Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comThe Mario Scarf: Wear World 1-1 around your neckhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-mario-scarf-wear-world-1-1-around-your-neck/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-mario-scarf-wear-world-1-1-around-your-neck/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-mario-scarf-wear-world-1-1-around-your-neck/#commentsFiled under: ,

Here's a way to show you care: an Atlanta, GA schoolteacher (and obsessive knitter) is recreating World 1-1 in scarf form (based on this map from Ian Albert). The plan is, once she finishes, she and her boyfriend will get engaged. You can follow along with her progress at the aptly-titled The Mario Scarf Blog, with an FAQ found here. Now, if only there was a World 1-2 belt to go along with it ...

[Via metal_floss; thanks, William N]
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]]>knittingmarioscarf2008-08-08T02:40:00+00:00Omegathon 2008 lineup includes Peggle, Boom Blox, Rock Band, Jengahttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/omegathon-2008-lineup-includes-peggle-boom-blox-rock-band-jen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/omegathon-2008-lineup-includes-peggle-boom-blox-rock-band-jen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/07/omegathon-2008-lineup-includes-peggle-boom-blox-rock-band-jen/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The 2008 Penny Arcade Expo Omegathon V lineup has been revealed and it feels surprisingly casual. There's no Doom or Quake title like we've seen in every previous Omegathon. Also new: starting the first round with a non-board game (Jenga has been pushed to round 5). Here's the list:
  • Round 1: Peggle
  • Round 2: Boom Blox
  • Round 3: Pictionary
  • Round 4: Rock Band (Our guess is Rock Band 2)
  • Round 5: Jenga
  • Final Round: *** TOP SECRET ***
The 20 Omeganauts have already been chosen (congratulations to any Joystiq readers who made the cut!); first prize this year is a trip for two to the Tokyo Game Show with all expenses paid and $5,000 in "walking around money."

While last year's Omegathon skipped the previous tradition of using a classic retro title (Pong, Combat, Tengen Tetris), every year has featured an id Software shooter. With Rage, Doom 4 and the new Wolfenstein looking unlikely, we're trying to think of another potential, unreleased FPS that could top last year's surprise Halo 3 inclusion. If Tycho and Gabe are looking to make our heads explode, maybe they can get Duke Nukem Forever. We won't find out until minutes before the final round on Sunday, August 31 at 4:30 PM PT.

In the meantime, check out the list of past Omegathon lineups, and feel free to make your own and play along at home.

Continue reading Omegathon 2008 lineup includes Peggle, Boom Blox, Rock Band, Jenga

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]]>boom-bloxduke-nukem-foreverjengapaxpax-2008pegglepenny-arcadepenny-arcade-expopictionaryrock-bandrock-band-22008-08-07T07:00:00+00:00GoldenEye XBLA stuck in 'no man's land'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/goldeneye-xbla-stuck-in-no-mans-land/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/goldeneye-xbla-stuck-in-no-mans-land/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/goldeneye-xbla-stuck-in-no-mans-land/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Having foiled countless doomsday devices, monologuing masterminds and aesthetically pleasing assassins, James Bond has felt the bite of reality and become inextricably entangled in a web of legal nonsense. Though an Xbox Live Arcade version of the classic N64 FPS, GoldenEye, continues to make appearances both in dreams and alleged screenshots, nobody's been able to pull the game out of a web spun by numerous lawyers and license holders. "It's kind of locked in this no man's land."

That's according to Rare's senior software engineer, Nick Burton, who recently discussed the game's fate with VideoGamer.com. "It's incredibly hard to solve because there's so many licence holders involved," explained Burton. "You've got the guys that own the license to the gaming rights now, the guys that have the licence to Bond as an IP, and there are umpteen licensees." Last time we checked, "umpteen" was quite a lot ... at least 37 or so.

Burton goes on to explain that the game's release is no longer in Rare's hands -- it's up to the publishers to figure out how Microsoft can get its hands on a Nintendo game starring one of Activision's favorite characters. "It's probably going to go down in the annuls of gaming history as one of the big mysteries."

Wait ... the "annuls" of gaming history? What an appropriate misspelling.
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]]>ActivisionBondGoldenEyeJames-BondMicrosoftN64NintendoRareXBLAXbox-Live2008-08-06T15:30:00+00:00Mega Man 9 getting intentional bugs, flickerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/mega-man-9-getting-intentional-bugs-flicker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/mega-man-9-getting-intentional-bugs-flicker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/mega-man-9-getting-intentional-bugs-flicker/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Capcom's going out of its way to make sure its deliciously stale Mega Man 9 offers a true 8-bit experience, bugs and all. The company's Hironobu Takeshita recently told Gamasutra that the download will have the look and feel of a NES-era release, and that things such as sprite flicker have even been included as a -- thankfully optional -- feature.

