Prey 2 Anyone?

A new live-action teaser trailer was just released for Prey 2...drool.



-BC-

Batman: Arkham City Rewind

Hey gang, sorry for the long hiatus, but I'm back and better than ever! I couldn't be more stoked about the upcoming Batman: Arkham City. Asylum was one of the best games of late 2009 and from all accounts City is improving on almost everything. Check out IGN's recent Rewind Theatre for all of the hidden goodies in the most recent trailer.



-BC-

Halo Combat Evolved Remake Coming Holiday 2011

According to Joystiq, an anonymous source reported that Microsoft will be releasing a visually overhauled version of their 2001 smash hit, Halo Combat Evolved. According to their source, the game will not only be updated visually but will also include online co-op.

What's odd is that this much rumored remake isn't being developed by Microsoft's 343 Industries but instead by Saber Interactive, the people behind TimeShift and a number of other lesser known games.

-BC-

Bulletstorm - New Weapons and Skill Shots Revealed

If you're as stoked for Bulletstorm as I am, then you'll be damn near giddy to see these new weapons. Oh the possibilities...



-BC-

Bulletstorm Demo Now Available!

I'm a bit late on this news: the Bulletstorm demo was released on Xbox Live last Tuesday. If you haven't given it a try yet, I would suggest you do so.

At only 5-10 minutes long, the demo seems a bit short but it does a great job giving you a taste of what's going to be in the full retail game. If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard of Bulletstorm, the game may be difficult to jump right into. This is not your standard FPS. The game is built entirely on finding the most brutal and creative way to kill the enemy. The more brutal the kill, the higher number of points you'll be awarded. Pretty basic but as soon found out, it's also incredibly addicting.

I've only spent about an hour or so with the game but I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that this game kicks some major ass. If you're like me and are in need of a non-war based FPS, then Bulletstorm may just be the answer.

Check back for a full written review of Bulletstorm after it launches on February 22nd.

-BC-

PSP Phone Leaked

I may be the only person that feels this way, but I'm starting to get sick of these Sony "leaks". I'm even starting to think that they are leaking the pictures themselves. Either way, take a look at the photos and let me know what you think. Let's hope Sony throws us a bone at CES. Enjoy.





-BC-

OnLive Teams With Vizio

OnLive, the provider of streaming video games and content, has now teamed with Vizio to provide their service on the upcoming Via TV and Vizio blu ray players. Along with this announcement, online is also offering a steep discount on their existing equipment. Originally priced at $99, the OnLive game system and controller has been discounted to $66.

Alright, now for my $.02. The buzz word in the past three years has been "digital distribution" of games. Although I believe we are probably another few years from this being a reality in the concole world, streaming games could be a viable interim step. The problem is that hardcore gamers will never replace their console with streaming content. Couple this with the fact that OnLive exclusively targets adult gamers and I see little reason to be optimistic. Will the Vizio partnership increase OnLive Subscribers? Yes. Will it be enough to significantly grow market share? Absolutely not.

-BC-

5 Kinect Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

It was only a matter of time before the Kinect was hacked, the only surprise is that it came within the first week of the hardware being available. I scoured the Internet looking for the most unique, innovative, and bad ass hacks to date. Enjoy.

3D: This is the first major hack that was publicly announced. Essentially, the hacker is using the Kinect to create a true three dimensional image of his body and objects in the room. There are certainly some problems with the technology (shadows, etc), but its proof that the Kinect is capable of some pretty fantastic stuff.



Super Mario: Classic Super Mario played using motion controls. Enough said.



3D Tetris: This is probably my favorite hack only because I see this technology being used in future first/third person shooters. Imagine being able to peek around corners or over objects. Epic, if you are listening, lets get a little crazy and make this an optional control layout for Gears 3.



Digital Camouflage: Not sure how this would work in a game, but it sure does look cool.



Minority Report: Last but certainly not least is "Minority Report" controls. The user in the video seems to be wearing something on his hands that enables finger tracking. The most surprising part of the video is seeing just how accurate the Kinect can be.



