iOS 10.3.2 Released May 19, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Just wanted to share a small news post before you start your Friday night. Apple has just released a minor security update for iOS 10 portable devices including the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The new update is called 10.3.2 and includes non-specific security fixes which should improve your device’s performance.
You can download the update over WiFi by selecting the Software Update option in the Settings app. If you don’t have WiFi access or enough internal storage on your device, you can always install the update through your PC or Mac with iTunes, just use the Apple USB charge cable. Depending on the specific iOS 10 compatible device you’re upgrading and if you already installed the previous iOS update, iOS 10.3.2 should require a download around 170MB.
Irish Mike Made a Real-Life Gunblade May 18, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
The Gunblade is the signature weapon of Final Fantasy VIII. Wielded by characters like Squall Leonhart, the weapon is unlike any other.
One of my favorite shows on Discovery Channel was Big Giant Swords. The show featured a retired steelworker turned bladesmith named Irish Mike, who created enormous swords for enthusiastic clients. The show may have ended production, but Mike is still creating his swords online and for the past two months he’s been working on replicating Final Fantasy VIII‘s Gunblade.
This has to be the best real-life Gunblade I’ve ever seen. The detail is incredible and its scale looks very accurate to the game. If you want to see more of Irish Mike’s work, visit his YouTube Channel!
Final Fantasy VIII is out now for PC and PS1.
Life is Strange is Returning May 18, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
Ladies and gentlemen, I present you three developers from DONTNOD, the creators of Life is Strange.
This is an incredible announcement, especially since I actually talked about the possibility of something like this happening yesterday during my Let’s Play of Alan Wake. I can’t wait to see what DONTNOD has in store for us!
Let’s Play Alan Wake Part 3 May 18, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Let's Play, Site Videos.add a comment
It looks like Maniac is on a roll as he plays through the third chapter of Alan Wake on the Xbox 360. When we last left our hero, he was on the trail of his manuscript with hopes to use it to barter for his wife’s safe return. But does this kidnapper intend to give Alan his wife back, and what is the cause of this supernatural darkness that attacks Alan every night?
Prepare yourself for some twists, turns, and a whole lot of behind the scenes insights and trivia. All gameplay footage is produced with full video commentary.
Alan Wake is out for PC and Xbox 360.
Phantom Dust Re-Released on the Xbox One and Windows 10 May 17, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
For the past two years, I’ve been hearing a lot about the original Xbox game Phantom Dust. After a failed attempt to develop a sequel, Microsoft decided to remaster the original game and release it on modern platforms. Two days ago, Microsoft announced they would be offering the game free of charge on Xbox One and Windows 10 platforms and the internet just went crazy. Here’s the trailer!
As of today, gamers can download Phantom Dust on their Xbox One or Windows 10 PC free of charge. The new version of the game supports Xbox Live Play Anywhere, meaning it supports cross-platform cloud saves and multiplayer between Windows 10 and Xbox One users.
Don’t forget to download the free Multiplayer Starter Pack DLC after installing the game on your platform of choice!
Phantom Dust is out now on Windows 10 and Xbox One.
Let’s Play Alan Wake Part 2 May 16, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Let's Play, Site Videos.add a comment
Welcome back, we’re continuing on with the second part of the cult classic Alan Wake on the Xbox 360. You won’t be able to find it on any digital marketplace, but we’ve had a copy of this great game since it launched. Join us as Maniac reminisces about his experiences with the game and shares lots of behind the scenes facts and trivia!
All gameplay footage is provided with video commentary.
Alan Wake is out now on PC and Xbox 360.
Let’s Play Alan Wake Part 1 May 16, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Let's Play, Site Videos.add a comment
The 2010 Remedy game Alan Wake is still considered one of the greatest games of last generation. We loved the games they had previously developed like Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, two games with a heavy emphasis on story, groundbreaking graphics/effects for the time and a completely new level of gameplay in the form of bullet-time.
Remedy’s follow-up game to the first two Max Payne games was the cult classic Alan Wake. Released in 2010, it is considered one of the best games of the last generation. Due to rights issues, Monday was the final day the game could be purchased on various digital marketplaces like Xbox Live or Steam.
So with the game getting its official swan song this week, we thought the time was right to do a proper Let’s Play of the game. We will be going deep behind the scenes this time, sharing lots of trivia and closing lots of open threads!
All game footage is provided with full video commentary.
Alan Wake is out for PC and Xbox 360.
