GAMING TREND » Editorial

Microsoft to end use of Microsoft Points with upcoming dashboard update

Patrick Rost — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:09:59 +0000

A new dashboard update is coming to your Xbox 360, in an attempt to become more uniform with the current Windows Live Tiles layout used in other Windows products, according to an article at The Verge. Many of the changes will be in the look and feel of the dashboard, and are coming as a jumping-off point of sorts for users looking to transition to the upcoming next-gen Xbox console. However, one big change is coming along with the update, and it’s a good one: The death kneel of the greedy Microsoft Points system.

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Rough conditions at 4A Games’ Ukrainian headquarters draws scrutiny, evokes pride amidst Metro: Last Light release

Sam Vary — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:08:21 +0000

Andrew Prokhorov, the creative director of 4A Games, came out with a statement yesterday in response to semi-criticism from former THQ president Jason Rubin, who wrote a detailed report exposing subpar working conditions after making a visit to 4A’s studio in Kiev, Ukraine.

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Lego Friends: Fun-loving girl-time or patriarchy-reinforcing sexism?

Patrick Rost — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:56:32 +0000

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced plans for an upcoming title in their Lego line of video games, according to a press release from the company. Aimed at young girls, the upcoming video game Lego Friends, to be released this fall for the Nintendo DS and 3DS systems, takes it’s shape from the controversial Lego line of girl’s toys by the same name. With it’s pastel colors, “horse academy”, and slender, longer “minifigs”, Lego Friends begs the question: Is a Lego set aimed directly at young girls simply an attempt to gain an uninterested market or another sexist foray into corporate insensitivity?

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Katie Couric draws ire following violent games discussion

Sam Vary — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:16:59 +0000

Renowned narcissist Katie Couric posted a tweet today in hopes of engaging gamers who were “upset” about an hour-long discussion of violent video games during her daytime talk show, Katie, yesterday. In the tweet, she challenged readers to post replies that elaborated on the positive qualities of violent games. The predictable backlash that ensued included a lot of salient points (guess from which side) that poked countless holes in the famed chatterbox’s position, and also shed some light on the stance of others who agreed with her.

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Strange Bedfellows, or: how I learned to stop worrying and accept Gearbox owning Homeworld

Atlas Burke — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:05:05 +0000

In the wake of last week’s announcement that Gearbox would be taking control of the venerable Homeworld franchise, the prevailing attitude I’ve encountered has been confusion. And now that the smoke has cleared and the dust settled, we learn that not only did the Texas-based developer win the rights to one of the most venerable franchises in RTS history, but they won it over the likes of Stardock and Paradox—companies with histories and portfolios stuffed full of strategy games. Which leaves us all with one burning question: Why?

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Why EarthBound’s reemergence is important, not only for fans, but for Nintendo

David Roberts — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:56:17 +0000

On Wednesday, Nintendo threw a massive amount of information at us through one of their Nintendo Direct videos. In it, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata detailed a long list of upcoming release dates and new titles fans can expect in the coming months. There were a few surprises, to be sure, with a new 3DS Zelda game set in the same world as A Link to the Past, as well as a new Yoshi’s Island game.

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Electronic Arts is trashing The Sims Social, Simcity Social, Pet Society – and their relationship with gamers

Victor Grunn — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:27:50 +0000

Hot on the heels of winning the infamous Worst Company of 2013 title from the Consumerist, Electronic Arts has decided to break into an early lead for the 2014 race. Popular but apparently not sufficiently profitable Facebook games The Sims Social, Simcity Social and Pet Society are all getting the axe in June according to online industry mag Develop. When I say ‘popular’, I don’t mean among a few dozen people – we’re talking about games which still log millions of monthly players collectively, and hundreds of thousands of daily players according to the available statistics. If you’ve purchased in-game currency for these titles recently, well… don’t count on a refund. Just be sure to spend it before the chopping date rolls around. Then again, since a large part of the point of purchases in these games is to have something to play with and show off to your friends over time, the planned plug-pulling would seem to make any acquisitions rather moot.

