So by now, I’m fairly sure you’ve heard that Tim Schafer isn’t exactly having an easy time finding a publisher willing to sign on for a second Psychonauts game. However, when Schafer asked if any millionaires were happy to lend a hand on twitter, he caught one’s attention. With a discussion...]]>

So by now, I’m fairly sure you’ve heard that Tim Schafer isn’t exactly having an easy time finding a publisher willing to sign on for a second Psychonauts game. However, when Schafer asked if any millionaires were happy to lend a hand on twitter, he caught one’s attention. With a discussion between both Schafer and Notch moving elsewhere along with Steven Dengler, who’s already funded PC/Mac ports of Psychonauts and Costume Quest, things are definitely looking up for Double Fine fans.

My maths is by no means sound, but going by what Minecraft’s own site says, Mojang is sitting on something like $116,535,465, or £73,593,600, minus reinvestment in Scrolls, Minecon, pay for the other developers at Mojang, continued development of Minecraft and whatever else Notch has decided to use the money for. Double Fine‘s new focus on DLG and shorter games with more focus on the mechanics won’t push the development costs up dramatically, but exactly how well Psychonauts 2 really could preform is a little hazy now.

The game certainly has more of a grounding with the fairly dedicated, if small, fanbase of the original. But, it’s still an unfamiliar title for many gamers out there and, of course, likely downloadable, meaning that we can’t exactly expect any impulse buys or promotional offers, or, likely, a substantial marketing campaign to attract people who haven’t played the original. This being Double Fine, the quality of the title is all but certain, but other publishers haven’t been eager to crack open their purses for a reason.

Here’s hoping for more news soon. Until then though, what do you think about the possibility of seeing another Psychonauts? Have you played the original? And what are you thoughts on Notch‘s involvement? Are you excited to see someone willing to pony up the cash, or are you hoping that his influence stays purely financial? Let your comments be known and voice your interest!

Now before you read any further, I just need to say I had a recent experience on my friend’s XBOX 360 playing Battlefield 3 that got me thinking. I usually play it on my PS3, so I noticed some differences in the way people play on the XBOX 360 such as just...]]>

Now before you read any further, I just need to say I had a recent experience on my friend’s XBOX 360 playing Battlefield 3 that got me thinking. I usually play it on my PS3, so I noticed some differences in the way people play on the XBOX 360 such as just a difference in tactics, the team work and how the players prioritized the objectives. Obviously there is no right way to play, but the way these online matches were being played hindered my enjoyment of the game. I include this disclaimer only because these discussions do sometimes lead to the dreaded fanboy-feud; resulting in the point of the article being overshadowed or missed completely.

This experience got me thinking, whether or not the console people play on reflects their play style or them as a gamer.  This really is an open ended discussion as I know people have a passion for their chosen platform. Do you play on PS3 because of the types of games it has? Do play on XBOX 360 because of the online community? Do you prefer the games Nintendo Wii has to offer?

For me the reason why I chose a PS3 was at the time, convenience. The built in WI-FI adapter, which at the time the XBOX 360 didn’t have. Also the need I have for improving things that can be improved upon so while DVD is fine, Blu Ray offers better quality which allows me to appreciate films more. From a gaming stand point I find the XBOX 360 to be multiplayer focused, so my decision to purchase a PS3 were the single player games. While I do dabble in Multiplayer, I prefer to play single player. I find the PS3 suits my needs as a gamer, although I do like the XBOX 360 as well as the Nintendo Wii as they offer good gameplay experiences. I have friends and relatives who have both consoles.

Essentially the question is why you choose to play on the console you do and does that choice reflect you as a gamer? When you decided to buy an XBOX 360, PS3 and/or Nintendo Wii, why did you come to that decision?  I find it a fascinating question, and a good discussion topic.

Give me your insights, share your gaming secrets and Cry Havoc

Let’s roll things back to E3 2011, in which we were treated to some very generous, gaming goodness. My brother, his friend and I decided to hook up the computer to my HDTV so we could enjoy the event. When the EA press conference started, we weren’t sure what to expect,...]]>

Let’s roll things back to E3 2011, in which we were treated to some very generous, gaming goodness. My brother, his friend and I decided to hook up the computer to my HDTV so we could enjoy the event. When the EA press conference started, we weren’t sure what to expect, then through the subwoofer began the bass of the Battlefield 3 music. The screen went white, we saw a soldier holding a toy, then he looked up and our jaws hit the floor. The room just went silent as the visuals were so good; they nearly wrapped our faces back around our faces. The level of detail, the clarity of the textures, as well as the sound were amazing. I do consider myself to be a bit of a graphics whore, so the prospect of playing a game that looked this good could only be a positive thing. When I later found out it was PC footage we were seeing, I was a little sceptical about the visuals we would be getting on the consoles.  When I did finally see Battlefield 3 on PS3, it didn’t look as impressive as what was shown at the EA press conference.

It’s now the case that if the gameplay footage for a multiplatform game is shown, I wonder if what we are seeing is footage for consoles or PC. This makes me a little dissappointed as I feel like I’m missing out on the best of the games I am looking forward to. Even now as I play Battlefield 3 on my PS3, I search for videos of the game running on a PC as it simply looks amazing. I have thought about getting myself a gaming PC, but then it gets put to the back of my mind; which can be quite annoying when I think that there is also Star Wars: The Old Republic waiting for me to conquer the galaxy.

