California is the home to everything famous, fresh and exciting. It's the best coast west coast, the Golden State, undeniable, and of course always has something new and interesting to offer. Just recently, the California State Senate approved a bill with Smart Plate Mobile that is going to allow a pilot program to test electronic license plates. Literally, pretty soon there will be .5% of California residents driving cars with iPads on the rear of them. This may sound crazy, and maybe even a little bit exciting (admit it), but there certainly are questions that need to be addressed before it's made a common car quality.
It does sound rather cool to have digital numbers on the back of your vehicle.
"The young and restless of tech will be able to have their new 'TE$LA1' plate beamed directly to their car." says CNET.
One of the problems that need to be addressed before fully launching this program would be tracking. There are a good majority of people who really don't care about with what the government interferes, but the suspicious (and the guilty) could be uncomfortable driving with these license plates. Tracking will most likely be as easy as being accessed through a mobile data network, which will let the powers know where you are, at all times. It's clear that Smart Plate Mobile will have access to everyone's location. Even, possibly, the DMV too. You have to admit, even if you don't have anything to hide, that is a little scary.
But imagine what else would come with it. It sounds comical to be riding on the freeway and in front of you is a car with a plate that says "EXPIRED." And what fun would it be to see Ferraris with the word "STOLEN"?
The news of this isn't very popular yet and the amount of Smart Plate users hasn't even reached .5%, but it is very possible that digital and electronic license plates will be a mandatory piece of our future vehicles.
Friday 13 September 2013
Wednesday 4 September 2013
Done Hibernating & More Pokemon
Alright, HI GUYS, I suppose I should explain to you all where I've been hibernating for the past six weeks. Well... I've been at school. And my computer broke. First, my computer broke. And yes, I tried hard-resetting it and rebooting it and all that but it still stubbornly refused to start up. So I had taken it to the Geek Squad (ikr) and three weeks later they brought it back to me in working condition but basically said it just got overheated...okay, whatevs lol it shouldn't take three weeks to repair overheated hardware but nonetheless cool it works. So, that explains the first half of my absence, but the second half is really just school's fault. I've started my junior year in American high school a few weeks ago and it really has kept me busy. My most interesting classes are trigonometry, programming and graphics. Programming has been my favourite. And, not to brag....but I'm a little teachers pet. Even though I'm one of the only two girls in there plus the youngest, I'm the most advanced. (ha-ha!) The class is starting off with basic web page HTML coding and I'm far off working on programming an indie game I'm making in Scratch. (you're a human trying to run away from a cow because you wanted to eat it. of course i'd make my game about that, right? have you found the vegan yet?) But whenever a student needs help with something, they don't even ask the teacher, they ask me and I always know what's up. It's a good boost of confidence! But anyway, that's what I've been doing and I apologise for slacking off. I'm getting back into the routine now though! Oh, and also, when I'm finished with my game which I should be within the next few months, I'm going to convert it into an iPhone app and I'll post a link for you to download it, if any of you are interested.
Meanwhile, I have some more potentially new Pokemon information for you. In the past weeks, some rumours have begun spreading, claiming that there is another new Pokemon game coming for the Wii U. At the Pokemon Game Show, a trailer was revealed, showing brief flashbacks of memorable moments throughout the entire game series, from the 90's trading card game to Black & White. Towards the end of the video, off-and-on you can see brief clips of two unfamiliar Pokemon in battle, foreshadowing the drop of another game, and then the screen faded away.
In previous portable Pokemon games, the battles were based around arena-style fights, like in Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Battle Revolution. However, it is unclear if this possible game will continue on that tradition.
Meanwhile, I have some more potentially new Pokemon information for you. In the past weeks, some rumours have begun spreading, claiming that there is another new Pokemon game coming for the Wii U. At the Pokemon Game Show, a trailer was revealed, showing brief flashbacks of memorable moments throughout the entire game series, from the 90's trading card game to Black & White. Towards the end of the video, off-and-on you can see brief clips of two unfamiliar Pokemon in battle, foreshadowing the drop of another game, and then the screen faded away.
In previous portable Pokemon games, the battles were based around arena-style fights, like in Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Battle Revolution. However, it is unclear if this possible game will continue on that tradition.
Sunday 14 July 2013
What to expect from Pokemon X/Y
So what I can tell you about the new Pokemon X/Y is the awesome new 3D gameplay effects and dynamic battle camera. This sequel's experience will be nothing like the previous games in the series, thanks to it's new platform. For one, we will no longer be stuck behind our Pokemon while in battle, and the experience is now heightened with full 3D Pokemon and 3D attacks. There is also a new type of battle, called Sky Battles. Through this system, new Pokemon can now take flight to the sky. You can find trainers at the edge of cliffs or on top of buildings and challenge them to a sky battle - or, they'll challenge you, but for once (and for better), you can now flee from these kinds of trainers, only if you do not have the compatible Pokemon, though.
There's also been rumours about some new wild appearances called Horde Encounters. I'll come back on that when I gather more information.
There's also been rumours about some new wild appearances called Horde Encounters. I'll come back on that when I gather more information.
Sunday 30 June 2013
Thank you, Nintendo.
Remember the gaming industry back in 1983? Well, I don't. I can't. I was born in 1997. But I've been playing some classic games lately and reading a lot, and I'm bringing back the memories of two important events that paved the way for the gaming landscape of today.
The first was the North American video game crash, set in motion by the failures of Pac-Man and ET on the Atari 2600. The market had been flooded with low-quality shovelware, and gamers started to abandon the hobby completely. The chances of a profitable, healthy industry seemed slim. But at the same time, halfway around the world, a little Japanese company named Nintendo geared up for the release of their first console, the Famicom, which sent the video game market booming and saved our hobby from going extinct.