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“They never give you enough slaw” – LucasArts era draws to a close, saddening millions

Sam Vary — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:29:14 +0000

Last week I was saddened by the news that Disney had decided to shut down LucasArts, a company that has meant a great deal to me personally, as well as to millions of fans who have adored their countless contributions to the gaming world over the years. I felt a great void in my heart - a Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, adventure gaming juggernaut-shaped void – and while it might be enjoyable to play the blame game here and talk about the Death Star-like entity that Disney has become, I’d like to use this opportunity instead to reflect a little on what LucasArts accomplished while they were around.

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Kickin’ It Special Edition – The Susan Wilson Saga

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:17:57 +0000

Hello, and welcome to another Kickin’ It! Normally, Kickin’ It would draw your attention to a handful of Kickstarter projects worth your attention, but this week is a little different. Instead of looking at four different Kickstarter campaigns, I’ll focus on one in particular that has caused quite a bit of controversy since it first gained media attention: Susan Wilson’s campaign to raise $829 to send her 9-year old daughter MacKenzie to RPG camp, which has now raised more than $22,000 from backers. This story seems to have divided observers, with some questioning the true motivations behind the campaign and others ardently defending its merits. This week’s Kickin’ It will delve into the various arguments on each side, and try to shed some light on where the truth really lies.

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The trouble with public perception and gaming

Sam Vary — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:05:29 +0000

This week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Mike Capps, the illustrious former president of Epic Games, held a panel to discuss the fact that a lot of powerful people would like nothing better than the banishment of explicit games, and what industry figures can to do to curb that problem. Participating in the discussion along with Capps were Ian Bogost, a professor at Georgia Tech, and Daniel Greenberg, an RPG designer and game scripter, with numerous projects including work for The Walt Disney Company.

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Kickin’ It – Kickstarter Update for March 25, 2013

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:07:04 +0000

If April showers bring May flowers, then what does March snow bring? Well, here’s another edition of Kickin’ It for starters. Kickin’ It showcases games or gaming-related projects on Kickstarter that deserve special recognition in four distinct categories: Up and coming, a promising project on its way to funding, Underrated, a project with lots of potential but little funding, Updated, a previously funded Kickstarter with a recent progress update, and Unusual, a strange, interesting, or quirky project. The projects in this week’s Kickin’ It are Battle Worlds: Kronos, Planet Explorers, Story War, and The Big Blue.

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Controversy: is a Kickstarter for a 9 year old female game developer legit?

Victor Grunn — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:53:23 +0000

A few days ago, what sounded like a very encouraging Kickstarter showed up. You see, 9 year old aspiring game developer Mackenzie Wilson would like to be a game developer someday. Her older brothers reportedly teased her about this and said that girls can’t make games. So her mother helped her start a kickstarter to raise money to take her to ‘RPG Camp’, where she’ll be able to learn to code. It didn’t take long for a project like this to gain a good amount of publicity – you have to love a kid with such apparent initiative, and encouraging girls to get into the typically male-dominated field of programming is a big bonus. But now, with 1120 backers, $20871 pledged, and some questionable stretch goals being added, the Kickstarter is attracting some controversy – with Destructoid wondering if the whole thing is a pack of lies. Even if the young girl’s ambitions are laudable – good luck, Mackenzie! – there’s something foul about this project. Here’s why you may want to think twice before throwing your money behind this one.

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How many contenders will be in the next generation’s war?

Shane McNaboe — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:17:01 +0000

In the portable and home console gaming world, we have witnessed many alternative ways to play pop up, as of late. No longer do gamers have to spend many dollars in order to purchase a gaming console. They also do not need to spend a lot of money on the games themselves, either. A lot of these new gaming consoles tend to be very cheap (when compared to the traditional alternatives), and that gives them a huge potential advantage. So what does the future of gaming look like? We are not certain, but we do know that one thing is clear: the times, they are a-changin’.

