, The Old Republic should have no problem competing in the MMO space.

[Star Wars: The Old Republic]

Great deals abound in the 12 Days of Xbox promotion

Master Devwi — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:15:00 GMT

Microsoft is celebrating the end of the year with style, counting down the last 12 days of December with some excellent deals on great Xbox 360 content.

The company kicked off the promotion on Tuesday with 50% off Bastion, a critically acclaimed Xbox LIVE Arcade game. Each subsequent day until New Year's will feature a different 24-hour discount on a select item.

Of course, that's not all. Eight Xbox LIVE Arcade games, two full titles from Games on Demand, a game add-on season pass, and 14 Avatar items will also be sold at a discount until January 2, 2012. Most of the deals are 50% off the regular price, and highlights include Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, the LA Noire Rockstar Pass, and Portal: Still Alive.

With the holidays and plenty of vacation almost upon us, it's the perfect opportunity to spend some time with a few great games. Information on the latest deal can be found on the recently revamped Xbox 360 Dashboard, as well as on Xbox.com.

[Xbox LIVE Marketplace via Major Nelson]

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One brings 4p co-op multiplayer to the series

Cptnodegard — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:19:16 GMT

Rather & Clank is one of my all time favorite games series. The platform game's humor (plumber cameos, anyone?), platform gameplay, and arsenal of ridiculous weaponry makes it one of those games that I never get tired of, even 10 iterations in. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't like guns that turn enemies into cute animals?

All 4 One is the newest game in the series, and the fourth game on the PS3 if you include the DLC game Quest for Booty. Whereas older games have had you controlling Ratchet & Clank either together or apart (Clank even got his own game at one point), this game has you playing as one of four characters: Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, or Doctor Nefarious. The game is designed for up to 4 player coop, either online or locally. Coop modes will activate special mechanics, such as overload attacks. It's still playable solo though, which might not be overly apparent from the game's title, description etc. Not quite sure that the series needed a new game mechanic as I still haven't gotten tired of the old single player experience, but at least it's an attempt at innovation. The game is out now, friends sold separately.

Sony pushes out PlayStation 3 system update v.4.00

Master Devwi — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:06:00 GMT

Microsoft isn�t the only company delivering console updates to gamers over the next week. Sony has announced that version 4.00 of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system software is now freely available for all PS3 consoles.

The main feature, of course, is support for the PlayStation Vita portable gaming device, which will be released in Japan in three weeks. Gamers with both systems will be able to copy media�including music, videos, and images, as well as games and applications�between devices. PS Vita backup and remote system updates are also supported when connected to the PS3.

Of course, the update also includes a few minor features for those without Sony�s upcoming portable device, such as new settings for filtering PlayStation Network (PSN) messages and the ability for PlayStation Plus members to fine-tune automatic updates. Other features include improved Blu-ray Disc upscaling, two new system languages, and improved privacy settings.

Whether or not this update is worthy of the jump to a major new version number is up for debate, but PlayStation gamers are sure to appreciate the features either way.

[PlayStation.Blog]