It has just come to my attention that our server provider is shutting down. They've been great, but they are ultimately another casualty of Hurricane Sandy. I have until Monday morning to try to copy our data elsewhere. I'm going to try to bring the site back, but at this time I cannot make any promises. So, if you find the site unreachable, this is why. Thank you to everyone who made GayGamer what it was. Feel free to contact me if you want to help bring things back.]]>
Dear Diary,
It was a nice and relaxing week in Narnia this time around, thank goodness. I mean, we had a little bit of drama, but that's par for the course with this crew. And we may be saying good-bye to someone, but it's a newbie, so... whatever.
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Since Benedict had threatened to move away, I thought I should try and keep him happy, so when he asked for furniture, I went to Nook's and ordered him a little something. The thing is, he was looking for beige furniture, and I was like, "what the heck is beige?" I mean, I know what the color beige looks like, but browsing through the catalog, I didn't really see anything that screamed "beige!" at me. I thought the ranch series looked relatively beige, but judging from his disappointed reaction, it's not. At all. Whatever. Sorry, Benedict, you're on your own. I'm not about to buy a bunch of random crap from Nook just to hopefully stumble upon something that fits your criteria of what beige is. Go buy it yourself. I'll give you the money!
Pekoe wanted to play hide-and-seek, and it had been so long since I'd played, I agreed. I wanted to warn her about fads, but she seemed to be having so much fun, I couldn't bring myself to spoil it. Of course, I found all three of them in no time at all, but that kind of luck wasn't about to last. (spoiler alert!)
I was surprised when Boone grabbed my attention and then informed me he was leaving. I asked him not to, but I guess he could tell my heart wasn't in it because he claimed he couldn't get out of it. He wants his last days to be special without ruining them with tears and drama. No worries. You just moved in, so I'm not exactly what you might call "attached". Besides, apes aren't as cute as chimps (like Simon). Later, gator!
The idea of one of my animal friends having another animal as a pet is kind of weird. At least, to me! Although when he first started talking about little helpless guys who depend on me, I thought maybe Octavian was just angling for some kind of sugar daddy position...
I heard the commotion, but by the time I got over to Dotty, I don't know who it was that pissed her off so bad. And yes, Dotty, I can totally tell that you're mad. The bursts of red exploding out of your forehead are a dead giveaway!
Del looked a little out of sorts, so I stopped to check on him even though I was in the middle of a game of hide-and-seek with Dotty and a couple other friends. But I had to put off fishing for his key so I could try and find the other players. Amazingly, for only the second time ever (I think), I couldn't find all three. Pekoe eluded me. I guess after I trounced her earlier in the week, she perfected her hiding skills so she trumped my seeking. I'll get her next time! (Oh, and of course, I found Del's key. Didn't take long at all!)
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StreetPass NYC events aren't just a great place to get some StreetPasses to finish puzzles or defeat those pesky Find Mii enemies (although they are fantastic for that) — they're also a great place to play games with fellow Nintendo fans. And this Sunday, January 13, the group will be holding three tournaments at their booth (B4) at Apex Tournament Series at the Rutgers Student Center in New Brunswick NJ.
"We are super excited to be partnering and working with the Apex Tournament Series organizers who have been extremely gracious to us" says Jordan White, Founder and Event Organizer of StreetPass NYC. "The tournament organizers recognized our efforts in both charity and exposure as a voice to Nintendo gamers not only in the New York Metro Area but for Nintendo gamers around the world. We are honored to show the rest to the gaming public that Nintendo fans are just as competitive and vocal as the fighting game community and we can add our own variety and style of competitive gaming outside of VS one-on-one fighting!"
There will be Kid Icarus: Uprising and Mario Kart 7 tournaments on the 3DS and a Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 tourney on the Wii U. Trophies and prizes will be awarded to the winners, and Kid Icarus: Uprising Series One Card Booster Packs will also be given away to top ranking players. And after the tournaments are through, there will be free play on the Wii U, so you can enjoy games like Nintendo Land, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, New Super Mario Bros. U, WarioWare Smooth Moves, Super Smash Bros. and more!
Sign-ups for the Kid Icarus Uprising and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 tournaments start at 10:00 am, so be there bright and early! For a full schedule of the day's events as well as more information about Apex Tournament, visit their website.
]]>Women: They are our mothers, our sisters, our friends, and for many in our collective ranks, the most beloved of companions. Yet deep within their hearts, there is a dark impulse - one unique to the human female - to murder everyone they see with their deadly scythe-arms. Indeed, even their very essence paints a harrowing warning: the twain X's mimicking the eyes of so many dead men, whose cruel fate found them beneath the unforgiving stiletto heel of a sexy robot prostitute.