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Kickin’ It – Kickstarter Update for March 18, 2013

Breanna Goodman — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:53:37 +0000

Welcome back to Kickin’ It, you know the drill by now. For those of us who don’t have the cash for an elaborate spring vacation (or whose idea of an elaborate vacation involves tons of gaming), Kickin’ It directs you to games or gaming-related projects on Kickstarter that deserve special recognition in four distinct categories: Up and coming, a promising project on its way to funding, Underrated, a project with lots of potential but little funding, Updated, a previously funded Kickstarter with a recent progress update, and Unusual, a strange, interesting, or quirky project.This week’s stars are Shovel Knight, Protect or Infect, Throw Trucks with Your Mind, and Cheap Shot.

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SimCity DRM controversy spawns Whitehouse Petition on DRM

Ron Burke — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:40:51 +0000

SimCity is a solid game. Now that I have your attention, put down the torches and pitchforks and hear me out. I’m working on my review, and there is a fun game to be had here, but right now it’s buried under mounds of DRM and heaps of controversy. When EA’s own support-bots started threatening people with banning of their accounts (which was then corrected by folks at EA) when refunds were requested for the currently-malfunctioning product, some folks took it to the highest court in the land – they’ve petitioned the White House. We all see stupid petitions thrown to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but this doesn’t seem to be one of them. Let’s look at the meat of the complaint:

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So Amazon has de-listed SimCity…

David Roberts — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:56:59 +0000

It’s been an interesting launch for EA and Maxis these last few days. After opening to several glowing reviews, judging the game on it’s optimal play experience, the truth itself has finally been revealed: EA was woefully unprepared for the launch of SimCity. See, SimCity requires an constant internect connection, due to the multiplayer connectivity and online focus of the latest version of the city-planning simulator.

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Is nostalgia enough? Nintendo’s future in gaming

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:00:54 +0000

In 1985, Nintendo saved the video game industry. The early 80’s saw hundreds of low-quality games flood the shelves, eroding consumer confidence. Far too many consoles were released far too often, fracturing the market into near-nonexistence. Sales plummeted 97% in the space of two years, and the impact had some companies like Atari literally digging their own graves. The gaming market had crashed and burned. And then, out of the ashes, came the NES.

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Kickin’ It – Kickstarter Update for March 4, 2013

Breanna Goodman — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:42:00 +0000

Kickin’ It is almost 1 month old today. They grow up so fast! Not much has changed though; just like last week, Kickin’ It showcases games or gaming-related projects on Kickstarter that deserve special recognition in four distinct categories: Up and coming, a promising project on its way to funding, Underrated, a project with lots of potential but little funding, Updated, a previously funded Kickstarter with a recent progress update, and Unusual, a strange, interesting, or quirky project. Which projects rose to the top this week? Mage’s Initiation, Civitas, Asylum, and Fooya.

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PlayStation 4: Where Lies the Greatest Potential

Sean Lama — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:13:54 +0000

On a chilly night in Manhattan, press from around the world gathered at a Sony press event to witness the unveiling of the console maker’s next pursuit: The PlayStation 4. The event was a media spectacle, as some of the key players in the console’s development took to the stage to talk goals, services, hardware, and of course games. The reception was mixed, which sounds worse than it really is – this is a precarious time for the video game industry and no one can quite put their finger on what it’s going to take for the next round of top shelf consoles to succeed.

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Kickin’ It – Kickstarter Update for February 25, 2013

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:30:39 +0000

Another week, another four Kickstarter projects you should definitely have a look at. As always, Kickin’ It showcases games or gaming-related projects on Kickstarter that deserve special recognition in four distinct categories: Up and coming, a promising project on its way to funding, Underrated, a project with lots of potential but little funding, Updated, a previously funded Kickstarter with a recent progress update, and Unusual, a strange, interesting, or quirky project. The four projects for this week are There Came an Echo, The Golem, Darklands, and Story War.

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