Playstation 4 Release Date August 20, 2013

In the big news to come out of Gamescom 2013, Sony has officially announced that the Sony Playstation 4, first announced in February of this year, will be coming along with its launch titles on November 15th, 2013 in the US and Canada, and November 29th, 2013 in the EU and Latin America.

You can check out all the details of this announcement on the Playstation Blog!

The PS4 will retail for a price of $399 US.

Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Case Zero Free on Xbox Live August 16, 2013

It is the 16th, and Microsoft has made two Xbox 360 games free to Xbox Live Gold Members for the rest of the month as part of their Games for Gold promotion.

Dead Rising 2, the sequel to the Xbox 360 exclusive Dead Rising, takes place in a city heavily inspired by Las Vegas, Nevada.  Just like the first game, you’ll have 72-hours to brave the city, completing quests and rescuing survivors.  However, unlike the first game you’ll be traveling through an entire city, instead of just one large location!  You’ll be able to visit multiple different casinos, a mall, a main street, and even more!

However, Dead Rising 2 is not all that Microsoft has made free this weekend.  The prequel game, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, is also free for the rest of the month.  Case Zero introduces Dead Rising 2’s main characters and provides a back story as to what they did just before the events of the main game.  I highly recommend completing this game before playing Dead Rising 2, as character statistics will carry over from this Xbox Live Arcade Game to Dead Rising 2, giving you an edge before the main game starts.

Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Case Zero will be free until the end of the month to all Xbox Live Gold Members.  DLC for the game, as well as the prices of other games in the Dead Rising series, have been discounted.  No mention has been made about what game will be made free next month, but Microsoft has promised that Halo 3 will be part of the Games With Gold promotion when it was announced, so that will be coming soon.

GAME BOYS: The Animated Series DVD Announcement August 10, 2013

Brad Jones, better known to the internet as The Cinema Snob, has posted the final episode of GAME BOYS: The Animated Series this weekend.  Great to see Virtual Boyd is back!

Brad Jones has confirmed that a DVD of the entire series will be put up for sale on his website soon.  He has also promised that it will only cost $10 US and feature every episode of the series he has posted online, and one new episode made specifically for the DVD.  That is on top of the other special features he has already promised including:

• Bianca Queen’s original voice over work for the third episode.
• Exclusive Cinema Snob review for each episode.
• Live-Action version of the pilot episode.
• And more!

A second season of GAME BOYS: The Animated Series may be coming, but it will depend on sales of the DVD.  Brad promises that the DVD will be out before his next film is completed.

Don’t forget, you can watch all the episodes of GAME BOYS: The Animated Series and the original movie it was based on here!

Quinni-Con 2014 Announced August 8, 2013

Let’s face it, gamers don’t have a lot of opportunities to get together to meet each other face to face, and that is why I’m so excited when conventions started to happen in my neck of the woods!  Quinni-Con is a small multi-genre convention named after Quinnipiac University, which hosts the event.  I have attended both Quinni-Cons and enjoyed both tremendously.   In the years past it offered fun panels, celebrity guests, a gaming room, a screening room for anime fans, and lots of cosplayers!

I’m happy to announce that pre-registration is underway for Quinni-Con 2014!  The event will take place March 1st and 2nd, 2014 at the Quinnipiac University York Hill Campus.  Pre-registration is currently open.  Please visit the Quinni-Con 2014 Official Website to get all the latest news on the convention and to pre-register for the event!

Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Zone StreetPass Update Live August 8, 2013

StreetPass is a fun feature of the 3DS.  It allows 3DS owners who come into proximity with each other to use the Miis of their new companions to help them in a wide array of exclusive games.  However, it is hard to find other 3DS players during a normal day, and without them, you will need to use more difficult methods to complete Nintendo’s StreetPass Plaza games.  Now, 3DS owners who have not been able to find other 3DS owners in their local area can let out a cheer as Nintendo has launched their major update for Nintendo Zone, and that is the expansion of the 3DS’s exclusive StreetPass feature.

Previously, the only way to make use of StreetPass was to come into close proximity of another Nintendo 3DS owner while both systems were in Standby Mode, and both system’s WiFi antennae were enabled.  While you will still be able to do that, Nintendo has added a new way to connect with other players via StreetPass.  By visiting a Nintendo Zone hotspot, a 3DS owner will be sent the Mii of the last user who used the hotspot via StreetPass, even if the user was no longer using it.  Then, your Mii will be sent to the next 3DS owner who uses the hotspot.

Nintendo Zone hotspots are actually quite common in my area.  They can be found in most locations which have an AT&T Hotspot, such as AT&T stores, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, or McDonald’s.  Nintendo has also partnered with Best Buy and various airport hotspots to carry Nintendo Zone features as well.  In short, they’re everywhere, and they offer 3DS owners the ability to access the internet away from home easily and for free.  You won’t need to set up a WiFi network manually to access a Nintendo Zone hotspot, as long as your WiFi is enabled, your 3DS will connect to Nintendo Zone immediately when you are in range of it.

You will need to update your 3DS to its latest firmware to take full advantage of the Nintendo Zone StreetPass functionality.  If you would like to know more about Nintendo Zone, check out our article on the subject.

Where Will Luigi Fall Asleep? Part 1 August 1, 2013

I have to admit, one of my guilty pleasures is to watch some of Nintendo’s earlier advertising campaigns for some of their classic games, and it looks like Nintendo is stepping into that mindset once again to promote their newest Mario and Luigi game!  In the first of a three part series Nintendo has produced to promote the release of Mario & Luigi Dream Team, Nintendo shows just what happens when the Mario Brothers get ready to go to bed while on vacation on an exotic tropical island.  Pay really close attention, because the video includes details on how to enter into the latest official Nintendo contest for a brand-new Nintendo 3DS XL.

UPDATE:  Here’s Part 2.  Seriously, this video looks exactly like what happens when my father and uncle go on vacation.

Mario & Luigi Dream Team is coming August 11th, 2013 exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS.

inFAMOUS Second Son Developer Diary: Smoke and Mirrors August 1, 2013

The latest Developer Diary from Sucker Punch Studios has just been released.  Their next title, inFAMOUS: Second Son, is the third game in the inFAMOUS series and the first game in the series to come out for the Playstation 4.

In this new dev diary, Sucker Punch talks about all the new capabilities they have by developing on the Playstation 4’s hardware.  The game’s new hero starts off with the ability to manipulate smoke, but like Peter Petrelli, will be able to absorb the powers of other super-powered beings he comes in contact with.  So basically, we’ll be controlling the most powerful human being EVER In this video game.

Take a look for yourselves at what the power of the PS4 can bring.

inFAMOUS: Second Son is coming Q1 2014 exclusive to the Playstation 4.

rain Developer Diary 1: The World of rain August 1, 2013

There is no single downloadable title coming out for any platform that has me interested more than rain for the Playstation 3.  Developed by Sony Japan Studio, rain tells a story about a small boy searching out an invisible girl during a major downpour.  As he seeks her out, he becomes invisible himself, and must contend against this new world he has found himself in.

Sony has just released the first developer diary for the game, where the game’s creators talk about the world they are trying to create for us.  If you ask me, I think the game’s art style and music speak for themselves.

rain is coming Fall 2013 exclusive to the PS3.

Crackdown Now Free on Xbox Live August 1, 2013

Crackdown was a bit of an interesting beast.  It was published by Microsoft and released shortly before Halo 3.  The game was an open world simulator where you play as a physically augmented officer tasked with keeping the peace.  It’s call to fame was that anyone who purchased the full priced game at retail would be allowed access to Halo 3’s exclusive multiplayer beta test, and get the chance to play Halo 3’s new multiplayer maps before anyone else did.

However, the reviewers and critics who did purchase the game for Halo 3’s beta found themselves with a bit of an additive game, which while flawed, still accumulated to a lot of wasted hours messing around in an open world environment, collecting secrets and

I never got the chance to play Crackdown when it came out at retail.  I was able to get early beta access to Halo 3 through a promotion on Bungie’s website.  Now it looks like I, and other Xbox Live Gold Members, will be able to get the chance to play Crackdown free of charge.

Starting today and ending on the 16th, current Xbox Live Gold members can download Crackdown for free through Microsoft’s Games With Gold promotion.  Just click on the Games With Gold box from the Xbox 360’s dashboard after you log into your Live profile.  The game is over six and a half gigabytes, so make sure you have the space freed up in your storage device.  If you’re a gold subscriber, you have no reason to delay!

Starting on the 16th, a new game will be made free of charge.  Microsoft has already teased that the downloadable version of Halo 3 will be made free this promotion, but have not listed when they will make it free yet.

Tommy Tallarico: Video Games – Art in Disguise TED Talks July 24, 2013

TED Talks are a lecture series where a qualified person can talk to a distinguished crowd about any subject in the fields of art or science, and recently video game composer Tommy Tallarico, did a TED Talk on video games.  Let me tell you, was he qualified to give this presentation.   He is known in the video game industry as the man who has worked on more video games than any other person, and was one of the world’s first video game composers.  Now, he runs the Video Games Live concert series, and will usually take lead guitar to play many of the songs he composed during his career, and tons of other fan favorite songs composed by his peers.

In a world where video games have become the GO TO response for many atrocities as soon as they are committed regardless of the actual facts of the case, Tommy was not only able to debunk that myth in one single slide, he educated the audience on all of the positive creative outlets that video games have inspired people to engage in.  In the lifespan of the gaming industry, they have inspired more creative work than any other medium.

Settle down children, it’s time for a lecture.

Right after I saw this presentation, I e-mailed Tommy to congratulate him on his lecture, and I said to him that it is nice to see that someone could discuss all the positive impact that games have had over the lifespan of the industry and what they offer TODAY.  Its nice to see that someone is willing and able to talk about all the merits of our love of gaming, and how an interactive medium can inspire so much creativity.