#25! Ben and Max celebrate their anniversary with beer buyer/nerd/Max’s roommate Bob Egan as they talk the state of beers, video games, and Nerd City North’s bathroom in this very special old-enough-to-rent-a-car episode. So sit back, relax, have a cigarette on the crapper and enjoy.
Pics and links after the jump…
Now I don’t know if this video is real or not (I doubt it) but it’s still pretty awesome. This shows the master, Bruce Lee, playing ping pong with a pair of nunchaku in what’s sure to be the best ponging sequence since Forrest Gump. This is a Chinese Nokia ad that, in the way of Amercian ads of late, doesn’t really have anything to do with the product. But hey, it’s cool none-the-less. Next up is disc golf with throwing stars.
Article from Gizmodo.
Original site (in Chinese, so have fun translating!)
Direct Youtube Link
Here’s new video for the second single off of Dig Out Your Soul. This is probably my fav off of the new album. Plus, it was written by LG, so that’s cool.
First, I announced yesterday that Microsoft had launched their new NXE which is a new dashboard design and provides many new features. What I forgot to mention was the coolest feature of being able to load games to your HDD. Now you don’t load the full game and have no use for the disc anymore but this will definitely help with loading and performance times for most games. Most games….what doesn’t work you ask. Well probably the biggest would be Halo 3. Yes the most popular game on the system performs worse when you install it to your HDD. Bungie, the creators of Halo, responded as so:
Basically, the game was programmed to copy map files from the disc to the HDD to speed up load times. If you install the game to the HDD, it copies the files from your HDD to…another part of your HDD, which is a lot slower than a disc-to-HDD transfer…….we shipped Halo 3 before Microsoft finalized this particular feature. As a result, we were not able to take advantage of it (or any other potential optimizations we discovered after shipping Halo 3)
No word on if there will be a patch to address this issue or if they will just recommend not installing Halo 3 on your HDD.
On a lighter note below is a video highlighting all the fatalities from Mortal Kombat vs DC. Some of them are kinda weak, but that is expectable for a T rated game. I hope to have my hands on this game soon and will provide my thoughts/analysis on the game. Spoiler alert…I guess.
Direct Youtube Link
And two Microsoft posts in a row, I must be sick or something.
This week has seen most Xbox Live user getting updated to the new Xbox dashboard called “NXE”. This redesign totally changes the look of the previous dashboard while adding new features such as avatar creation (it’s totally not like Mii’s), individual channels for companies and games (once again totally not like the Nintendo channels) and Netflix use that will allow download and streaming of movies through your Xbox. One of the cooler things to come out of this upgrade is Street Fighter II HD Remix has it’s own channel and a suprising release date on it of November 26th, which if this is true we could be playing this game next week (note PS3 would be on the 27th as PSN updates on Thursdays). Right now Microsoft hasn’t rolled this out to everyone yet, but most should have this update if not already but by the end of the week. Below are the top 10 things to do with the new NXE according to Xbox Live guru, Major Nelson.
1. Create (or Customize) your Avatar – You can spend as much (or as little) time as you want in the Avatar Editor to personalize your little guy/girl
Bonus: When you are done with #1, be sure to take a Gamer Picture of your Avatar. In the Avatar editor, choose Gamer Picture. You can use the controls to move your avatar around, zoom in and out or even change the background color (press Y)
2. Explore the all new dashboard. (hint: use the trigger and bumpers to quickly scroll up and down or left and right)
3. PAR-TAY! Check out Xbox LIVE Parties and chat with up to seven of your friends. Go to the Friends channel…choose a friend who is online and press Y to get the party started. You can also hit the Xbox 360 Guide button > Party >Start a Party. Once you do that, send off invites to your party (since one does not make a very good party…does it?)
4. Themes. While any themes you work will NXE, check out some of the new themes via My Xbox and select your profile (second slot) and then change theme. Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and Night are new themes that available as part of your NXE upgrade…check them out.
