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-
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
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-
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-
Thursday, December 30, 2010
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-
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-
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
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-
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-
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
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-
-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.
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-
"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-
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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-
-BC-