"Yeah, there were some things, like you couldn't have more than three enemies on the screen at once, so we had to make sure that that's how it stayed in our game. In the part with the dragon with the flame, [there should be] flickering, and whatnot," noted the game's producer. "In the options of this game, you can adjust that, unlike the old games. We purposely put some of those old-school bugs into this game, so it does recreate that feel." Now, if only Capcom could emulate blowing into the cartridge we'd be in retro heaven.
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]]>bugscapcomflickermega-man-9megamanplatformingretro2008-08-05T00:30:00+00:00Virtual Console update adds speed and gore, lacks swordshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/virtual-console-update-adds-speed-and-gore-lacks-swords/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/virtual-console-update-adds-speed-and-gore-lacks-swords/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/virtual-console-update-adds-speed-and-gore-lacks-swords/#commentsFiled under: , ,


There's something about this week's update to the Wii's Virtual Console that just seems off. Maybe it's the odd partnering of a blue marsupial and a lumber-swinging madman, or perhaps it's the noticeable absence of Samurai Shodown II, which SNK said last week would be among this morning's additions. While you work out some conspiracy theories, let's take a look at what new oldies are available.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Master System, 500 Wii Points): While Sega's 16-bit original has been available for download for a long while, Sonic's 8-bit port changes things up with a handful of new stages, gameplay differences, and cruddier graphics.
  • Splatterhouse 2 (Sega Genesis, 800 Wii Points): There's many ways that we could spend our time waiting to slip on the Terror Mask and bash demons' brains out in Namco Bandai's Splatterhouse redux, but really, what better way is there than to play through the arcade original's 16-bit sequel? The only right answer here is none.
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]]>genesismaster-systemmastersystemsonicsonicthehedgehogsplatterhousevirtual-consolevirtualconsolevirtualconsolemonday2008-08-04T09:30:00+00:00Samurai Shodown II slices into Virtual Console next weekhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/samurai-shodown-ii-slices-into-virtual-console-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/samurai-shodown-ii-slices-into-virtual-console-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/samurai-shodown-ii-slices-into-virtual-console-next-week/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's usually not until we roll out of bed on Monday morning that we find out what retro itch the Wii's Virtual Console will scratch. However, SNK has let the sword out of the sheath a bit early, confirming that next week's retro throwback will include arcade favorite Samurai Shodown II.

As great as SNK's 1994 2D fighter is, to say nothing about how much better it is than the original, it's starting to make less and less sense to pick up these Neo Geo titles piecemeal when SNK continues to bundle the games together at retail. It's hard to justify the digging through the couch for 900 Wii Points when we'll be able to pick up Samurai Shodown Anthology, which will include Samurai Shodown I-VI, on the Wii later this year for about $30.
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]]>nintendosamurai-shodownsamurai-shodown-2samurai-shodown-anthologysamurai-showdown-iisnkvirtualconsole2008-08-01T10:05:00+00:00Joystiq Exclusive: a sneak peek at the upcoming i am 8 bit showhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/joystiq-exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-the-upcoming-i-am-8-bit-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/joystiq-exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-the-upcoming-i-am-8-bit-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/joystiq-exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-the-upcoming-i-am-8-bit-show/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've been able to pry some exclusive images out of the i am 8 bit showrunners -- here they are in gallery-tastic form, just for you. As a wallpaper-friendly reminder, be sure to click the "Hi Res" button in the upper right corner to get some enormo versions of the art. It's the best way to have a technicolor Samus gracing your desktop.

The new gallery show will open on August 14th in Los Angeles, and will run through September 7th. If you can't make it West, don't worry ... Joystiq will have you covered. Check back on the evening of the 14th for a plethora of photos from the show. That is, if we haven't hocked our laptops to buy this Dig Dug meets Animal Crossing piece.
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]]>8-bitartworkdig-dugdonkey-konggallerygamingi-am-8-bitlos-angelesretrosamus2008-07-31T15:20:00+00:00Doctor Who wants to time warp, play retro gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/doctor-who-wants-to-time-warp-play-retro-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/doctor-who-wants-to-time-warp-play-retro-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/doctor-who-wants-to-time-warp-play-retro-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Most of us have probably dabbled around with a Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator before, but have you ever crammed one into a TARDIS? Those things are supposed to be bigger on the inside than the outside. Anyhow, one man decided that having a dedicated stand-up gaming cabinet wasn't enough, so he built this pillar of geek awesomeness.