5. Marketplace on Xbox.com. This new feature lets you search, browse, and purchase games and videos while you are away from your console. You can also perform account management functions like changing your billing information, viewing your purchase history, and downloading items you already own.
6. Netflix – Xbox LIVE Gold Member and you have Netflix? If you are in the US you can stream thousands of videos (some in HD) directly from Netflix to your Xbox 360. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial at Xbox.com/netflix
7. Install to / Play from Hard Drive. With the game in the tray, return to your dashboard. (pressing the guide button then Y works as always) then go to My Xbox. From here press Y, which will bring up a new menu which will allow, among other things the ability to install a game to your hard drive.
Hint: You can still use the Xbox 360 guide while installing a game to keep in touch with your friends or start a Party.
Bonus: Before you do #7, be sure to set up what happens when you turn on your Xbox 360. My Xbox->System Settings>Console settings. Then choose Start up to to choose Disc, Xbox Dashboard or Windows Media Center. Once you are done there…check the option right below it: Autostart. This tell your Xbox 360 what to do when you insert a game. The choices are enable or disable. I have mine set to disable so I can easily use install to hard drive.
8. Delete Zero Gamerscore games. You can remove any games from your games played list that you have earned no achievements or gamerscore. Press the Xbox 360– guide button, navigate left to the games section and choose Achievements. From here choose the game with zero gamerscore you want to remove and press X (Delete Game History.)
9. Press the Xbox 360 button on your controller to see the all new Guide. The team has added more functionality than the old guide, while making it more responsive. It’s a quick way to check your messages, see who is online or start a party.
10. Take a look at Community Games in the Games Marketplace. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public.
All photos courtesy of Microsoft.
I love Robert’s work, and here’s a great time-lapse video of one of his paintings, Defensor Mundi, coming to life. Apparently, it takes place over the course of a year.
As you may or may not know, Capcom has been working on a fantastic remake of Street Fighter II tournament edition entitled Street Fighter II Turbo HD. Instead of your standard 16-bit sprites, all character models have been revamped by Udon studios (these are the guys that produce the great anime influenced comic books) This game will be available for download on the XBLA along with the PSN hopefully by the end of the year (Capcom has not given an official release date but are teasing us with a winter release). The great thing about this game, besides being a 2D fighter of course, is that you will be able to play both offline and online various battles. The coolest online feature is the “Quarter Match”, which will look to recreate the feel of being in an arcade while waiting your turn to take on the current champion of the game by placing your “quarter” on the arcade cabinet. I have been waiting for this game since it was announced over a year ago and will definitely download this the day it comes out.
Not only will we hope to see SFII HD by the end of the year, Capcom has give us a final release date for Street Fighter IV. SFIV will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 on February 20th.
All videos courtesy of gametrailers.com
With every Monday we have our weekly Virtual Console update, which I will get into later. Today’s big news is the trailer for Praise Hero has finally been released. For those of you not in the know, Guitar Praise is the Christian equivalent of Guitar Hero/Rock Band. So if you love God/Jesus and don’t mind playing your video games on a PC or Mac then Praise Hero is for you.
And as promised here is today’s virtual console update information:
WiiWare™
Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Move over, generically buff action heroes. Strong Bad is here to show you how it’s done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of a little action and several big sacks of cash. Can our hero stay alive long enough to defeat his arch-nemesis, save the world and get the girl? Looks like he’s gonna have to jump.
Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Target Toss Pro: Bags is a new video game based on beanbag toss, the nation’s hottest backyard and tailgate sensation. Bags – or Cornhole, as it’s called in some parts of the country – originated in the Midwest in the 1960s and has since become a staple at outdoor social events from coast to coast. Similar to horseshoes, Bags is a deceptively simple yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or “box” for points. Whether at a tailgate party or a summer barbecue, the game has become a social focal point, and the unmistakable thud of bags hitting the box is now a universal party soundtrack.
SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Experience one of gaming’s iconic franchises in this perfect rendition of the arcade classic. Take aim at the field of invaders relentlessly marching toward you. Move quickly but carefully, using the barriers for protection as you avoid missiles fired by the aliens and try to destroy all of them before they reach the bottom of the screen. Further enhance the nostalgia by choosing from several modes that simulate different versions of the arcade game (such as upright cabinet or black-and-white). Or if you want to prove your superior skills to a friend, try the new VS mode and see who can stop the alien menace the quickest. All in all, it’s pure gaming at its best, now with no quarters required.
FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): FORGOTTEN WORLDS is a one- or two-player side-scrolling shooter made by CAPCOM. It was one of the first games to incorporate 360-degree aiming and shooting. This SEGA GENESIS version provides the same impact and intensity of the classic arcade game. In the 29th century, without warning, warships broke through the sky, loaded with fiendish aliens. They rained down fire, bombs, missiles and napalm, leaving the land barren and inhospitable. Humanity was enslaved and Earth became known as the Forgotten World. In a hidden place, a group of brave humans raised two male children in secret. They brought up the young men as warriors, training them for battle. The two warriors emerged as armed machines of might, strength and super power – the Nameless Ones. Fight the hateful invaders as the powerful Nameless Ones. Collect Zenny to upgrade your weapons and satellite, and free the planet.
I know this is usually Mike’s territory; I don’t mean to be toe-steppin’ or thunder-stealin’…
With the popularity that is Wii Sports, many other companies are trying to catch the craze by developing their own fitness game. There have been a few on the DS already that help with stretching and pilates, but EA is out to make the first Wii Fit competitor. Announced today is the development/release of “EA Sports Active” which will look to enhance your workout techniques through a 30 day challenge giving you a new 20-minute workout each day. Could be interesting to see if the home work-out craze is still going on when this comes out next year. Full press release below.
GUILDFORD, UK. – November 13, 2008 – Do you find there are too few hours in the day to run a household, hold down a job and fit in a workout? Or, are you just getting bored of the same old fitness routine? EA SPORTS™, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of EA SPORTS™ Active, an innovative new customizable and personalized fitness product that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Wii™ worldwide next spring.
Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah’s personal trainer – EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.
“EA SPORTS Active and our entrance into the fitness space is an exciting and groundbreaking milestone for EA SPORTS,” said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. “As we continue to expand our brand, we have a real opportunity to redefine the home fitness experience with a more Western cardiovascular approach and exercises that will appeal to a diverse audience, getting people off the couch and into shape while interacting with our products in a way never before possible. EA SPORTS Active costs less than a gym membership, it provides a variety of exercises unlike a one dimensional in-home fitness contraption, and it delivers an interactive experience that you don’t get from a DVD – this is a true fitness revolution and a space in which we intend to be leaders.”
EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or friends to get fit together. EA SPORTS Active provides a new level of motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. EA SPORTS Active will include two specially-designed leg straps that hold the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises.
“One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to get fit at home – especially from busy mums. EA SPORTS Active provides a fun and effective workout that targets your upper body, lower body, and gets your heart pumping in just 20 minutes a day,” said Greene. “It’s a great way to get moving when you can’t get outside or you only have a short amount of time at home. In addition, I like the variety of exercises that it provides – one of the many reasons it has earned the Best Life seal of approval.”
EA SPORTS Active features a “30 Day Challenge,” a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and intensity, and the Wii Balance Board will add functionality to many exercises.
EA SPORTS Active is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI; visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information. Media can find photos and a trailer of the game at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press. For more information, please visit www.easportsactive.com.
Image courtesy of videogamegeek
First of all sorry to all my fans for not posting anything lately, but my computer got a virus somehow *cough* porn *cough*. But I’m back now, so that is all that is important. Now on with the news.
This past Monday saw a pretty weak Virtual Console lineup as the biggest thing was Mega Man 3 being released with two new Wii Ware titles. Mega Man 3 is the first game in the series to introduce the slide and charge buster to Mega Man offensive repertoire
WiiWare™
Brain Challenge™ (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Just like your body, your brain needs to be exercised to stay in shape. Boost your brain and relieve stress through various minigames in a personal session to get a detailed evaluation. Challenge your friends’ brains in delirious party games to see who is the smartest. Test your brain’s abilities in Visual, Memory, Logic, Math and Focus minigames. Compare yourself with friends by challenging their brains in three multiplayer modes. Develop your resistance to stressful situations that could happen in real life. Use a customized Mii™ character to create personal sessions. Choose your favorite personal coach. Track your overall performance with detailed statistics and graphs. The special Kid Test and Senior Test modes will gather everyone around the game.
Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (Virtual Toys, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam is a frenetically active cooking game in which you must serve food to your customers as quickly as possible. This could be a simple task, but the customers aren’t very patient, and you’ll find a multitude of annoying insects that make the noble mission of satisfying your small gourmets’ stomachs much more difficult. In the game’s Career Mode, your goal is to become the best chef in the city. To do so, you have to prove your worth by cooking in four fantastic restaurants: the Hot Dog, Hamburger, Pizza and Mexican Restaurant. Enjoy playing Yummy Yummy with your family, serving delicious food to the most surprising characters: vampires, ninjas, extraterrestrials and mafia thugs. Put on your chef’s hat, sharpen your knives and turn up the heat.
Mega Man™ 3 (NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): In the year 200X, the notorious Dr. Wily, now reformed and working for the forces of good, works hand-in-hand with Dr. Light to build a new type of peacekeeping robot. When a new set of eight Robot Masters escapes the lab to wreak havoc on the world at large, only Mega Man can save the day. This time, Mega Man must rely on his new slide move and canine companion Rush to conquer the stages and vanquish evil. A new character, Proto Man, adds to the mystery and appeal of this seminal title in the famous action-game series.
Also big news with the ESRB. The ESRB has updated their website to include more in detail descriptions of games so that parents can understand what they are buying for their kids this Festivus season. I like how more info is getting to parents this way, but I don’t think most parents will go to the website and get this info. Most will probably still look to rely on what is on the box, but this is at least a step in the rigt direction. Below is an example of the new description for Call of Duty World at War, in the past the description would not go into this much detail about what can be seen and heard during gameplay.
Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of Allied soldiers in both the European and Pacific Fronts during World War II. Combat can be intense with extensive use of camera effects (e.g., slow-motion, blurring, and screen shakes) and realistic sound effects to highlight the tense and frenetic nature of each battle. Fighting is fast-paced with players using a large array of military weapons (guns, grenades, and flamethrowers). Collateral damage includes sprays of red blood when enemies are shot; maimed appendages from explosions; and flailing and screaming when enemies are set on fire. Cutscenes and historical footage can contain graphic depictions of prisoner/POW executions. Strong profanity can be heard during gameplay (e.g., “f*ck” and “sh*t”).
Finally, we have figured out a new way to post videos so I will look to have a big post about the release of Midways Mortal Kombat vs DC game that is coming out soon. Hopefully this title will take off as with current reports, Midway is really needing a hit on their hands to avoid more layoffs and possible sale of the company.
The title speaks for itself….
A very well done short done by the crew at CollegeHumor.
Ooooh Man, This video never fails to crack me up.
Hilarity points on a scale of 1-10:
-Japanese man and chimp wearing matching overalls and helmets = 8
-Chimp jumping off Segway before it hits bushes = 10
-Man running alongside chimp on Segway = 7 1/2
via Japan Probe
Woo… This looks like the shiz!
From the Chicago Theatre Site:
Video Games Live is a multimedia concert experience featuring the best music and exclusive synchronized video clips from the most popular games from the beginning of video gaming to the present. Performed by top orchestras and choirs, the show combines exclusive video footage and music arrangements with synchronized lighting, solo performers, special FX, electronic percussionists and unique interactive segments.
Find out more at the Official Video Games Live Site Or at the Chicago Theatre Site