Such is (stubbornly) not the message of Cyberpunk 2077, the forthcoming title from CD Projekt Red. For those who haven't been following its development, Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world affair, based on the famed pen-and-paper game, "Cyberpunk 2020." The above clip showcases MAX-TAC (Maximum Force Tactical Division), also know as the "Psycho Squad," who have been given the unenviable task of exterminating those who have so dehumanized themselves as to drive them into a murderous, misanthropic frenzy. CD Projekt's press release describes these "Psychos" as:
[...] individuals who overuse implants and substances that boost or otherwise alter the human body. There comes a point when they overdose on these innovations, and their bodies start to rebel against their biological body parts as well as against all things organic around them. Simply put, they start killing people, who they now derisively call "meatbags."
Granted, the lash of bitter experience has taught me that a good trailer is no indication of a good game, but for what it's worth, it's appreciable on its own merits. So check out the video for Cyberpunk 2077 above! For those curious, the song in the video is "Bullets" by Archive. The music video (which I quite enjoyed) can be found after the jump!
Okay, at first glance, this might seem like a mistake, my posting this video on GayGamer.net. But it's not. It's a "deleted scene" from a "director's cut" of American Psycho. (And no, it's not additional footage of the ridiculously hot Christian Bale running around half-naked) Just push play and within half a minute, you'll understand why it's appropriate for a videogame audience... It's kind of genius.
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I know a lot of people are psyched for the Feburary 4 release of Fire Emblem Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS (I'm not one of them because this series frustrated me and put me off a while back). And to keep interest going, Nintendo has released some new details about the game, including DLC and SpotPass and StreetPass features!
Starting on launch day, DLC maps will be available for purchase and new ones will be released "regularly." The very first downloadable map will actually be free for a limited time, so don't miss out! Future maps will have varying price points. Oh, and you won't actually be able to download additional maps until you finish the fifth mission in story mode, at which point you'll unlock the Outrealm Gate in the world map. Nintendo is also promising new content distributed for free via SpotPass such as maps with new storylines, characters and items.
With Fire Emblem Awakening, you'll be able to set up a StreetPass Team of 10 units from an existing team in story mode and exchange certain game data with other players. StreetPass characters will randomly appear on the world map, giving you the option to recruit the team leader with gold, buy any weapons or items they've got, or battle them to win the leader and the loot for nothing.
And if you're new to the Fire Emblem series and aren't sure if the strategy RPG is for you, then you're in luck. Starting on January 17, a demo of Fire Emblem Awakening will be available in the Nintendo eShop. And when February 4 rolls around, you don't even have to trek to a store because the full game will also be available via the eShop for $39.99.
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Regular readers of this site know how much I love LEGO games and their adorableness, so I'm delighted to report that TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes!
I guess LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes did well enough that Marvel wanted a piece of that LEGO pie. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will feature an all-new storyline where Nick Fury calls up on Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other Marvel heroes to save Earth from various threats such as Loki or Galactus.
"We're very excited to bring a myriad of classic Marvel characters to life in LEGO form for some fun, family-friendly gameplay in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes," said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games Publishing. "Players will brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic locations in the Marvel Universe."
"Fans of both LEGO and Marvel have wanted this game for years, and we're addressing that demand with more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game," said TQ Jefferson, Vice President, Games Production, Marvel Entertainment. "If you're a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is the game for you."
There will be over 100 Marvel characters to unlock (I hope Squirrel Girl is in there!) and the game will take place in iconic locations of the Marvel Universe. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is currently slated for a Fall 2013 release on literally every system currently in active use (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U, DS, 3DS and Vita). I can't believe I have to wait that long!
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SingStar kicks off the new year today with a SingStore Update, but unfortunately, it's really light. Well, unless you're a Freddie Mercury fan! In this update you'll find:
"Shut Up And Kiss Me" by Reece Mastin
"Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez & The Scene
"For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder
And a Freddie Mercury song pack that includes:
"I Was Born To Love You"
"Made In Heaven"
"The Great Pretender"
"Living On My Own" (1993)
"Barcelona" (with Montserrat Caballé)
I'm tempted to get the Stevie Wonder song, but I just know it's going to be one of those times when I think I can sing something and then after I download it, I get the worst score ever and am humiliated (like with the Marvin Gaye track a while back).
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Harmonix has announced the January DLC for Dance Central 3, and it looks like a mixed bag. Here's the full schedule:
January 8
"Whip It" by Nicki Minaj
Choreographer: Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty: Legit
January 15
"International Love" by Pitbull ft. Chris Brown
Choreographer: Kunle Oladehin
Difficulty: Legit
"(Hey Baby) Drop It To The Floor" by Pitbull ft. T-Pain
Choreographer: Torey Nelson
Difficulty: Off The Hook
January 22
"Glad You Came" by The Wanted
Choreographer: Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty: Simple
January 29
"Let It Roll" by Flo Rida
Choreographer: Ricardo Foster Jr.