Check out the two different sections, one on the building of the iconic blue Police Box, and the other on the console. He even had the 7th doctor, Sylvester McCoy, autograph the thing. Is it still a sin to covet thy neighbor's sci-fi gaming cabinet? If so, mark us down in the "sinner" category.

[Thanks, Douglas!]
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]]>arcadecabinetDoctor-WhoemulatorMAMEold-schoolretroscience-fictionTardistime-travel2008-07-30T20:15:00+00:00Zombies!!! coming to Xbox Live Arcade???http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/zombies-coming-to-xbox-live-arcade/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/zombies-coming-to-xbox-live-arcade/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/zombies-coming-to-xbox-live-arcade/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Hopefully that's enough punctuation in one headline for you. Apparently an eager gamer had sent in some ideas on how to turn their Zombies!!! game, which pretty much keep them rolling in brains and entrails, into an Xbox Live Arcade title, and was told "that they were already underway with this very project." We decided this was something we needed to look into ourselves, given our love of tabletop gaming.

We caught up with Todd A. Breitenstein of Twilight Creations in the extremely slim booth congregation at Comic-Con's gaming portion and he said, "I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such a project... but do you think it would be cool?" A tile-flipping game was an escape from ravenous zombies plot? Heck yes, we would. While we enjoy getting our game on in Catan, Carcassonne, and even Ticket to Ride, we'd also love to see some good old-fashioned killing of the undead happening as well. Maybe they could even include their flipside game Humans!!! in the deal.

[Thanks, Barry!]
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]]>HumanstabletopTodd-A-BreitensteinTwilight-CreationsundeadXBLXbox-Live-ArcadeZombies2008-07-30T08:00:00+00:00No compromise with working, full-size NES belt bucklehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/no-compromise-with-working-full-size-nes-belt-buckle/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/no-compromise-with-working-full-size-nes-belt-buckle/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/no-compromise-with-working-full-size-nes-belt-buckle/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Your eyes, they do not deceive you. What you're witnessing in the above video is the antithesis of the subtle but very drool-worthy NES-in-a-blank mods we've been reporting on lately. It is, quite simply, a working NES on a belt.

Watch! as it's worn into a home electronics store and ... connected to a TV. Marvel! as its model plays Super Mario Bros. using the connected controller (but where's the power supply, and do we even want to know?). Visit! the site where you can actually buy one of your very own - for the low, low price of $300 - and be the envy of ... no one.

[Via Engadget]
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]]>nesnintendowearable2008-07-29T03:00:00+00:00Dreamcast emulator for PSP real, really slowhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/dreamcast-emulator-for-psp-real-really-slow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/dreamcast-emulator-for-psp-real-really-slow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/dreamcast-emulator-for-psp-real-really-slow/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's time for another edition of "They Did What?" Okay, so it's the first and only edition (so far), but this is pretty darn cool. We're talking about nullDC PSP, the first Sega Dreamcast emulator for PSP. It's the creation of nullDC (a Dreamcast emulator for PC) author "drkIIRaziel" and has just recently gotten to the point where it loads and runs Shenmue ... at, oh, one frame per second. (With games taking 20-30 minutes to load.)

Still, the prospect of walking around with a "DC Pocket" is definitely appealing. Let's hope for the sake of those who'd use it to play games they legally own that Sony's rumored new PSP-3000 doesn't make a mess of the hombrew scene with potential new anti-piracy measures.

[Thanks, Craig!]
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]]>dreamcastemulationsega2008-07-29T01:00:00+00:00Prince of Persia creator remaking his first game, Karatekahttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/prince-of-persia-creator-remaking-his-first-game-karateka/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/prince-of-persia-creator-remaking-his-first-game-karateka/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/prince-of-persia-creator-remaking-his-first-game-karateka/#commentsFiled under: ,

Before turning his attention (and game design skills) to platforming persian princes, Jordan Mechner was all about asian martial arts and a game called Karateka. It was his first game, in fact, and according to comments he made during a Comic-Con 2008 panel, will also be his next.

Gamasutra reports that, when asked about his freshman effort, Mechner replied: "There actually is a plan to bring back Karateka. It's a project I'm going to be involved in." Just to make things mysterious, he added: "I can safely say it's not going to be in the way you expect."

We'd expect a 3D reimagining of the side-scroller, which is best remembered for its (at the time) stunning animation. We wouldn't expect an RPG, FPS, RTS, or MMO. Hey, maybe it will be a Karateka FPSRTSMMORPG? Actually, lose everything but the "RPG" (think Jade Empire) and we may have a winner.
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]]>httpwww.gamasutra.comphp-binnews_index.phpstory19585jordan-mechnerkaratekaprince-of-persia2008-07-28T17:00:00+00:00Virtual Console gets bad in Chase HQ, Art of Fighting 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/virtual-console-gets-bad-in-chase-hq-art-of-fighting-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/virtual-console-gets-bad-in-chase-hq-art-of-fighting-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/virtual-console-gets-bad-in-chase-hq-art-of-fighting-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As Nintendo continues ride out the 'ebbs and flows' in its digital release schedule, we feel its our civic duty to warn you that today's Virtual Console offerings include references to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. And bad guys, lots and lots of bad guys.
  • Art of Fighting 2 (NeoGeo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points): The second in SNK's Art of Fighting triple threat sees chronic bad guy Geese Howard, years before antagonizing those Fatal Fury chaps, printing up fliers for a 'King of Fighters' tourney of his own.
  • Chase H.Q. (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): In Taito's arcade racer, your car is your fist as you do your best Miami Vice impression behind the wheel of a Porsche 928 and run the criminal element out of town -- and into the highway barrier.
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]]>art-of-fightingart-of-fighting-2artoffightingchaseh.q.nintendosnktaitovirtual-consolevirtualconsolevirtualconsolemonday2008-07-28T10:00:00+00:00Next 2D Castlevania could crack whip on WiiWarehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/next-2d-castlevania-could-crack-whip-on-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/next-2d-castlevania-could-crack-whip-on-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/next-2d-castlevania-could-crack-whip-on-wiiware/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


While Konami is already exercising options with Gradius Rebirth, Castlevania stalwart Koji Igarashi has now expressed interest in dipping his own whip into the Wii's digital waters. Given that 3D fighter Castlevania Judgment promises to take face-to-palm when it's released, Iga's interest in WiiWare looks to rekindle fans' triple-shot prayers for a traditional 2D Castlevania for consoles.

"I'm definitely interested in WiiWare and I think it's one of the areas that 2D can still be very strong at," Igarashi told MTV Multiplayer. In a separate interview with Wired's Game|Life blog, he also noted that he's watching Capcom's decidedly retro Mega Man 9 "very closely" to see how it's received once it debuts later this year, noting that "if it is successful that definitely opens up doors for what I can do." Now all there's left to do is wait, though if you get hungry we hear that there's some delicious turkey hidden inside the wall.
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]]>2dcastlevaniacastlevania-judgmentigaigarashikonamiwiiware2008-07-24T17:45:00+00:00Capcom to sell intentionally awful Mega Man 9 shirtshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/capcom-to-sell-intentionally-awful-mega-man-9-shirts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/capcom-to-sell-intentionally-awful-mega-man-9-shirts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/capcom-to-sell-intentionally-awful-mega-man-9-shirts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In keeping with the retro-y spirit of Mega Man 9, Capcom decided to commission I Am 8-bit artist Gerald de Jesus to create the most awful faux box art possible for the game. Capcom then put it on T-shirts for its staff to wear at E3. The idea was to mimic the atrocious cover of the original Mega Man for NES (widely considered to be the worst box art of all time) and it worked. Really well.

Capcom's head PR honcho, Chris Kramer, has updated the company's blog with word that the exceedingly kitsch shirts will actually be re-printed for sale to the masses, although exactly when and where we can expect to snap one up is still being ironed on out.
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]]>capcome3-2008mega-man-9t-shirt2008-07-23T01:00:00+00:00Joystiq E3 hands-on: Mega Man 9http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-e3-hands-on-mega-man-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-e3-hands-on-mega-man-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-e3-hands-on-mega-man-9/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Short version: Mega Man 9 is, well, Mega Man. That's the whole point, isn't it?