I have to give a personal thanks to Nintendo for being a brilliant team, and saving the video game industry back in the day. You know, a lot of people hate on the Wii because it is family-oriented and most of us are seclusive hermits who cringe at the thought of social interaction. But we don't recognise, they've always kind of been family-oriented with their systems...? Maybe we gave them crap for the Wii because we were excited for a motion sensor platform (even though we knew about the PS Move years before). But I don't think they deserve it. We owe Nintendo a huge thanks and a huge "hell yeah, Nintendo kicks ass."
Thank you, Nintendo. You saved us in the 80's, kind of like how the fictional characters you created save worlds every day. Maybe you aren't so fictional. Or maybe I'm just really corny. Thank you.
The first was the North American video game crash, set in motion by the failures of Pac-Man and ET on the Atari 2600. The market had been flooded with low-quality shovelware, and gamers started to abandon the hobby completely. The chances of a profitable, healthy industry seemed slim. But at the same time, halfway around the world, a little Japanese company named Nintendo geared up for the release of their first console, the Famicom, which sent the video game market booming and saved our hobby from going extinct.
I have to give a personal thanks to Nintendo for being a brilliant team, and saving the video game industry back in the day. You know, a lot of people hate on the Wii because it is family-oriented and most of us are seclusive hermits who cringe at the thought of social interaction. But we don't recognise, they've always kind of been family-oriented with their systems...? Maybe we gave them crap for the Wii because we were excited for a motion sensor platform (even though we knew about the PS Move years before). But I don't think they deserve it. We owe Nintendo a huge thanks and a huge "hell yeah, Nintendo kicks ass."
Thank you, Nintendo. You saved us in the 80's, kind of like how the fictional characters you created save worlds every day. Maybe you aren't so fictional. Or maybe I'm just really corny. Thank you.
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Xbox One does a 360.
With some breaking news off Microsoft's website, the Xbox One is looking a lot less new and a lot more like the 360 with some major changes to it's performance.
The Xbox One we were all familiar with had a DRM, a built-in kinect, a region block, and it had to be online at least once every 24 hours, and you couldn't rent or sell any games. Now, Microsoft's headlines say, "we've listened to your feedback," and have changed the system almost completely. The "new" Xbox One does not have a DRM at all, it will not always have a built-in kinect, it won't have a region block, you won't have to be online every 24 hours, and you can rent, buy, trade, and sell any games you want. These are some pretty impressive improvements that may attract more attention to the Xbox One. GOOD FOR THEM, they might have just saved their asses. Still, a lot of fans have to think twice about choosing between a One or PS4.
I'm glad Xbox made these changes to their system, but I still don't really care about TV, and the only reason I'd move onto One is to play Halo 5 since it's going to be exclusive by its release year 2015. Meanwhile I feel like bringing out the PS2 so I can get back into Kingdom Hearts and God of War. And maybe even my DS to play some Animal Crossing. :3
If you guys have any thoughts or comments on this, feel free to let it out down below. I'm curious to see if this shifted anybody's minds from the PS4 back to Xbox.
The Xbox One we were all familiar with had a DRM, a built-in kinect, a region block, and it had to be online at least once every 24 hours, and you couldn't rent or sell any games. Now, Microsoft's headlines say, "we've listened to your feedback," and have changed the system almost completely. The "new" Xbox One does not have a DRM at all, it will not always have a built-in kinect, it won't have a region block, you won't have to be online every 24 hours, and you can rent, buy, trade, and sell any games you want. These are some pretty impressive improvements that may attract more attention to the Xbox One. GOOD FOR THEM, they might have just saved their asses. Still, a lot of fans have to think twice about choosing between a One or PS4.
I'm glad Xbox made these changes to their system, but I still don't really care about TV, and the only reason I'd move onto One is to play Halo 5 since it's going to be exclusive by its release year 2015. Meanwhile I feel like bringing out the PS2 so I can get back into Kingdom Hearts and God of War. And maybe even my DS to play some Animal Crossing. :3
If you guys have any thoughts or comments on this, feel free to let it out down below. I'm curious to see if this shifted anybody's minds from the PS4 back to Xbox.
Saturday 15 June 2013
The best of E3 2013.
Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, especially with E3 going on. I've just been in the process of packing, moving and unpacking all week. However, I have been watching E3 live from my new home and I have been reading interviews so I do have a lot to cover in this blog. Side note, my new home is awesome! I live in a nice two-story duplex that's about five minutes away from the beach so I have a nice view as well. And I also now live in the same city that Melonie Mac lives in so maybe I'll run into her one day....? Totally not stalking her, no.
There were a few announcements from E3 that I'd really like to cover. First off, during E3's Nintendo Analyst Briefing, Nintendo revealed their plans on expanding StreetPass Network in hopes of achieving more popularity outside of Japan. They also want to release more software that's StreetPass compatible. They say, "This will involve taking a Nintendo 3DS system in sleep mode to an access point which will them connect automatically and send StreetPass data to a server. At the same time, the Nintendo 3DS system also receives the StreetPass data of another user from the server. In this setting, data is not exchanged directly, but rather through a StreetPass relay station. Previously, it required multiple 3DS systems in Sleep Mode to be in the same location at the same time, but in this framework, you can exchange data with others by visiting the same location even at a different time, so we can certainly expect the use rate of the StreetPass feature to grow significantly." This update is supposed to be available sometime later this year.
Bethesda Softworks also released some new info on The Elder Scrolls Online, which is making the MMORPG sound more like World Of Warcraft now. They announced that once you're done with one Alliance, you can start again with the other two, but with all your content set at lvl50. They explained, "You can level all the way from 1 to 50 with your character; that's 140 to 150 hours of content. Once you get to lvl50, maybe you don't want to participate in the PvP endgame or you're not interested in group dungeons, but you really want to play more of the game. You can take the character and go back through the remaining alliances, but all of the content is scaled to lvl50; so you can start playing through another chunk of content, but everything is harder. Once you've played through all of that, you can do it again through the last alliance, but everything is even harder. We call it 50+ and 50++." I honestly can't wait to get playing this. It sounds like a lot of fun, as a lover of fantasy games and MMO's, as well as a fan of both Skyrim and WoW!
Another huge announcement that I'm hugely excited for came from the Final Fantasy panel; if you haven't heard about it yet or you've only heard it in your dreams, it's true, Kingdom Hearts III is real and it's coming. As if that wasn't groundbreaking enough, it will also be historical because not only will it be released to PS4 as expected, but the franchise will also be making its debut with Microsoft when it's also made available for the Xbox - yeah, you read all that right! Kingdom Hearts, III, and Xbox! However, the game is still so early in the process of being developed, that even the game's trailer is immature and unofficial. It is seriously too early to plan even a release year. But, the promise alone of this game is huge, and will be worth any wait.
On top of everything I've already noted so far, I'm also excited to spread the word about the new Battlefield 4. It looks awesome! There will be tons of added features of course, like the new ability to direct squad mates. You can also shut up about the "omg, the xbox one has 500gb!!! that's enough for two battlefield maps!!1!11!" jokes because they're just annoying, and Battlefield is pretty cool and you know it. Like the previous Battlefields, it's expected to have a challenging online gaming experience as well as an engaging and interesting campaign. There is no set drop date for this yet either.
And last, but sure as hell not least, its safe to start getting excited for Halo 5. We haven't heard much about the game's plot, but from the trailer that played at Microsoft's Media Briefing E3 event, it looks engaging, and a lot more heavy/dark than the previous games in the series, which is cool. 343 Industries claims it will be "better than last time," referring to their beliefs that they had learned a lot from the experience of making Halo 4. (as if they had anything to apologise for?) They also tell us to expect Halo 5 to be a "next-generation title." If you haven't seen the trailer yet, watch it. Not only because the graphics are breathtaking but you can start to get pre-conceived ideas on what the game will be about. We were last left with the death of Cortana, Master Cheif's A.I., and in the trailer we see her data-core matrix chip, now on a dog chain. What does that imply? It's drop date falls in next year.
Oh- and before I forget, another cool E3 announcement from Microsoft was for Xbox Live Gold members. If you're an Xbox Live Gold member (the 12 month plan), Microsoft is giving away free games for download up until the release of the Xbox One. One free game every month until November. And not just stupid indie games. I mean, they even mentioned Assassins Creed 2 and Halo 3, just up for free download from the Xbox Marketplace. If you've never gotten Xbox Gold before, or just thought "nah, 60$ just ain't worth it," well now, it's pretty worth it.
I plan on getting back into my routine of frequently updating as I hear more on release dates and new games and such, so keep checking back. I can hardly wait to get ahold of some of these games! Till then, I'm going to be checking out more information, doing some gaming of course and then blogging. So stay following!
Also, if you want a new way to make fun of the Xbox One, go watch the IF XBOX ONE WAS A GIRL video on YouTube, it's pretty funny.
There were a few announcements from E3 that I'd really like to cover. First off, during E3's Nintendo Analyst Briefing, Nintendo revealed their plans on expanding StreetPass Network in hopes of achieving more popularity outside of Japan. They also want to release more software that's StreetPass compatible. They say, "This will involve taking a Nintendo 3DS system in sleep mode to an access point which will them connect automatically and send StreetPass data to a server. At the same time, the Nintendo 3DS system also receives the StreetPass data of another user from the server. In this setting, data is not exchanged directly, but rather through a StreetPass relay station. Previously, it required multiple 3DS systems in Sleep Mode to be in the same location at the same time, but in this framework, you can exchange data with others by visiting the same location even at a different time, so we can certainly expect the use rate of the StreetPass feature to grow significantly." This update is supposed to be available sometime later this year.
Bethesda Softworks also released some new info on The Elder Scrolls Online, which is making the MMORPG sound more like World Of Warcraft now. They announced that once you're done with one Alliance, you can start again with the other two, but with all your content set at lvl50. They explained, "You can level all the way from 1 to 50 with your character; that's 140 to 150 hours of content. Once you get to lvl50, maybe you don't want to participate in the PvP endgame or you're not interested in group dungeons, but you really want to play more of the game. You can take the character and go back through the remaining alliances, but all of the content is scaled to lvl50; so you can start playing through another chunk of content, but everything is harder. Once you've played through all of that, you can do it again through the last alliance, but everything is even harder. We call it 50+ and 50++." I honestly can't wait to get playing this. It sounds like a lot of fun, as a lover of fantasy games and MMO's, as well as a fan of both Skyrim and WoW!
Another huge announcement that I'm hugely excited for came from the Final Fantasy panel; if you haven't heard about it yet or you've only heard it in your dreams, it's true, Kingdom Hearts III is real and it's coming. As if that wasn't groundbreaking enough, it will also be historical because not only will it be released to PS4 as expected, but the franchise will also be making its debut with Microsoft when it's also made available for the Xbox - yeah, you read all that right! Kingdom Hearts, III, and Xbox! However, the game is still so early in the process of being developed, that even the game's trailer is immature and unofficial. It is seriously too early to plan even a release year. But, the promise alone of this game is huge, and will be worth any wait.
On top of everything I've already noted so far, I'm also excited to spread the word about the new Battlefield 4. It looks awesome! There will be tons of added features of course, like the new ability to direct squad mates. You can also shut up about the "omg, the xbox one has 500gb!!! that's enough for two battlefield maps!!1!11!" jokes because they're just annoying, and Battlefield is pretty cool and you know it. Like the previous Battlefields, it's expected to have a challenging online gaming experience as well as an engaging and interesting campaign. There is no set drop date for this yet either.
