How About A Little More Lost in Shadow…

You know what really sucks? Realizing that you can’t depend on other people. Don’t worry, I’m not going all emo on you; I’m not in danger of becoming a cutter or doing myself other bodily harm, like befriending a ginger. This isn’t about some childhood friend abandoning me in an hour of need. I’m talking about the sucky realization that, for the most part, you can’t depend on other people to do what they say. Let’s take contractors, for instance. I used to think was that unless you were Tim Taylor or Wilson, and you wanted to get some work done on your home, you had two routes you could take. You could either hire each individual person to do their one specific job, or you could hire a general contractor to deal with all the headaches and hiring for you. Well, when Mrs. Mike and I decided to redo our kitchen, we hired a GenCon; more specifically, we hired one that was recommended to us and that we had met several times before. We trusted that they wouldn’t ruin our shit. We were wrong, it’s been a total pain in the ass. In fact, it’s basically at the point where if I have to talk to them much more it’s going to be all cussing and yelling and shaking and crying, so I’m forcing myself to accept shoddy half-finished work instead. It’s stupid, right? I mean, how hard is it to make sure that the tile guys who took off a backdoor in order to cut it to fit in with the new flooring didn’t somehow mess up so bad that the door won’t even open anymore? And, if you’re the tile guys who cut said door, why would you put it back like that? Did you think I wouldn’t open my back door ever again?? What I’m trying to say is, if you’re in the Atlanta area, don’t use Callaway Homes to do any work you may need done.
Alright, sorry about that. I had to vent as that’s what I’ve been dealing with since the middle of last week. I feel like I’ve aged about 10 years in that time, which means I’m now almost 40. That fact was driven home today when I discovered something called the “Misquito Ringtone”. Apparently, only young’uns can hear certain pitches and my range ends at 14khz, which is for the 49-years-old and younger crowd. I wish I could look on the bright side and say that 29 is there, but I can’t hear past the 39 and younger setting. Yeah, apparently my ears are in their 40’s. Wow, this post actually is kinda emo. If I see a ginger later I’m freaking the eff out…
Before things go full cutter mode around here, let’s have some Wii news. Nothing like 450+ words into a post before the Wii is even mentioned. Maybe I should put the Wii stuff first and ramblings second? It shall be considered… Anyway, yesterday I posted the Japanese trailer for Lost in Shadow, the Wii-exclusive game from the creator of Final Fantasy. Well, today we have more of the game, and it looks freaking beautiful. Our dear friends at IGN have a nice little direct feed gameplay video that they put up, and I’m gonna share it with you guys. Lost in Shadow is set to launch “Q3 2010″; yeah, that means it should be here some time soon. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

 

How About A Little More Lost in Shadow…

You know what really sucks? Realizing that you can’t depend on other people. Don’t worry, I’m not going all emo on you; I’m not in danger of becoming a cutter or doing myself other bodily harm, like befriending a ginger. This isn’t about some childhood friend abandoning me in an hour of need. I’m talking about the sucky realization that, for the most part, you can’t depend on other people to do what they say. Let’s take contractors, for instance. I used to think was that unless you were Tim Taylor or Wilson, and you wanted to get some work done on your home, you had two routes you could take. You could either hire each individual person to do their one specific job, or you could hire a general contractor to deal with all the headaches and hiring for you. Well, when Mrs. Mike and I decided to redo our kitchen, we hired a GenCon; more specifically, we hired one that was recommended to us and that we had met several times before. We trusted that they wouldn’t ruin our shit. We were wrong, it’s been a total pain in the ass. In fact, it’s basically at the point where if I have to talk to them much more it’s going to be all cussing and yelling and shaking and crying, so I’m forcing myself to accept shoddy half-finished work instead. It’s stupid, right? I mean, how hard is it to make sure that the tile guys who took off a backdoor in order to cut it to fit in with the new flooring didn’t somehow mess up so bad that the door won’t even open anymore? And, if you’re the tile guys who cut said door, why would you put it back like that? Did you think I wouldn’t open my back door ever again?? What I’m trying to say is, if you’re in the Atlanta area, don’t use Callaway Homes to do any work you may need done.
Alright, sorry about that. I had to vent as that’s what I’ve been dealing with since the middle of last week. I feel like I’ve aged about 10 years in that time, which means I’m now almost 40. That fact was driven home today when I discovered something called the “Misquito Ringtone”. Apparently, only young’uns can hear certain pitches and my range ends at 14khz, which is for the 49-years-old and younger crowd. I wish I could look on the bright side and say that 29 is there, but I can’t hear past the 39 and younger setting. Yeah, apparently my ears are in their 40’s. Wow, this post actually is kinda emo. If I see a ginger later I’m freaking the eff out…
Before things go full cutter mode around here, let’s have some Wii news. Nothing like 450+ words into a post before the Wii is even mentioned. Maybe I should put the Wii stuff first and ramblings second? It shall be considered… Anyway, yesterday I posted the Japanese trailer for Lost in Shadow, the Wii-exclusive game from the creator of Final Fantasy. Well, today we have more of the game, and it looks freaking beautiful. Our dear friends at IGN have a nice little direct feed gameplay video that they put up, and I’m gonna share it with you guys. Lost in Shadow is set to launch “Q3 2010″; yeah, that means it should be here some time soon. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