Not quite as short and possibly more elaborate than the game deserves version:
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Continue reading Joystiq E3 hands-on: Mega Man 9

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]]>CapcomE3-2008Mega-ManMega-Man-92008-07-21T23:00:00+00:00Gley Lancer, Super Fantasy Zone shoot up Virtual Consolehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/gley-lancer-super-fantasy-zone-shoot-up-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/gley-lancer-super-fantasy-zone-shoot-up-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/gley-lancer-super-fantasy-zone-shoot-up-virtual-console/#commentsFiled under: ,

As the haze begins to lift from last week's media circus, we hope you're in the mood to play games from your favorite genre. As long as that includes obscure 16-bit shooters, as this week's Virtual Console additions include a pair of Genesis-era side-scrolling shmups designed to keep you flying horizontally and mashing the fire button all night long.
  • Super Fantasy Zone (Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points): The lesser-known follow up to Sega's Master System original, this shooter will have you scrolling sideways as you shoot down bad guys and collect cold coins in ultra-colorful fashion.
  • Gley Lancer (Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points): It's the year 2025, the Earth is at odds with an alien race, and the hope for humanity rests on the shoulders of a 16-year old girl named Lucia. Just be home before midnight, young lady.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>gley-lancersuper-fantasy-zonevirtual-consolevirtualconsolevirtualconsolemonday2008-07-21T12:11:00+00:00i am 8-bit returns with a new show in Los Angeleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/19/i-am-8-bit-returns-with-a-new-show-in-los-angeles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/19/i-am-8-bit-returns-with-a-new-show-in-los-angeles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/19/i-am-8-bit-returns-with-a-new-show-in-los-angeles/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you've been able to make it out to any of the i am 8-bit exhibitions in the past, then you've seen some incredibly cool artwork from the 8-bit movement. If you haven't, then just check out the scads of pictures from their past two shows, or pick up their book featuring high-quality photos of the pieces.

If you're in the Los Angeles area from August 14th through September 7th, then stop by the World of Wonder storefront gallery at 6650 Hollywood Blvd. They're having an opening night party, and we'll be on hand to get plenty of pictures of the new art to pass along like we did last time. Hopefully, we'll have more Evil Mario this year.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>8-bit8bitartworkgalleryi-am-8-bit2008-07-19T19:30:00+00:00Joystiq E3 hands-on: Geometry Wars 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/joystiq-e3-hands-on-geometry-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/joystiq-e3-hands-on-geometry-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/joystiq-e3-hands-on-geometry-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Some would say Geometry Wars Retro Evolved was Xbox 360's best launch game -- it beat early hyped games like Perfect Dark Zero, Call of Duty 2, and Kameo to win the heart of 360 early adopters, despite the fact that it was 2D and a cheap XBLA version of a game that had previously been included with Project Gotham Racing 2. It held the record for a long time as the system's most-downloaded game, and that title was well-deserved, considering that a lot of $60 games haven't held a candle to the kind of frantic fun you can find pushing that little red ship around the board.

Now Bizarre Creations is attempting to follow up with Geometry Wars 2, and after our playthrough at E3, we're sold. Not only has the developer filled out the game with multiplayer and co-op modes, but Bizarre has figured out a way to make the super simple, yet extremely fun gameplay go deeper than ever before.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>e3e3-2008geometry-wars-2joystiqfeaturesmicrosoftxblaxbox-live2008-07-17T01:30:00+00:00Xbox Live Arcade in talks with unnamed board game IP partnerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/xbox-live-arcade-in-talks-with-unnamed-board-game-ip-partner/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/xbox-live-arcade-in-talks-with-unnamed-board-game-ip-partner/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/xbox-live-arcade-in-talks-with-unnamed-board-game-ip-partner/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Scott Austin, Microsoft Director of Digitally Distributed Games, tells us that there are talks in progress with "a potential partner who has lots of board game IP." He says that XBLA's boardgames are considered evergreen content by Microsoft -- games like Catan and Carcassone sell well all the time -- and that Microsoft is definitely looking to include more traditional board games in the Arcade. They expect the same kind of evergreen popularity for their Xbox Live Primetime service, which will combine online gaming on XBL with a television-style format.

We asked Austin if the potential partner in question was a maker of more complex board games -- a D&D-esque board game like BattleLore or Runebound would likely work very well on Xbox Live -- but he was not forthcoming. For all we know a deal is being struck with a more traditional board game maker like Parker Brothers. Either way, fans of board games on Xbox Live will definitely have more to look forward to.

Update: The relationship between potential board game content and the Xbox Live Primetime service was clarified.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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