Difficulty: Legit
All Dance Central DLC is 240 Microsoft Points each, but the two Pitbull tracks will be bundled together as Pitbull Pack 01 at a discounted price of 400 MP. Sadly, it looks like all I'm going to pick up this month is "Glad You Came." Good thing I've got three games worth of tracks and all the other DLC I've bought to keep me busy until February!
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During Nvidia's CES 2013 presentation, CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveiled the company's newest chip: the Tegra 4. Once again a quad-core affair, the "erratic" keynote (according to ExtremeTech) "bounced from a relatively quick treatment of the architecture's specifications to a long discussion of Tegra 4′s camera capabilities."
So what manner of mechanical beast will be be graced by this new chip? As revealed at the end of the presentation, Nvidia is indeed launching its own handheld. No stranger to the world of gaming hardware, its GeForce graphics cards are already well-known - as Time notes, "Nvidia's only rival is AMD/ATI and it's well ahead in terms of discrete graphics market share" - its Tegra processors have become commonplace on mobile phones, and its technology makes up the PS3's "Reality Synthesizer" GPU. Reportedly codenamed "Project Shield," the device will run Android Jellybean, and have 5-10 hours of battery life.
The rest of the specs, according to The Register, is as follows:
There's a quad-core Tegra 4 chip incorporating a "custom 72-core GeForce GPU" and quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU; enough battery power for "five to ten hours" of gameplay; Wi-Fi; Android Jelly Bean; MicroSD storage; a 5-inch 294ppi 1280 x 720 display; a "bass reflex, tuned port audio system with twice the low-frequency output of high-end laptops"; and HDMI output.
As the handheld market seems to be on permanent deathwatch, it is suggested that the device might not be a direct competitor to Vita and 3DS. Rather, Google Play and Nvidia's "Tegra Zone" will be the preferred method of game distribution, though interestingly, the device is said to have Steam integration. This means that games from one's Steam library could be run remotely over an "ultra-low latency wireless link."
What do you think, gamers? Does the thought of an Nvidia handheld strike your collective fancy? Sound off in the comments section below!
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Well, this week's Rock Band DLC is more than just a dud for me and anyone else who has already downloaded Rock Band Blitz. Because today Harmonix updated the Rock Band Music Store with three tracks that were previously available only as part of the track lineup in Rock Band Blitz.
They are: "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People, "These Days" by Foo Fighters, and "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera.
The tracks are $2 each as usual, and they've bundled "Pumped Up Kicks" with "Helena Beat" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" to form the Foster The People Pack 01 for $5.49 if you didn't already have the other tracks and wanted to save a little bit. Oh, and "These Days" doesn't have keyboards — the other two do.
So if you don't already have Rock Band Blitz, you might be excited by some of these tracks. If you do, then you're like me and waiting to see what Harmonix puts out next week...
]]>Sorry, this one's a little longer than I had planned because while I tried keeping my New Year's resolution by finishing a game, I also broke my promise and bought a couple more. So I have kind of a lot to cover this week! Click play and share my shame!
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Last Friday, Harmonix posted their first Dance Central Fitness Challenge Friday of 2013, getting everyone's New Year's resolution to shape up in gear. The "Get Low" Challenge contains songs that give you a really good lower body workout to strengthen your legs and build a foundation upon which you can build some amazing dancing skills.
The blog post lists 26 songs spanning the games and their DLC, and all you have to do is make a custom playlist of 10 of your favorites (or the ones you actually have, since you may not own all of the DLC or the earlier games) and get to dancing. You can dance on Easy, Medium or Hard, but obviously Medium and Hard will give you the best workout. Do the whole playlist three times between the Friday they post the challenge and the following Friday when they post the next one.
Part of me wishes that they would just update the game with a playlist you could just do, because having to make your own is kind of tedious. But when I was making mine, I appreciated being able to pick and choose from the songs I like better, so I wouldn't mind dancing to them. (Also, I could pick some easier ones!) Although I would also prefer a Harmonix playlist because then they would know that you were playing it, and could reward you with medals or something. Right now, you're on the honor system, because they have no idea. They suggest you let them know when you've completed the challenge by posting on the Dance Central Facebook page or on the forums or tweeting @Dance_Central on Twitter with the #DC3Fit hashtag. (You'll notice there was no tweeting yet from me as I've only done it once so far!)
I really like this idea. It's a great way to keep the game different and unique and giving you a specific goal to work towards instead of just randomly dancing to songs or doing one of the pre-made fitness playlists. Variety is the spice of life! I'm going to try to remember to check the Dance Central site to get the list of songs for the new challenge every Friday... who else is with me?