 

Guitar Hero, DJ Hero DLC done after February

Activision confirms that downloadable content pipeline will dry up after this month.  
Yesterday, Activision shocked the game industry by announcing it was disbanding its Guitar Hero business and not making any Hero games this year. However, during a post-earnings release conference call, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg appeared to say the flow of downloadable content for Guitar Hero games would continue.



February will see the last Guitar Hero and DJ Hero DLC, according to Activision.

Immediately after addressing the Guitar Hero situation, Hirshberg said, "What we'll do is focus our time and energies on marketing and supporting our strong catalog of titles and downloadable content, especially to new consumers, as the install base for hardware continues to grow."

However, now it appears Hirshberger was talking in a much more general sense, and not addressing the Guitar Hero franchise specifically. A FAQ on the official DJ Hero website now clearly states that, after February, all new DLC for both the DJ Hero and Guitar Hero franchises will cease:

Are you still going to make new DLC for Guitar/DJ Hero?
We will release the previously announced DLC track and mix packs for February, but--unfortunately--we will not be able to release new DLC packs beyond what we already have.

Attempts to contact Activision for further clarification were unsuccessful as of press time. However, the FAQ appears to leave little doubt that the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero DLC pipeline will soon dry up. For more on what may be the last Guitar Hero DLC, check out
GameSpot's coverage of the February Mega Pack, with metal-themed tunes from Children of Bodom, black Label Society, Marilyn Manson, and Firewind.

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"Guitar Hero, DJ Hero DLC done after February" was posted by Tor Thorsen on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:35:12 -0800

Dungeon Siege III launching May 31

Obsidian-developed action RPG arriving on 360, PS3, PC later this year; preorder incentives include free games on Steam, in-game items at retailers.  
Obsidian Entertainment has been on a game-release bender over the past half year, having teamed with Sega on Alpha Protocol in June and Bethesda Softworks on Fallout: New Vegas in October. Now, the studio's next project has been given its marching orders, as Square Enix announced today that Dungeon Siege III will be released for the xbox 360, playstation 3, and PC on May 31. The game will be available in Europe on May 27.



Big sword? Check. Spaulders? Check. Cod piece? Check.

Along with announcing a release date, Square Enix also offered first word on preorder incentives for Dungeon Siege III. For PC gamers who pick up the game through Steam, Valve will include single-player versions of Dungeon Siege I and II free of charge. Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop's preorder incentives grant customers in-game items, ranging from amulets to rings. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart prepurchasers will be offered a Dungeon Siege mini-comic and a Prima Games strategy guide.

The latest incarnation in the long-running Dungeon Siege franchise will again be set in the kingdom of Ehb, where the balance of power between rival factions has fallen apart. Players will take on the role of a member of the disgraced protectors of the land, known as the 10th Legion. With the kingdom tearing itself apart, the Legion is tasked with rebuilding its numbers and restoring peace.

Gamers will be able to experience the aforementioned story through either single-player action or drop-in, drop-out cooperative multiplayer for up to four. Dungeon Siege III also features four customizable player classes, and players will be able to recruit personality-rich companions to aid them on their journey.

Although Obsidian is lead developer on the game, the studio is receiving an assist from Gas Powered Games, which created the franchise. Square Enix went on to note that Gas Powered head Chris Taylor is serving in an advisory role on the project.