And last, but sure as hell not least, its safe to start getting excited for Halo 5. We haven't heard much about the game's plot, but from the trailer that played at Microsoft's Media Briefing E3 event, it looks engaging, and a lot more heavy/dark than the previous games in the series, which is cool. 343 Industries claims it will be "better than last time," referring to their beliefs that they had learned a lot from the experience of making Halo 4. (as if they had anything to apologise for?) They also tell us to expect Halo 5 to be a "next-generation title." If you haven't seen the trailer yet, watch it. Not only because the graphics are breathtaking but you can start to get pre-conceived ideas on what the game will be about. We were last left with the death of Cortana, Master Cheif's A.I., and in the trailer we see her data-core matrix chip, now on a dog chain. What does that imply? It's drop date falls in next year.
Oh- and before I forget, another cool E3 announcement from Microsoft was for Xbox Live Gold members. If you're an Xbox Live Gold member (the 12 month plan), Microsoft is giving away free games for download up until the release of the Xbox One. One free game every month until November. And not just stupid indie games. I mean, they even mentioned Assassins Creed 2 and Halo 3, just up for free download from the Xbox Marketplace. If you've never gotten Xbox Gold before, or just thought "nah, 60$ just ain't worth it," well now, it's pretty worth it.
I plan on getting back into my routine of frequently updating as I hear more on release dates and new games and such, so keep checking back. I can hardly wait to get ahold of some of these games! Till then, I'm going to be checking out more information, doing some gaming of course and then blogging. So stay following!
Also, if you want a new way to make fun of the Xbox One, go watch the IF XBOX ONE WAS A GIRL video on YouTube, it's pretty funny.
Wednesday 5 June 2013
New Assassin's Creed books.
Just
the other day, Ubisoft had announced their new books for Assassins
Creed IV: Black Flag. The first one will be a novel based on the game;
it will be published by Ace Books and release November 26th in the US and on November 7th by
Penguin Books in the UK. The second book will be an official art book
called The Art of Assassins Creed, and will be released by Titan Books on October 28th. The
first 500 copies will come with a special slipcase including two
exclusive Assassins Creed IV concept art prints signed by the artists.
That's dope! Ubisoft claims that "highlights in the game, and in the art
book, include one of the largest never-before-experienced nautical
gameplay ever offered, with an amazing range of locations and action."
The actual game will drop on October 29th for the 360, PS3 and Wii U, with Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions to follow.
The actual game will drop on October 29th for the 360, PS3 and Wii U, with Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions to follow.
Saturday 1 June 2013
FREE online Harvard computer science course.
So! I don't know how many are you actually care about my personal life, but it would be appropriate to let all of you know that I have an interest for computer programming and science. I'm currently taking computer ROP design classes and math analysis at my school, and would like to get familiar with programs like C++ and JavaScript, as well as I'm studying trigonometry and playing around with Autodesk Maya knock-offs in my spare time. I'm making myself take the advanced courses I need to make me eligible to attend a university so that I can get my major in this field!
Well, one day on the internet I came across this open learning initiative on Harvard's website, full of informational videos on what you should know about computers if you're wanting to major in this study. It's free, and online, and taught by David Malan, a very smart (and tbh attractive, lets not forget i am a girl here) Harvard graduate who not only majored in computer science and graduated from a top university, but received his bachelors, masters, and doctorate in this field. He teaches Harvard’s introductory computer science course and holds an appointment as lecturer on computer science in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The free online computer science course is an introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science. The topics they cover include algorithms and their design, implementation, and analysis; software development (abstraction, encapsulation, data structures, debugging, and testing); architecture of computers (low-level data representation and instruction processing); computer systems (programming languages, compilers, operating systems, and databases); and computers in the real world (networks, websites, security, forensics, and cryptography). "The course teaches students how to think more carefully and how to solve problems more effectively." The videos also example what Harvard's CS50 class is like, which includes hands-on training with C, PHP, as well as JavaScript. (eeep!) You can watch them off of any platform as well. The videos are offered in Quicktime, Flash, and MP3 (audio only) formats.
I've only watched the first part of the introductory lesson but I'm so excited to keep learning about it that I already had to make a blog. The video taught me about bits, binary systems, programming, algorithms, scratch, statements, Boolean expressions, conditions, loops, and variables. I also learned a whole new incredibly easy method of taking role with a group of people, using the same algorithms that are applied in technology!
These online classes are informative, interesting, understandable, clear, taught by a computer tech doctorate Harvard grad, and FREE. If you have any thoughts about majoring in computer science, CHECK OUT THIS PROGRAM!!! It's so awesome and I'm glad I was fortunate enough to discover it.
The link is right here! Click! It might be a life-changing decision! Free Online Computer Science Course
Well, one day on the internet I came across this open learning initiative on Harvard's website, full of informational videos on what you should know about computers if you're wanting to major in this study. It's free, and online, and taught by David Malan, a very smart (and tbh attractive, lets not forget i am a girl here) Harvard graduate who not only majored in computer science and graduated from a top university, but received his bachelors, masters, and doctorate in this field. He teaches Harvard’s introductory computer science course and holds an appointment as lecturer on computer science in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The free online computer science course is an introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science. The topics they cover include algorithms and their design, implementation, and analysis; software development (abstraction, encapsulation, data structures, debugging, and testing); architecture of computers (low-level data representation and instruction processing); computer systems (programming languages, compilers, operating systems, and databases); and computers in the real world (networks, websites, security, forensics, and cryptography). "The course teaches students how to think more carefully and how to solve problems more effectively." The videos also example what Harvard's CS50 class is like, which includes hands-on training with C, PHP, as well as JavaScript. (eeep!) You can watch them off of any platform as well. The videos are offered in Quicktime, Flash, and MP3 (audio only) formats.
I've only watched the first part of the introductory lesson but I'm so excited to keep learning about it that I already had to make a blog. The video taught me about bits, binary systems, programming, algorithms, scratch, statements, Boolean expressions, conditions, loops, and variables. I also learned a whole new incredibly easy method of taking role with a group of people, using the same algorithms that are applied in technology!
These online classes are informative, interesting, understandable, clear, taught by a computer tech doctorate Harvard grad, and FREE. If you have any thoughts about majoring in computer science, CHECK OUT THIS PROGRAM!!! It's so awesome and I'm glad I was fortunate enough to discover it.
The link is right here! Click! It might be a life-changing decision! Free Online Computer Science Course
Wednesday 29 May 2013
Expected E3 appearances.
As time goes by, the list of games that are going to premier at E3 continues to grow, especially with the reveals of the Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One. Along with them, games will also be hosted on platforms such as the PS3, PS Vita, 3DS, and Xbox 360 as well. Games include-
1954: Alcatraz, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Arma III
Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4, Bayonetta 2, Beyond Two Souls, Black Guards, Blood Knights, Bound By Flame
Call Of Duty: Ghosts, Castle Of Illusion, Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2, Civilization 5, Command And Conquer: Generals 2
Dark Souls II, Deadpool, Deep Down, Destiny, Diablo III, Disney Infinity, Dragon Age III: Inquisition, Dynasty Warriors 8, Elder Scrolls online
FIFA 13, Final Fantasy X/X2 HD remaster
Hometown Story, Gran Turismo 6, Infamous: Second Son, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 remix, LEGO Marvel Superheroes
Madden 25, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Mario Golf World Tour, Mario Kart Wii U, Mario Party 3DS, Murdered: Soul Suspect
NBA Live 14, Need For Speed: Rivals
Phineas And Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff, Pikmin 3, Pokemon X/Y, Project X Zone, Quantum Break
Rayman Legends, Rune Factory 4
Sacred 3, Saints Row 4, Scribblenauts Unmasked, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Sonic: Lost World, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Super Smash Bros 4
Tales of Xillia Tearaway, The Last Of Us, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Total War: Rome 2
Until Dawn, Valhalla Knights 3, Wasteland 2, Watch Dogs, Wii Fit U, Wolfenstein: The New Order
Ninja Gaiden 2, Yoshi's Island 3DS, Zumba Fitness World Party, and lots more.
These games have been noted at E3 Judges Week, and will almost definitely appear at the show.
I'm very excited to see a few of these!
1954: Alcatraz, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Arma III
Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4, Bayonetta 2, Beyond Two Souls, Black Guards, Blood Knights, Bound By Flame
Call Of Duty: Ghosts, Castle Of Illusion, Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2, Civilization 5, Command And Conquer: Generals 2
Dark Souls II, Deadpool, Deep Down, Destiny, Diablo III, Disney Infinity, Dragon Age III: Inquisition, Dynasty Warriors 8, Elder Scrolls online
FIFA 13, Final Fantasy X/X2 HD remaster
Hometown Story, Gran Turismo 6, Infamous: Second Son, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 remix, LEGO Marvel Superheroes
Madden 25, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Mario Golf World Tour, Mario Kart Wii U, Mario Party 3DS, Murdered: Soul Suspect
NBA Live 14, Need For Speed: Rivals
Phineas And Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff, Pikmin 3, Pokemon X/Y, Project X Zone, Quantum Break
Rayman Legends, Rune Factory 4
Sacred 3, Saints Row 4, Scribblenauts Unmasked, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Sonic: Lost World, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Super Smash Bros 4
Tales of Xillia Tearaway, The Last Of Us, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Total War: Rome 2
Until Dawn, Valhalla Knights 3, Wasteland 2, Watch Dogs, Wii Fit U, Wolfenstein: The New Order
Ninja Gaiden 2, Yoshi's Island 3DS, Zumba Fitness World Party, and lots more.
These games have been noted at E3 Judges Week, and will almost definitely appear at the show.
I'm very excited to see a few of these!
Saturday 25 May 2013
Saruman's Tower of Orthanc LEGO Set
LEGO has just released its latest Lord Of The Rings set, based on Saruman's Tower of Orthanc! It will be a six story tower measuring 28 inches high, featuring an attic, library, alchemy room, Saruman's room, and a dungeon. It will also come with the Great Eagle, ENT figure and Saruman, Gandalf, Grima Wormtongue, and an Uruk-hai and orc pitmaster. It will go on sale this July for $199 in the US and £149 in the UK.
Wednesday 22 May 2013
THE "XBOX 359 STEPS BACKWARDS"
After months of waiting, Microsoft finally revealed the Xbox One. They called it an "all in one system" of games, television, and entertainment. It will include 802.11n Wi-Fi, HDMI in and out ports, a 500GB HDD hard drive, 8GB of RAM, an 8-core CPU (yeah, thats definitely fast) and GPU SoC, a blu-ray drive, USB ports, as well as three operating systems being the standard Xbox OS, the kernel of Windows 8 for web applications, and a third platform that connects the two together. It will also have the kinect sensor now built into the system, hence, the "all in one" reference.
The Xbox One was revealed yesterday and put many of its pre-convieved rumours to rest. For one, we found out the name. Microsoft confirmed its title Xbox One, and not Fusion, Xbox 8, Loop, or Xbox 720, which is what I had believed it to be. We also now know that the Xbox won't require an always-on internet connection. However, you have to log on at least once every 24 hours, or you won't be able to play even your offline games. I'm not sure what they're trying to accomplish with that. Another con I learned was that the Xbox One won't be able to play used games. That's right, you'll have to spend money on them brand new, and if you ever get tired of a game, you might as well just throw it away because once you try to sell it or trade it in to get money for it, it'll become useless.
However, I do have some good news for my Halo-fan readers; during the Xbox One reveal, Microsoft announced that they are coming out with original Xbox TV programming, starting with a TV series based on the Halo franchise, and it will be directed by no other than the legendary Steven Spielberg. I can't wait to see the story of Master Chief put into live action. I have no doubts it will be amazing.
We are being given a built-in kinect, skype, simple voice commands and modern multitasking tricks, which are cool, but I was disappointed that they didn't talk much about gaming on the Xbox One, other than sports games and a new COD. I'm also upset about the whole 24-hour and used-game deals. They probably named it the Xbox One because they took 359 steps backwards. We were promised 15 exclusive games on the Xbox One, 8 of which are new titles, but those haven't been mentioned yet. I hope to see a lot of gaming talk at this year's E3.
The new Xbox is supposed to drop some time around autumn this year.
The Xbox One was revealed yesterday and put many of its pre-convieved rumours to rest. For one, we found out the name. Microsoft confirmed its title Xbox One, and not Fusion, Xbox 8, Loop, or Xbox 720, which is what I had believed it to be. We also now know that the Xbox won't require an always-on internet connection. However, you have to log on at least once every 24 hours, or you won't be able to play even your offline games. I'm not sure what they're trying to accomplish with that. Another con I learned was that the Xbox One won't be able to play used games. That's right, you'll have to spend money on them brand new, and if you ever get tired of a game, you might as well just throw it away because once you try to sell it or trade it in to get money for it, it'll become useless.
However, I do have some good news for my Halo-fan readers; during the Xbox One reveal, Microsoft announced that they are coming out with original Xbox TV programming, starting with a TV series based on the Halo franchise, and it will be directed by no other than the legendary Steven Spielberg. I can't wait to see the story of Master Chief put into live action. I have no doubts it will be amazing.
We are being given a built-in kinect, skype, simple voice commands and modern multitasking tricks, which are cool, but I was disappointed that they didn't talk much about gaming on the Xbox One, other than sports games and a new COD. I'm also upset about the whole 24-hour and used-game deals. They probably named it the Xbox One because they took 359 steps backwards. We were promised 15 exclusive games on the Xbox One, 8 of which are new titles, but those haven't been mentioned yet. I hope to see a lot of gaming talk at this year's E3.
The new Xbox is supposed to drop some time around autumn this year.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Tell your Minecraft friends you're gonna be awhile.
What if I told you about a random generated 8-bit world, where you could only go with nothing more than a handful of basic tools to explore the land, build stuff, and battle monsters? No, don't let the title tease you, I'm not talking about Minecraft. Although virtually everything in the world is destructible, and by breaking blocks you find resources like wood, stone, and iron, and the overall concepts of the game are very similar, these two games are indeed different.
I'm talking about Terraria. It's an RPG where you play not as a human, but as a sprite. You get a feeling of fantasy with a desire to adventure and uncover secrets driven by your own curiousity and your own creativity. You can develop hobbies in the game and spend time doing or not doing whatever you want, according to your preferences, but still almost always being challenged by the difficulty in searching for hard-to-find discoveries and the interference of monsters. You can be a hunter, or a blacksmith, or a tailor, or a paleontologist, or a miner, or an architect, or nothing, or all of the above. The upfront strategy of the game is to hunt and dig up and cut down necessary materials to craft into useful tools, or gear to customise your character.
Exploration and combat in the game is easy, thanks to the simple gamepad controls. And the same rules of common sense in the real world apply here too. The deeper you dig, the harder you look, the bigger the challenge, the better the come up.
Like Minecraft, what happens on the surface is determined by a day/night cycle. During the day, it is safe. You can pick flowers and harvest crops without being disturbed. However, when the sun goes down, the monsters come out. Floating eyeballs, hideous earthworms and zombie hordes hunt you down and want to challenge your power, forcing you to either fight or flee.
Now, unlike Minecraft, there are special helpers called NPC's. NPC's come in different forms like guide, merchant, nurse, wizard, and even Santa Claus. They can sell you items, heal you, and offer other helpful services. However, if you want one of your own, there are several tasks you need to perform in order to attract one. You get the Guide right off the back, but the others are special, and the things you have to do for one to spawn including using a Heart Crystal, getting wealthy, exploring dungeons, and slaying beasts. This can inspire you to attempt quests rather than spend your time trying to pimp out your pad or craft things you dont really need, basically it gives you something to do rather than just kill time.
While exploring can be fun, the combat in the game is what I love about it. For one thing, monsters can find you out of nowhere, and can interrupt your digging or crafting or whatever youre doing. Its frustrating, but its that pissed off challenged drive that makes it fun. Furthermore, when youre killed, determined by what difficulty you have your game set on, it effects what happens when you die and respawn. For example, an easy setting allows you to respawn with your gear intact , but with a good chunk of coins missing. Then, if youre playing at a harder difficulty, you'd be forced to drop all your items, gear, and coins, respectively.
Though at first it may just sound like a Minecraft knock-off, it expands on fantasy elements and highlights the fun in combat and adventure that proves it to be exciting. With a slur of monsters to kill and a wicked pixelised experience, it does not look so demeaning once you start digging.
I'm talking about Terraria. It's an RPG where you play not as a human, but as a sprite. You get a feeling of fantasy with a desire to adventure and uncover secrets driven by your own curiousity and your own creativity. You can develop hobbies in the game and spend time doing or not doing whatever you want, according to your preferences, but still almost always being challenged by the difficulty in searching for hard-to-find discoveries and the interference of monsters. You can be a hunter, or a blacksmith, or a tailor, or a paleontologist, or a miner, or an architect, or nothing, or all of the above. The upfront strategy of the game is to hunt and dig up and cut down necessary materials to craft into useful tools, or gear to customise your character.
Exploration and combat in the game is easy, thanks to the simple gamepad controls. And the same rules of common sense in the real world apply here too. The deeper you dig, the harder you look, the bigger the challenge, the better the come up.
Like Minecraft, what happens on the surface is determined by a day/night cycle. During the day, it is safe. You can pick flowers and harvest crops without being disturbed. However, when the sun goes down, the monsters come out. Floating eyeballs, hideous earthworms and zombie hordes hunt you down and want to challenge your power, forcing you to either fight or flee.
Now, unlike Minecraft, there are special helpers called NPC's. NPC's come in different forms like guide, merchant, nurse, wizard, and even Santa Claus. They can sell you items, heal you, and offer other helpful services. However, if you want one of your own, there are several tasks you need to perform in order to attract one. You get the Guide right off the back, but the others are special, and the things you have to do for one to spawn including using a Heart Crystal, getting wealthy, exploring dungeons, and slaying beasts. This can inspire you to attempt quests rather than spend your time trying to pimp out your pad or craft things you dont really need, basically it gives you something to do rather than just kill time.
While exploring can be fun, the combat in the game is what I love about it. For one thing, monsters can find you out of nowhere, and can interrupt your digging or crafting or whatever youre doing. Its frustrating, but its that pissed off challenged drive that makes it fun. Furthermore, when youre killed, determined by what difficulty you have your game set on, it effects what happens when you die and respawn. For example, an easy setting allows you to respawn with your gear intact , but with a good chunk of coins missing. Then, if youre playing at a harder difficulty, you'd be forced to drop all your items, gear, and coins, respectively.
Though at first it may just sound like a Minecraft knock-off, it expands on fantasy elements and highlights the fun in combat and adventure that proves it to be exciting. With a slur of monsters to kill and a wicked pixelised experience, it does not look so demeaning once you start digging.
Saturday 23 March 2013
More Kingdom Hearts
Yes, another new Kingdom Hearts branch is upon us. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix was announced at a press release from Square Enix and was set to be released this year around autumn. It is actually only a bundle including Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories. Although, Final Mix was only released in Japan, so through HD 1.5 Remix, it will be shared with North America too which is awesome. Both of these games will be compacted together onto one disc, adding in more PS3 trophies and enhanced gameplay mechanics. I'm looking forward to it this fall.
Friday 1 March 2013
New Sega laptops.
Sega has been out of the platform business for quite some time, but the company is still coming up with new systems to this day. It has just recently released a line of laptops, that are available in Japan through online retailer Ebten via Kotaku. Each one comes with a different visual theme - Vanilla Sega, Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast - and each theme is available at four different prices.
Your options, in descending order, are Premium, High Spec, Standard, and Light. The minimum cost for one is just over $1000 and the maximum is a little over $2000, with the internal hardware obviously scaling up as the cost rises. This is an import-only option for now, so its probably just a nerd fantasy for most of us. Sega seems like it would hold the most beautiful laptops in our modern world. I would love to get my hands on one.
Your options, in descending order, are Premium, High Spec, Standard, and Light. The minimum cost for one is just over $1000 and the maximum is a little over $2000, with the internal hardware obviously scaling up as the cost rises. This is an import-only option for now, so its probably just a nerd fantasy for most of us. Sega seems like it would hold the most beautiful laptops in our modern world. I would love to get my hands on one.
Friday 15 February 2013
ASSASSINS CREED 3
BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL
Assassins Creed 3, a game thats been nominated for a series of awards including its win for having a Character Of The Year, is one of the coolest action-adventure games of all time.
The series name has appeared on a number of platforms, including PS3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS Vita, iOS, HP webOS, smartphones, and even the Wii U. Thats a serious spread, which isnt surprising as its a serious game.The main Assassins Creed games were developed by Ubisoft, and the handheld titles were developed by Gameloft and Gryptonite Studios. Ubisoft is the third largest game publisher in the US, as it has created games like Far Cry, Petz, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Just Dance, Rabbids, Rayman, Watch Dogs, and other big name titles.
Assassins Creed 3's story takes place in both the 21st century and 18th century colonial America, where youre in a huge wilderness known as the Frontier (which is 1.5 times bigger than rome in assassins creed: brotherhood, btw) the cities of Boston and New York, as well as portions of the Caribbean Sea. The game is based around Desmond Miles, a young man whose heritage comes with the responsibility to save lives by using a machine that allows him to travel back in time and re-live history's moments first-person through his ancestors eyes. His ancestor in AC3 is Ratonhnhaketon, aka Connor, a native-American tribal boy whose goal is to protect his natural land and home from the Templars and save it from being destroyed, before 21 December 2012, a day prophesied to hold the apocalypse, in the real world.
The graphics were pretty good. If youve been following me for a while, youd know by now that Im really cruicial on visual work, being that I want to get into game animation myself. I pay a lot of attention to little things, and in AC3 I have nothing to complain about. Theyre nice. Especially the cut scenes, (which my oh my theres a lot of, the writers had their hands full with this one), those look great and have digitally smooth aesthetics. The clothes, earth, scenery, materials, objects, and weapons look like how they should look. The only small thing that got a bit under my skin was that the speech doesnt match up perfectly with the mouth movements. Every syllable spoken looks the same as the next one. The game goes on though, and although a perfect game wouldnt have this problem, it really isnt that big of a deal. Graphic-freaks like me have to learn to suck it up and take it upon ourselves to make things look as best as they can when its our turn.
I really like Assassins Creed 3, I pay a lot more attention in my world history class now as it struck a new interest in me, and going over the American Revolution chapter, I felt like I had lived in that moment and I can tell the class more about it than the book could. I recommend AC3 not only to the obvious Assassins Creed series fans but also to the new ones just bearly jumping in, as well as to people who enjoy video games with big plots, to people who can envision themselves as a badass assassin, to people who love the sound of European accents, and to people who hope to have a newfound interest in social studies.
Assassins Creed 3, a game thats been nominated for a series of awards including its win for having a Character Of The Year, is one of the coolest action-adventure games of all time.
The series name has appeared on a number of platforms, including PS3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS Vita, iOS, HP webOS, smartphones, and even the Wii U. Thats a serious spread, which isnt surprising as its a serious game.The main Assassins Creed games were developed by Ubisoft, and the handheld titles were developed by Gameloft and Gryptonite Studios. Ubisoft is the third largest game publisher in the US, as it has created games like Far Cry, Petz, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Just Dance, Rabbids, Rayman, Watch Dogs, and other big name titles.
Assassins Creed 3's story takes place in both the 21st century and 18th century colonial America, where youre in a huge wilderness known as the Frontier (which is 1.5 times bigger than rome in assassins creed: brotherhood, btw) the cities of Boston and New York, as well as portions of the Caribbean Sea. The game is based around Desmond Miles, a young man whose heritage comes with the responsibility to save lives by using a machine that allows him to travel back in time and re-live history's moments first-person through his ancestors eyes. His ancestor in AC3 is Ratonhnhaketon, aka Connor, a native-American tribal boy whose goal is to protect his natural land and home from the Templars and save it from being destroyed, before 21 December 2012, a day prophesied to hold the apocalypse, in the real world.
The graphics were pretty good. If youve been following me for a while, youd know by now that Im really cruicial on visual work, being that I want to get into game animation myself. I pay a lot of attention to little things, and in AC3 I have nothing to complain about. Theyre nice. Especially the cut scenes, (which my oh my theres a lot of, the writers had their hands full with this one), those look great and have digitally smooth aesthetics. The clothes, earth, scenery, materials, objects, and weapons look like how they should look. The only small thing that got a bit under my skin was that the speech doesnt match up perfectly with the mouth movements. Every syllable spoken looks the same as the next one. The game goes on though, and although a perfect game wouldnt have this problem, it really isnt that big of a deal. Graphic-freaks like me have to learn to suck it up and take it upon ourselves to make things look as best as they can when its our turn.
I really like Assassins Creed 3, I pay a lot more attention in my world history class now as it struck a new interest in me, and going over the American Revolution chapter, I felt like I had lived in that moment and I can tell the class more about it than the book could. I recommend AC3 not only to the obvious Assassins Creed series fans but also to the new ones just bearly jumping in, as well as to people who enjoy video games with big plots, to people who can envision themselves as a badass assassin, to people who love the sound of European accents, and to people who hope to have a newfound interest in social studies.
Friday 11 January 2013
HALO 4
WAKE UP JOHN
Halo 4, a game that won awards for Best Xbox 360 game and Best Graphics, is one of the greatest shooter games in its franchise.The Halo series was created by Bungie, and is now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft. It consists of Halo (2011), Halo 2 (2004), Halo 3 (2007), Halo Wars (2009), Halo 3: ODST (2009), Halo Reach (2010) and the latest, Halo 4 (2012). They center in the future on an intergalactic war between humanity and aliens that are known as the Covenant. Cool right? In the game you take the role of a cybernetically altered super humanoid, named John-117 aka Master Chief, and are accompanied by his artificial intelligence (AI) companion, Cortana.
For a game that had won Best Graphics above all games in the year, you can bet it was very visually accomplished. Literally, from the second you start playing, youre impressed. In the very first video scene, I was struck with confusion because I couldnt tell if it was actually video taped or if it was computer graphics. They were hardcore. The actually gameplay was also impressive. The scenery was detailed, the characters looked beautiful and lifelike, and the weapons & creatures looked dangerous and lethal. My favourite part of it all was how striking the outside landscape looked. The sunlight slicing between the trees, the 40 different shades of green blended in the earth, it was all very visually satisfying.
I have a positive review for the controls too. Once you start, you just jump right in and quickly discover how everything is done. It isnt very complex, its mostly basics like shoot, throw, pick up, so you wont find yourself looking through the manual. The controls are customisable too. Not only can you personalise the button layouts, youll be able to adjust the sensitivity, stick layout, look inversion, and more. If youre like me and prefer to snipe your targets from a distance instead of fighting them in close quarters, its advised you turn down the look sensitivity to score those headshots.
Something interesting about Halo 4 vs the other Halo games is that this one introduces an emotional connection between the characters, which wasnt present before. Cortana is deteriorating. Her AI life span is up and theres nothing Master Chief can do about it while the Covenant is around, so hes unhappy, and so is she, and it becomes clear they wouldnt be the same without eachothers company. In the previous games, their connection wasnt emotional, if there was a connection at all and there wasnt much dialogue either, but having the fact that Cortana is dying, their bond grows stronger during the game which was something we havent seen before, and its something you want to see if you want to get a true understanding of what takes place in the end of the game.
Halo 4 has given gamers and media alike reason to talk about gaming in 2012. Master Chief's return is certainly a triumphant one and the game is one of a kind even amongst its own series. Alien robot humanoids, graphics, superstellar weapons, an intriguing plot, whats not to like? Even if youre just bearly jumping into the story, you will enjoy it. But in the end, Halo 4 is defidentally a game for the fans.
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