I’m Going to E3 2017 May 15, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Site News.add a comment
You heard that right, Maniac is headed to E3 this year. If there’s any games you’d like me to check out while I’m at the event, post a comment below!
Special thanks to the E3 Organizers, and my good friends (you know who you are!) for all their help!
Gaming History You Should Know – Dungeons and Dragons Hysteria May 14, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Gaming History You Should Know, Uncategorized.add a comment
Welcome back to the return of our regular Sunday staple, Gaming History You Should Know, where we highlight and feature some of the best content from across the web. This week, we’ve been talking a lot about the greatness that is Dungeons & Dragons, but I felt the need to tell you about a time when D&D was under attack. Video Gamers should be plenty familiar with this tactic, as video games were attacked in nearly the same way a decade later.
A lot of what laid the bedrock for what became the Western RPG can be attributed to Dungeons & Dragons. It was a game which sparked the imagination of many young people and promoted essential social skills and team-building exercises. However, to the small-minded layman who had never had any actual contact with the game, hearing it included content like demons and magic spells was misconstrued as immoral…somehow. This misguided moral crusade ended up getting picked up by the mainstream media who was more than happy to spread it like wildfire.
YouTube user Phil, who calls himself El Conquistadork, did a great job chronicling this dark time in gaming. You should totally check out his well-researched video called The History of Dungeons & Dragons Hysteria!
I don’t think I need to put into words just how stupid this fear mongering was. In fact, in this day and age, actual psychiatrists with actual degrees have openly welcomed using Dungeons & Dragons as a tool to help them with diagnosis and treatment. Here’s a TED Talk about it:
Hopefully, in the future the mainstream media will excercise better restraint before covering utter nonsense and demonizing an entire generation of people just because of something completely harmless they chose to do with their spare time.
Special thanks to Phil for letting me feature him this week! You can check out his YouTube Channel here!
How to Participate in the Dungeons and Dragons Adventurers League May 12, 2017
Posted by Maniac in Game News.add a comment
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been hearing musings from your friends and peers about this game called Dungeons & Dragons for years now. Its ruleset has been used as a template for countless Western RPGs for decades, and now that it has published its 5th Edition, Wizards of the Coast has been pushing hard to get new players familiar in the game. In our last article, we talked about where to find free online resources where players interested in checking out the game can learn how to play it. Today, we’re going to talk about the best way for new players to find a place to play, the Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League.
Dungeons & Dragons is, at its heart, a social experience and players from every walk of life are welcome to play. To help bring players together, the publisher established the Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League, and major conventions and stores that sell D&D merchandise will often participate in it. I’ve found it to be a great way to meet new people and check out all-new 5th Edition modules as they come out.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League, you’ll want to check out this website which includes special rules and documentation for the league. First off, you’re going to want to find a place close to you that may be hosting League events. If you’re interested in playing, you can use this locator to help you find official Adventurers League events.
Once you find an event, you’ll need an official Wizards DCI number and player account. If you don’t have one, an organizer should be able to create you a DCI number and give you an official DCI ID at the event. If you want to make a DCI ID on your own before you go to the event, you can register an account and generate an ID for yourself at this website.
You’ll need to create a character specifically for use in the league, so let’s talk about creating you a character. First up, you’ll need to use an official Adventurers League character sheet. You can find download links for Adventurers League character sheets here, alongside download links for other blank or pregenerated character sheets. Don’t worry, you can print as many copies of the files you need, and because of that I recommend printing them out double-sided in color.
As you can see, they’re almost identical to normal character sheets with a big exception, it asks for a DCI number on top of the sheet. Characters are generated in the exact same way as they’re described in the Player’s Handbook or the Basic Player Rules. If you’re having trouble creating a character, you can always consult with your location’s DM or other players before the event starts.
Now that you’ve created a character, next you’ll also need an official questlog. This helps you keep track of everything you do, how much XP you earned, and what items you’ve obtained over the course of the event. Make sure to take a specific note of your DM’s DCI ID number and the name of the official module you played on the log as well.
Once you have all the tools you need to get into the Adventurers League, all that’s left is just to play and have a good time. In many cases, the organizers hosting the Adventurers League event will likely have spare character sheets and quest logs they’ll be able to give new players.
Obviously some of this information is subject to change and we will be sure to update this article as time goes on. Players who plan to attend an event should bring a few important items with them. First, you should bring a copy of the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook or Basic Rules, some dice, and a pencil. Have fun!
GameXcess.net - Gaming News, Videos and Editorials! 