Let's hope that some of these ideas begin to be incorporated into future Kinect titles.

-BC-

PS3 Move vs. Xbox Kinect

It's been difficult telling which console is winning the next gen battle of motion gaming ever since the NPD Group stopped publishing sales figures. Although a small sample size, I may have found my answer during a recent trip to Fry's (electronics store).

On my way to the checkout, I began noticing a crowd form in front of a large flatscreen TV near the video game department. Being the overly-curious guy that I am, I made a quick detour to see what all of the fuss was about. What I found was two young girls having a dance battle in Dance Central. People of all ages and demographics were mesmerized, not wanting to take their eyes off the action.

Xbox Kinect


Once I made my way through the crowd, I ran into the PS3 Move booth where two lonely people were trying to play a game. No crowd, no excitement, and probably nothing being sold.

PS3 Move


It seems as if the Kinect has landed the first punch but the fight has just begun. Will the Move have a must-have game in 2011 that pulls some market share away from the Kinect? Only time will tell.

-BC-

Gears of War Ultimate?

According to multiple news sources, Gamestop recently had a posting for something called "Gears of War Ultimate" priced at $29.99 with a scheduled release date of February 15th, 2011. When asked, Microsoft confirmed the existence of GoW Ultimate but would not provide additional information.

Could this be the often rumored Gears of War Kinect title? Could it be a significant expansion on Gears 2? I'd put my money on a bundle that includes Gears 1, Gears 2, and some DLC.

Stay tuned for more information.

-BC-

Gettin Jiggy With Dance Central

I'm almost a little embarrassed to write this, almost. I received Dance Central from my mother-in-law for Christmas and was pretty excited to give it a try. Now let me make myself clear; I do not dance. Sure, I may have won a dance competition but that was nearly a decade ago, in Mexico, and I was competing mostly against adults over the age of fifty. The thought of dancing in my house where no one is watching is much more attractive than being "that guy" at a club.

The very first song I "danced" to was Poker Face by Lady Gaga. The dance moves were pretty basic while also being fun. Over the next few days my wife and I enjoyed the game quite a bit but only recently have I discovered the best part of the game; unintentional comedy. "What's that" you ask? Let me explain.

Two out-of-town friends are visiting for new years and tried Dance Central for the first time. What happened next was comedy gold. Ben, who is one of the funniest guys that I know, was performing a song and decided to freestyle. What you are about to see may just be the next big dance craze...



Big thanks to Ben for letting me post this video. Check back soon for more Dance Central and Kinect Adventures videos and hopefully more unintentional comedy!

-BC-

PSP 2 Mock Up...Could This be the Real Deal?

Recently published were these supposed mock-up PSP 2 photos based on a development kit received by VG247 some weeks back.







Not sure what to think about this - it follows suit with the design direction of the PSP Go, however, there seems to be quite a few technical changes.

Dual analog sticks: It would be a huge miss for any next generation hand held to not include dual analog sticks so I'm glad to see that the PSP 2 seems to have them. I'm a bit disappointed to see that they are the same slide pads that we've seen for years and that people have been complaining about since the system launched. The slide pads simply aren't as accurate as the traditional analog stick.

Recessed buttons: This is my first concern. There has never been a hand held , or controller for that matter, with recessed buttons. This was probably done in order to maintain the slim form factor of the device, but this leaves me skeptical. My main concern is that a recessed d-pad and limited space could make fighting games more difficult to play.

Large screen: Not much to say here without seeing the screen specifications but I'm hoping they move toward the brighter LED technology in order to compete with the Apple devices.

Forward facing camera: It looks like there is a small forward facing camera on the right of the unit. This may not be necessary for the majority of games but does bring multi-media capabilities.

Rear facing (multi?) touch panel: Not sure how this would be used - there doesn't seem to be a rear screen to compliment the touch pad. It's possible, although a long shot, that this could be used when connecting the device to a PS3. Think about using a touch pad for browser navigation, in-game inventory management, or menu navigation. There are some big possibilities here.

Rear facing camera: Another nice touch providing for plenty of future capabilities. This seems to once again point towards social and multiple-media applications.

Overall impressions: Based on the limited information I have, the much rumored PSP 2 is really starting to shape up nicely. Overall, I like the design quite a bit and see lots of potential. I'm certainly looking forward to learning more about the touch pad and most importantly, technical and processor specs.

-BC-

Coming Soon...

Santa was good to me this year - he brought me a 250 gig Xbox 360 Kinect bundle, Dance Central, and Fable 3. I've had a chance to spend some time with all of the games and should have some "first impressions" up soon. Stay tuned.

-BC-

Boost Your Brainpower

In a study conducted by Daphne Bavelier, a Professor of Brain and Cognitive Science at the University of Rochester, it was found that children that play "action" games show an increase in vision, attention, speed, accuracy, vision, and multitasking.

"And this is a skill that comes in very handy if you're driving in a fog...Seeing the car ahead of you is determined by your contract sensitivity" said Bavelier.

The findings of this study are certainly not suprising - games are no longer for the intraverted geek that lives in his (yes, not "her") parents basement. 

For more information, you can read the entire article on NPR.

As a "hardcore gamer", I appreciate these articles because it lends even more credit to fact that gaming, although a great hobby, does develop the mind in ways useful in the real world. I've got a big work presentation tomorrow, I'm going to sharpen my mind by playing some Blops. Later.
-BC-

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. I hope you will enjoy spending time with your family, friends, and remember the meaning of what this day brings. Hope to see everyone online with their new toys!

-BC-

First Black Ops DLC Slated for February

On Sunday, Major Nelson broke news on the first BLOPS map pack, "First Strike", which is scheduled to drop on February 1st as a timed exclusive.  The maps are said to include "Discovery", which takes place in Antarctica; "Kowloon", set in the rooftops of Kowloon; "Berlin Wall"; and "Stadium", set in an American hockey rink.  The map pack will also include a new Zombie map, "Ascension".

The pack will sell for $15 (1200 Microsoft Points).

I don't know about you, but these maps can't come soon enough. 

-BC-

Gears of War 3 Early BETA Access

According to Joystiq.com, the "Epic Edition" of Bulletstorm on the 360 will include an early access code for the Gears of War 3 BETA.  In addition, it will also include  25,000 bonus experience points, visual upgrades for your leash, new boots and armor, and the Peace Maker Carbine all for the low, low price of $60!  That's right, a special addition for the same price as the standard retail game.  Gotta love Epic!

Now, bring on those Locust bastards...

-BC-

Land of 10.000 Lakes...and Kinect

As some of you may know, I was recently in Minnesota celbrating an early Christmas with my wife's family. Considering both my wife and I spend nearly 20 years of our life there, we were anxious to see some of the familiar locations. One of the first places we visited was the Mall of America (MoA) and to my delight (or horror, if you saw the look on my wife's face), there was not only a new Microsoft Store, but an Xbox 360 Kinect kiosk.

I didn't spend enough time with the Kinect to form an overly positive or negative opinion, but I did snap a few pics and videos of what I saw (sorry for the resolution - the Droid X doesn't have the best camera). ENJOY!

Yep, that's me playing table tennis on Kinect Sports. There was a slight delay (milliseconds) between my actions and the actions on screen, however, the experience was pretty awesome.

Some of the Xbox Kinect girls having fun - the booth wasn't very busy.

Microsoft spent a pretty penny to put up all of these signs - at least you can't question their dedication to the device.


One of the Xbox Kinect girls gettin' down - a small crowd was starting together to watch the performance.


This was pretty cool to watch - two employees and two shoppers playing Dance Central. It was amazing how quickly the two shoppers, who were obviously not gamers, were able to pick up and start playing the Kinect. Target marketing at it's finest.

