Friday, January 14, 2011

Gaming Today

Gaming Today

These are the Top-Selling Games of 2010 (in the USA)

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:06 PM PST

The NPD has spoke, and we now know what the best-selling games of 2010 in North America are. The list will not surprise anyone, likely, but here we are. Naturally, Black Ops is the winner. Digest this:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. Madden NFL ’11 (EA)
3. Halo: Reach (Microsoft)
4. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
5. Red Dead Redemption (Take-Two)
6. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
7. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
9. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
10. NBA 2K11 (Take-Two)

Considering how well it sold out of the gate, it is slightly surprising to see Modern Warfare 2 here, but only ever so. It is intriguing to see New Super Mario Bros. so high on the list while Super Mario Galaxy 2 is nowhere to be found, though. I guess the lesson here is that if you’re going to return to the well for the hundredth time, you might as well go all the way down the damn thing for maximum mindless nostalgic effect. Not to hate on New Super Mario Bros. too much, but come on, y’all. Seriously. People are so boring.

Last note: While Just Dance 2 was the second best-selling game in the last two months of the year, it only managed to come in at no. 7. This disappoints me, because if my mom buys a game because she wants to play it, I assumed it would have to be because the game in question is the most popular in history because she’s never done that before. No, really, Just Dance 2 is the only game she’s ever bought for herself, and all the other games she has are those I bought for her. Strange world we live in.

Everybody Gets NBA 2K11 in 3D!

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:29 PM PST

As part of the most inexplicable store-exclusive bonus we’ve seen so far, you could only play NBA 2K11 in good ole awesome stereoscopic 3D (on PS3 only, of course) if you bought it at Best Buy. That really was a thing that happened, but good news, everyone! On Sunday, January 16, 2K is going to release a patch for 2K11 that will allow everyone with the advanced television capability to play the game in 3D. Yeah buddy. The title update will also include some other updates but nobody cares about those things because, as Sony will tell you, 3D is the most important thing to ever happen to entertainment.

This Guy Won The Black Ops Prestige Edition!

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 06:51 PM PST

Last week we asked you to exercise your humor modules and come up with some great “Less Ambitious Games” titles. We were hoping for some clever and hilarious takes on what games we could be playing, if only developers had failed to push the envelope. You didn’t disappoint.

Alas, the fun had to come to an end and we picked a winner, the entry that entertained us the most. By popularity among the staff, the winner of the shiny Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition for Xbox 360 is Brandon J. Clark.

His winning entry:

Standard Mario: Acquaintances.

So there you have it. Brandon’s being notified by email (so Brandon, if you’re reading this, maybe check your spam folder) so we can get his prize off to him.

There were a lot of great entries, though. Here are a few of our favorites, with the titles that inspired them in case they’re not obvious:

  • Half-Circle: Combat Still the Same (for Halo: Combat Evolved), by Mray 901
  • Super Mario Shart (for Super Mario Kart), by Nick
  • Kite Simulator (for Flight Simulator), by nickJ
  • Space Diplomatic Intervention: The Force Contained 2 (for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2), by Adam
  • Command and Surrender: France’s Wrath (for Command and Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath), by Ikilledyourcat

Sorry to all you guys who went with sexual innuendo, blatant rape jokes, or some variation of “Call of Dootie.” Close, but no RC-XD.

Shogun 2 Campaign Trailer

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:50 PM PST

Here we have a three-minute video that basically explains how Shogun 2 will work while showing off battlefields filled with a billion soldiers. I would assert that, if you’re not a Total War veteran, you can watch this video and base your purchasing decision entirely on the information it provides. The countdown to your decision begins…. soon.

download

The game is out on PC March 15.

Anti-Gaming Study Flawed, ESA Says

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:35 PM PST

A study about the mental health effects of video gaming on children set to appear in upcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics contains numerous flaws, according to the Electronic Software Association.

The study was conducted by noted gaming critic and previous conductor of flawed studies Douglas Gentile. He claims the study shows a link between video game use and juvenile mental health issues in Singapore, but the ESA has released a warning against the study and its claims, citing numerous places where things get a little shaky.

Gentile, an Iowa State associate professor of psychology and a developmental psychologist who studies the effects the media can have on people consuming it, has taken part in numerous studies about exposure to video game violence leading to real violence in players (mostly children). He generally is a critic of video games and has published studies about their increasing aggression in their players, but other scientists haven’t been able to replicate his results. The verdict is still out as to whether games can make you violent (beyond the verdict we can reach using common sense, that is). He has studied the effects of video games on learning, though, and says gamers make better surgeons, which another very small study recently backed.

The ESA is calling out the new study for not using standardized methods of measuring its data, and for using sample sizes that aren’t big enough from which to draw strong conclusions. It also takes issue with things such as the use of the term “pathological gaming,” which is not an accepted term, either by scientists or doctors. The study uses those same nonstandard methods of measuring data to determine if gamers are “pathological” or not.

Oh, and not to pick on Gentile — maybe his study is right, but it requires peer review and rigorous screening by other scientists before it becomes accepted science — but he has made mistakes before. A study he published in Psychological Science last year contained a sample group that wasn’t chosen at random, but instead was made up of people who agreed to be a part of the study, potentially biasing the results (and making the whole study invalid). Gentile publicly admitted the error to ABC News.

He also was among the researchers that filed a brief in Schwarzenegger vs. EMA against video games that other researchers have criticized as containing methodological errors.

To be fair, though, the ESA is a public relations association for video game companies, and their best interest isn’t necessarily to protect kids from violent games, but to sell games and make money.

Via IndustryGamers.com.

Motorstorm Apocalypses Your City in April (ALSO BOX ART)

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:09 PM PST

You know, I always acted like I don’t really like racing games, but despite putting on a show I always end up extensively playing every AAA racing title that comes out. I have on my shelf 22 2010 retail titles, and three of them are racing games! That’s 14%, which is very high considering racing games don’t come close to making up 14% of retail console titles released each year. So maybe I have a soft spot for racing games.

And I definitely have a soft spot for Motorstorm — either Pacific Rift or Burnout Paradise is my favorite racer ever — and so I’m pumped for Apocalypse, which adds another of my favorite things, widespread destruction, to the glorious Motorstorm formula. Oh, yeah, there’s a point to all this, right? Yah, the point is that Motorstorm Apocalypse is coming out April 12. Go ahead and put $60 in savings.

We also have bonus news. The Playstation Blog was also kind enough today to post some box art. Here’s what North America has coming to it:

That’s pretty nice. Not as nice as the European box, though, which is below.

As you know, this game is a PS3 exclusive.

Pac-Man Game Show? Yes, Please.

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 03:47 PM PST

Who would watch a “reality series” based on Pac-Man?

If the description in this report from Deadline Hollywood is accurate, my thinking is, everyone, everywhere.

The words “reality series” aren’t quite what the vision of the show is, according to the head of Merv Griffin Entertainment, which is partnering up with Namco Bandai for the show. It sounds a whole lot more like a game show:

The Pac-Man reality series is envisioned as a ‘big, crazy Wipeout-type event with a lot of energy,’ said Merv Griffin’s president of TV Roy Bank. ‘The idea we have is to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world’s biggest game of tag to television.’

Yeah. That actually sounds awesome.

The Pac-Man show is described as an unscripted series, which will have Bank as executive producer along with David Russo. They’re still shopping the concept to networks, so it’s unclear when (or if) the project will ever actually happen. Given the kinds of things that are on TV, however, I would be surprised if we’re not seeing some brand of live-action Pac-Man, hopefully with prizes and people face-planting into things, in the near future.

For contrast, here’s what we got last time Pac-Man was a TV show.

Sony Hopes to Achieve LittleBigPlanet 2 World Records By Playing LittleBigPlanet 2

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 03:25 PM PST

I’m becoming nauseous and developing quite a headache just thinking about what this post is about. My head is spinning, and I really don’t understand the point of this. Onward, Phil. Onward.

OK, so Sony is holding an event at SonyStyle in New York from January 17-19 in which some bros will try their hardest to break or achieve or earn or set (or something) some records by playing LittleBigPlanet 2 (trailer). OK, so the records they’re “going for” are:

Longest marathon playing LittleBigPlanet 2
Longest marathon playing a platform video game
Most video game genres played in one video game in 24 hours
Most user-generated video game levels played in 24 hours
Most user-generated video game levels played in a marathon

I guess somebody has to be the one to set the initial record for things, but goddamn this is goofy. Aside from the platform game marathon record, these are pure, very cute wankery. Meanwhile, LBP 2 seems to have already earned these records:

Most gaming genres in one video game
Most player-created levels in one video game

So, yeah, this event. It’s in a public place, which means you can go to it. Veronica from Qore and Playstation PR bro Jeff Rubenstein will be there, and they say it’ll be great fun, which PR events like this usually are. I suggest going late at night to avoid the crowds. More info in the Playstation blog post about this.

Holy crap this game is out next week.

The World is a Vampire for Isaac Clark (TRAILER)

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 02:53 PM PST

Visceral Games and EA have dropped a new Dead Space 2 trailer on us, complete with some Smashing Pumpkins and a lot of good things said about the game by various publications. It also gives a few hints at some story — namely, that Isaac Clark is a man of some interest to entities other than monsters who’d like to eat him.

We already know that Dead Space’s protagonist, Isaac, is more or less going crazy in the sequel. We also know that he’s infected with the necromorph virus, to some extent, and that the new game has a lot to do with those Unitologists and they’re crazy reanimation-worshipping religion.

But if you listen closely to the trailer, you start to get the impression that maybe Isaac is wanted for some other reason — maybe for what he knows, maybe for the apparently ineffectual (or less effectual) virus he carries inside him. That suggests to me that dealing with evil humans is going to play a part in Dead Space 2, which is something of a new wrinkle in Isaac’s extended really bad day.

That could be an indication of where the story’s headed for the possible third installment.

The History of Video Games in One Long Take

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 02:12 PM PST

History of Gaming from Florian Smolka on Vimeo.

Really? God of War III to represent the high-def era? Oh well. Cool video. Also amusing to note they included this new headset thing.

via Kotaku

MindJack Walkthrough

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:50 PM PST

If you think about it, all video games are sort of about jacking into somebody else’s brain/body and ordering them around. Mindjack, therefore, has a definitive mechanic that’s almost like a game within a game — the title’s protagonists are highly trained special operatives, hackers who can enter the minds of anybody and anything around them. If you think that sounds cool — well, you would, because you like video games.

To help keep you alive when you’re hacking your way in and out of people’s brains, we’re preparing a detailed single-player walkthrough. Check back on release day for the first installments. In the meantime, we’ve got lists of trophies and achievements, as well as a Cheats page, which we’ll fill up with collectibles, unlockables, and cheat codes when they become available.

F.E.A.R. 3 U.K. Collector’s Edition Includes Gross Alma Figure (VIDEO)

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:46 PM PST

A new video for the U.K. collector’s edition of F.E.A.R. 3 is coming packaged with a collectible, pregnant Alma figurine — bringing creepy to a new level.

MTV Multiplayer has the details about what you’ll see in the package, although we’re not sure what it’ll cost or whether this edition will make it overseas, where I can promptly buy it. The package appears to include a SteelBook package, the disgustingly awesome 7-inch Alma figurine, and a download code for an in-game weapon known as The Hammer.

So we’re not sure if this set (and that toy, which I bet will cast the most frighting shadows possible in the middle of stormy nights for maximum freak-out-as-you-wake-up-from-a-nightmare effect) will hit the U.S., but we do know that even if it does, it won’t be until May. Bummer.

Little Big Planet 2 Walkthrough

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:27 PM PST

Little Big Planet 2 is without doubt one of the year’s first big new releases, and gamers will be excited to get their hands on all the new customization options. There are new game modes — racing and RPG have been added to the traditional platforming — and myriad new ways to design, test, challenge, and bedevil.

Buried under all this wonderful customization is a singleplayer game, one that demands some serious precision and that includes a full panoply of collectibles. Check back on release day for the first installments of what will become an unstoppable juggernaut of advice — a full text and video walkthrough! If you need factual information, we’ve got PS3 Trophies as well as a Cheats page, which will be filling up with collectible/unlockable information as soon as it becomes available.

Massive Dev Says PS3 Might Be Looking at More Piracy than the PSP

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:13 PM PST

Martin Walfisz, co-founder of Massive Entertainment (Ubisoft Massive)*, tells GI.biz the anti-piracy outlook for the PS3 is far from rosy and that, well, it might end up being so bad that it makes PSP piracy look like not big deal.

This, of course, comes in the way of the hacked PS3 root key, which allows folks to play pirated games on an unmodded Playstation 3.

“If that hack works as reported, I don’t believe that Sony can regain any control,” he said.

He goes further: “I would assume that pirated copies can be stored on the HDD as well, making it so easy to use that PS3 piracy, given time, might even surpass the handhelds.”

This is probably a stretch, since the pirated copies would work because they perfectly emulate authentic copies, and since the console itself has not been altered, the pirates would still be stuck burning the games on blu-ray discs. Those Swedish bros are so optimistic!

Walfisz has much more to say about this subject, including speculation that future consoles will require you to be online at all times to play a game (not happening soon). Check it out.

*true innovators

GI: Dead Space 2 Includes a Dead Space 3 Tease

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:13 PM PST

Game Informer’s review is already out for Dead Space 2 (lucky bastards), and it mentions the inclusion of a Dead Space 3 teaser worked into the game.

The review’s Metacritic thumbnail includes the quote, “Tease for Dead Space 3 has my head spinning with questions,” suggesting that there might, in fact, be a Dead Space 3 — we heard DS3 was being developed alongside way back in the early stages of DS2′s development — even though EA has denied a rumor saying there will definitely be one.

It could just be that the review writer was referring to the inevitable cliffhanger ending that closes off Dead Space 2. Part of the horror convention is to end the story with a climax (remember the necromorph that jumped Isaac at the end of Dead Space?), so the “tease” could be nothing.

Or it could be further proof that we’re getting a third Dead Space, and if Dead Space 2 is as good as Game Informer says (they gave it a 90/100), that’s just fine with me.

Via VG247.
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