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Dear Diary,
It's the dawn of a new year in Narnia, and there's already a lot going on, so there's no time to waste!
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Geeze, I don't know what time Tortimer gets set up out in front of Town Hall, but he was already there with the countdown clock going in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. Shouldn't he have something more important to do than just hanging around all day? I'm just saying...
I was horrified when Octavian told me that he had to move, but relieved when I asked him not to go and he said that he would likely change his mind. Phew! Crisis averted! (I hope) He's my oldest remaining neighbor, you know. Everyone else is relatively new. I'd hate to lose that ol' crankpot!
At midnight, the clock reached zero and "Happy New Year" scrolled across the screen as fireworks lit up the sky. Oddly, nobody else was hanging around Town Hall. I mean, people were out, but they were just wandering aimlessly around Narnia. Why not get together and have a party? What's wrong with these people?
On New Year's Day, I had a bunch of letters from some of my friends and this one from my mom. Go Mom! That's the way to start the new year off right!
I also liked this letter from Del. It's good advice. The thing is, after all the holiday stress and drama, all I wanted to do on January 1 was sit around and do as little as possible! So what does that mean for 2013?
Of course the new year was all anybody could talk about that day. And as much as I like Simon, it's a bit rude to propose a toast and not offer someone a drink!
The countdown to the fireworks is the highlight of New Year's Eve, but the highlight of New Year's Day is getting the new exclusive T-shirt off the Mayor! It's a one-day-only deal! I'd hate to miss out!
I believe I read somewhere that this is the Year of the Snake, which is what I suppose is supposed to be on the front of this shirt. Even if it kind of looks more like it's the Year of the Sperm. Oh, and as always, it says 2013 on the back. Collect 'em all!
Later in the week, Benedict said he had to skip town. I asked him to stay, and he admitted he wasn't sure he would be able to get out of it, but he would ask. Who's forcing him to leave? The Mafia? Does Narnia have a Mafia? If they do, I'm sure Redd is a part of it.
Oh, and while it would be sad to lose Benedict, at least I'm pretty sure it means that Octavian isn't planning to move anymore!
I leave you this week with this lovely little piece of wisdom from Pascal. Sometimes he's ridiculous, but occasionally, he spouts off something beautiful and profound. This is one of those times.
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The news sites are abuzz, after the kids over at NeoGAF posted a recent patent application from Sony, entitled "Electronic Content Processing System, Electronic Content Processing Method, Package Of Electronic Content, And Use Permission Apparatus." In layman's terms, this would allow consoles to determine whether a disc had been previously used on another system, by using an ID that would be present on every unit shipped. The disc would then be prevented from working on any console other than that on which it was first used. From the patent application:
"According to the present embodiment, realized is the electronic content processing system that reliably restricts the use of electronic content dealt in the second-hand markets. As a result, the dealing of electronic content in the second-hand markets is suppressed, which in turn supports the redistribution of part of proceeds from sales of the electronic content to the developers. Though in the following description a game application (AP) is exemplified as the electronic content, the present embodiment is similarly applicable to various kinds of electronic content such as an office suite, images, and music content."
Now granted, being cynicism's unofficial mascot, I have no doubt that console manufacturers would love to see this sort of thing become a standard feature: those of us who have spent time anywhere in the general vicinity of the corporate world know that "we're just falling in line with the competition" is the preferred method of absolving otherwise-displeasing policy. On the other hand, individual companies aren't typically eager to be the first to pull the d**chebag trigger alienate a segment of consumers - yours truly, being the adorably working-class creature that he is, tends to favor used games - thus risking a scenario in which said consumers find themselves flocking to the competition. Also worth noting is the sad reality of consumer electronics: consoles break, and unless you want your games to be but so many circular paperweights, chances are you will purchase a replacement - one with a different ID that would, in the nightmare scenario, force you to re-purchase every game in your library. Granted Sony might remedy this through some kind of workaround (such as tying a console to your PSN account which seems to be plausible, according to the NeoGAF post), but that leaves those without internet access - yes, they exist - without recourse. Personally, i'm not terribly worried about Sony suddenly declaring all used games utterly verboten any time soon. It's a rather unattractive prospect, particularly given that Sony could see all their R&D and marketing cash they will be throwing at the PS4 evaporate in the fires of collective rage, and as Game Informer notes, "Sony owns many other anti-piracy patents, like USPTO #6,782,477, which have never been used." Those who wish to read the patent, fancy lawyer-speak and all, can do so at this link.
What do you think, gamers? Is the news of Sony's patent call for alarm, or is this all so much overblown nonsense? Sound off in the comments section below!
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