I think we will continue to see the PC set the benchmark for video game visuals. There have been visual tweaks to GTA IV since its release and already there is a graphics mod for Skyrim being worked on [Click here to see, it looks gorgeous].  If we don’t get the next generation of consoles within 18 months, the PC may become the primary platform for developers as their games will have the potential to look the best they can. We may even see a partnership between video game developers and those who make graphics mods. If the developers partner with the mod community, the games visuals could be constantly tweaked and updated. The advantage of this would be less cost to the developers and a rewarding experience for gamers.

With consoles and their motion controls becoming the preferred platform of casual gamers, hardcore players may turn to the PC where they can get a more pure gaming experience; if they can afford it. It makes sense to me, that those who consider themselves to be hardcore gamers will want to get the most from the video games they play. On the opposite end of the spectrum, casual gamers will be content with a console. These offer satisfying gameplay with varied ways of interacting such as Kinect, Move or the Nintendo Wii.

From where I’m sitting, the platform where you can get the most out of your games is the PC.

What do you think? Cry Havoc and let your voice be heard…(I always wanted to say that)

Just got turned on to this amazing demo site showing off 8-bit color cycling art. You really need to click through and see them in animated form to appreciate how beautiful they are.

There’s background info here and a Q&A with the artist here.

You’ll need an HTML 5...]]>

Just got turned on to this amazing demo site showing off 8-bit color cycling art. You really need to click through and see them in animated form to appreciate how beautiful they are.

There’s background info here and a Q&A with the artist here.

You’ll need an HTML 5 compliant browser to view them in motion.

Thanks to axehead pannekoken for the great find!

I would not at all be surprised to discover that Paul Christoforo is contemplating sepiku at this very moment, and I’m equally confident that his ‘problems’ have not even begun. The man who’s big-dig deep with the peeps in Boston is “out-of-business” according to Eli Schwartz, who has replaced Christoforo as N-Control’s new...]]>

I would not at all be surprised to discover that Paul Christoforo is contemplating sepiku at this very moment, and I’m equally confident that his ‘problems’ have not even begun. The man who’s big-dig deep with the peeps in Boston is “out-of-business” according to Eli Schwartz, who has replaced Christoforo as N-Control’s new marketing manager.

And again, I say that is the least of his worries. The collective jackassery contained in this guy’s emails constitute a meme-piñata the size of the fucking Hindenburg. The first YouTube parody appears above; mark my words it will not be the last.

Thanks to Soul Nibbler and Alecs for the link!

Greetings EBAers, I hope everyone had an AWESOME holiday! So, listen – I just read through this entire freakin’ email chain between Ocean Marketing (the company in charge of distribution of the upcoming N-Control Avenger), a customer, and eventually Mike Krahulik, better known as “Gabe” from Penny Arcade.

Seriously, it’s a must read...]]>

Greetings EBAers, I hope everyone had an AWESOME holiday! So, listen – I just read through this entire freakin’ email chain between Ocean Marketing (the company in charge of distribution of the upcoming N-Control Avenger), a customer, and eventually Mike Krahulik, better known as “Gabe” from Penny Arcade.

Seriously, it’s a must read for any gamer who has ever been frustrated by craptastic customer support. I don’t want to skew your opinion of the emails and subsequent story that will emerge by interjecting my own, so I’m just gonna point your there and encourage you to not only read it ALL, but to sound off when and where you feel is appropriate.

It IS important to point out that, to my knowledge, the dude in the emails is simply representing the distribution of the product and not the design of the product, which is good to know when deciding where to focus any frustrations you may have after reading this. So, uh, there ya go…

Welcome back Axeheads! This past weekend, Spike unleashed the 2011 Video Game Awards. While many tune in for the attempts at humor, clueless celebrity appearances, and the slightly-masochistic hope of witnessing a train wreck (I mean an actual locomotive crashing into the stage), if you’re anything like me, you’re tuning in...]]>

Welcome back Axeheads! This past weekend, Spike unleashed the 2011 Video Game Awards. While many tune in for the attempts at humor, clueless celebrity appearances, and the slightly-masochistic hope of witnessing a train wreck (I mean an actual locomotive crashing into the stage), if you’re anything like me, you’re tuning in for one thing and one thing alone:

Daniel Kayser’s hair.

A close second though, is the trailers! Now, many of you may have already seen these during the show or as they went up over the weekend, but here is the full list of trailers unveiled at this year’s VGAs. Delight (or despair) in them once more as we kick of the discussion of the 2011 Video Game Awards!

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Kojima Productions

The Last of Us – Naughty Dog

Diablo III – Blizzard

BioShock Infinite – 2K Games

Rainbow Six: Patriots – Ubisoft

Command & Conquer: Generals 2 – BioWare

Mass Effect 3 – BioWare

Fortnite – Epic Games

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron – High Moon Studios

The Amazing Spider-Man – Beenox

Alan Wake: American Nightmare – Remedy

Hitman: Absolution – IO Interactive

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD – Robomodo

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 – Namco Bandai