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The Microsoft store was pretty damn impressive. It was bright, had tons of hardware and software, and the staff were very friendly. Notice in the pictures that the Microsoft store is located directly, I mean DIRECTLY, across from the Apple store. Even the employees managed to point out that this was done on purpose. I know that Microsoft is the multi-billion dollar corporation, but it does take some brass balls to compete with Apple's storefront.

-BC-

Amazon Trade-In vs. Best Buy Trade-In

If you're like me, you refuse to trade your games into Gamestop.  I always feel cheap - like a hooker - walking out of the store with an extra $15 of trade-in credit when I feel the game was worth at least twice that much.  Then, I'm forced to go back to Gamestop in order to use the credit only to find my trade-in being sold for $54.99.  A business has to make money, I understand that, but as a consumer I have the right to bring my business elsewhere.

A few months ago I found myself with a pile of games that I didn't play and wasn't sure what to do with them.  Should I have a garage sale?  No, garage sales are never worth the effort.  Should I ship them off to my friends?  Nah, I don't really like those guys any way.  So, I went searching for alternatives and found two high profile options - Amazon and Best Buy.

Ease of Use:

It was difficult to find the trade-in section on both the Best Buy and Amazon websites.  On Amazon, you first have to choose "Video Games" from the drop down, select "Go", and then on the far right you'll see a small icon for used games.  Best Buy was equally as challenging.  I couldn't even find the trade-in section, so I instead had to go to www.bestbuy.com/tradein.

          ADVANTAGE: Tie

Shipping:

Once I logged into both websites and submitted my trade, I was given an option to print a prepaid shipping label.  I'm required to use my own box and packaging material, but it was nice that I didn't also have to pay for shipping.

          ADVANTAGE:  Tie

Value For Games:

I searched both sites for new and old games, which included the following:

1. Madden 11
2. Madden 10
3. NBA 2k9
4. Fable 2
5. Mass Effect 1
6. Mass Effect 2
7. Left for Dead
8. Left 4 Dead 2
9. Splinter Cell: Conviction
10. Halo Reach
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
12. Call of Duty: World at War
13. Nintendo DS Titanium
14. New Super Mario Brothers
15. Brain Age

In all but one case, Amazon was the better deal.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

Trade-In Payment Method:

This is more personal preference than anything, but I would prefer to have a tangible Best Buy gift card than an Amazon credit.

          ADVANTAGE:  Best Buy

Speediness of Payment:

Here's where the gap begins to widen.  Within one week of shipment to Amazon, I received an email notifying me that the games had been received and my account was credited.  It was as easy as that, but I wish I could say the same for Best Buy.  Without going into too much detail, it ended up taking 29 days between the time I shipped the games to the time a gift card was received.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

Customer Service:  

On my second order to Amazon, I was told that they never received the Nintendo DS Titanium.  After a quick phone call to Amazon, the customer service representative immediately credited my account $20, which was $3 more than the value quoted.  

Once again, Best Buy failed when it mattered most.  After two weeks of hearing nothing from Best Buy, I decided to call their customer service center.  After waiting on hold for about 5 minutes, the rep told me that I would receive the gift card by the end of the week.  Needless to say, I didn't receive the card and had to call again.  This time, I was told by a different rep that the card now wouldn't arrive for another week.  Two weeks later, I finally received the card.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

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And the winner is...Amazon!  All in all, Amazon provided a much better experience as well as more value per game.   

-BC-

Gearbox Community Manager

I noticed a few weeks ago that Gearbox posted a new Community Manager position.  Given my love for the industry and my vast marketing, sales, and customer management experience, I decided to apply for the job.  The question was, how can I stand out when Gearbox will receive thousands of resumes?

Well, I thought I found the answer - I spent the next couple of weeks putting together a video resume.  This was sure to stand out from the crowd, right?  Well,  much to my chagrin, it seems that the job has been filled and I didn't get so much as an email or phone call.

I haven't shared my video resume with anyone outside of my family and sending it to Gearbox - thought I would share it in my blog.

Let me know what you think.  ENJOY!



-BC-