For more on Dungeon Siege III, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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"Dungeon Siege III launching May 31" was posted by Tom Magrino on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:58:19 -0800

 

New Mario Sports Mix compiled footage

Mario Sports Mix will soon be hitting Europe (tomorrow, to be exact), while Australia's getting it today. To celebrate its launch, nintendo launched an official website for the game, as well as released a new gameplay trailer, showcasing

 

Battlefield 3 out fall 2011 on Xbox 360, PS3, PC

DICE's latest entry in shooter series out this year; sports single-player (with co-op) and online multiplayer; lets gamers wage 64-player battles, pilot jets.
Yesterday, Battlefield fans received a slice of bad news from DICE, when the developer said it had officially canceled PC releases of Bad Company 2's Onslaught and Battlefield 1943. Today, fans of the shooter series scored a win, with DICE formally announcing Battlefield 3.

Battlefield 3 will be released on the xbox 360, playstation 3, and PC during fall 2011. In addition to a standard version, the title will be available in a limited-edition iteration. DICE will share details on that version during the Game Developers Conference later this month.


Battlefield 3 scorches the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC later this year.

DICE also shared some new information on the shooter, saying that Battlefield 3 will sport both a single-player campaign and an online component, which can be played with up to 64 players (for the PC version only). Further, Battlefield 3 will support co-op play for its campaign and will let gamers pilot jets and go prone.

Additionally, Battlefield 3 will run on DICE's updated Frostbite 2 engine. The original Frostbite engine debuted in 2008's Battlefield: Bad Company and was used in Battlefield 1943, Medal of Honor, and most recently Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and its Vietnam expansion.

According to a product listing for Battlefield 3 at Swedish retailer
Webhallen, Battlefield 3 will thrust players into the boots of a US Marine, who will fight across the globe in cities like Paris, Tehran, and New York.

An official Battlefield 3 website is also now up and running with a selection of intel related to the new entry in the series.

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"Battlefield 3 out fall 2011 on Xbox 360, PS3, PC" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 06:08:50 -0800

 

Nokia, Microsoft announcing partnership next week, possibly involving Windows Phone 7?

As Nokia comes up on Capital Markets Day next Friday -- an event where the company has historically unveiled interesting things and launched important initiatives -- rumors are once again swirling that they're going to be announcing a major platform shift by way of a competitor. Both Android and windows Mobile have come up in the past on multiple occasions, owing in no small part to the fact that Nokia's had an outward appearance of spinning its platform wheels on the backs of S60 and Maemo for far, far too long, but so far, nothing's materialized. This time around, it's said that Microsoft will be the partner announced on the 11th -- and though Nokia's uptake of Windows Phone 7 would be the obvious strategic shift, it's important to note that these companies have actually partnered before with pretty trivial consequences for the market; it's entirely possible they could be ramping up to do that again, sharing apps and services between Windows Phone 7 and S60 / MeeGo. We doubt it, but it's within the realm of reason.

But turning our attention back to the major platform shift, there are a couple factors that add a little more credibility to the rumor this time. First off, the elephant in the room: recently-appointed CEO Stephen Elop comes from Microsoft on good terms and has clearly been given marching orders to take Nokia in a new, more profitable direction; the Symbian Foundation's gutting happened on Elop's watch, for example, and he just hinted a few days ago that joining an existing ecosystem could make sense. More importantly, though, we've got a trusted source of our own who's now saying that the tide has turned and this appears to be happening at Capital Markets Day -- and that one of Nokia's existing platforms will be dropped as a direct result. It's hard to pick which one that'd be: S60, though terribly out-of-date, is still wildly popular in Europe and emerging markets, while MeeGo is technically promising but has yet to make any impact in the market whatsoever. On the flipside, noted Microsoft pundit Mary Jo Foley doesn't put a lot of stock in this latest round of rumors.

So, here's the question: can Nokia become another Samsung, LG, or HTC, betting its hopes and dreams on its chops as a hardware manufacturer alone? Historically, Nokia has been defined as much (if not more) by its platforms than by its hardware, which lacks Samsung's capability for end-to-end in-house sourcing. Regardless of what happens next Friday, this should all make for a very interesting MWC indeed.Nokia, Microsoft announcing partnership next week, possibly involving Windows Phone 7? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  New York Times, @maryjofoley (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments