Articles by Dawdle
After a few months of record sales, it looks like a couple of the console makers are having trouble resupplying stocks of their consoles. Talking to investors, GameStop's executive VP of merchandising, Tony Bartel, said that they expect PS3 shortages for another couple of months. As for the Wii, he expects Nintendo to boost supplies of their console before Sony, but still not for at least a few more weeks. In both cases, he claims that GameStop could be selling "a lot more hardware than what we have on both the PS3 and Wii platform." The shortages are blamed on an "unprecedented" holiday season for both companies, but is also likely due to price drops, as well as the introduction of the PS3 Slim late last year.
With a slew of high profile games just released, and commercials running all over TV, this is a particularly bad time for Sony to be short on console stock. I mean frothing demand is all well and good, but will potential God of War III players wait until nearly summer to get their hands on Kratos? Someone needs to tell Sony and Nintendo that shortages are so 2007.
GameStop: Wii and PS3 shortages to last months [CVG]
[via: Destructoid]
So far there haven't been a ton of games that have taken advantage of the DSi's improved capabilites. Sure, a few DSiWare games have been pretty great, but as for retail games, there hasn't been much pushing the system, and I honestly don't expect many to come out in the system's lifespan. One exception is the "sequel" to the synthesizer simulator, Korg DS-10 Plus, which is optimized with extra features for DSi owners. Just released last month, Amazon's offering it today for 1/3 off the normal price, or $19.98. The software works just fine on the original DS or the DS lite, and adds a slew of improvements to the original game, but the DSi gets 12-voice polyphony, 4 analog synthesizer tracks, and 8 dedicated drum tracks, double the number from the original game.
Also on sale for today is Ragnarok DS, the DS version of the popular Korean MMO. Players of the PC game can transfer unique items from the DS game to their online game. Ragarok DS is also 30% off today, or $23.98.
Amazon's Deals of the Day can sell out at any point, and although these titles seem a bit more niche than the ones that usually go right away, you probably shouldn't wait too long if you wanted a discount on either of these titles.
Videogames Deal of the Day [Amazon]
In an interview with Geoff Keighley on GameTrailers TV, Valve's Chet Faliszek revealed that while the upcoming DLC for Left 4 Dead 2 will find the new characters crossing paths with their counterparts from the original Left 4 Dead, there will be one conspicuously absent, tying into the campaign's tagline, "Nobody Survives Forever."
There's no word on which character has left us, although speculation abounds. Faliszek also announced that after The Passing, they're planning on releasing DLC for the original game that will let you play out the scenario leading to that character's sacrifice. While the playable campaign will let players make a few different choices, a canon story bridging the two games will be released to comics between the two new DLC campaigns.
So is this a fitting send off for the original team, or just contrived for drama? I guess we'll have to wait and see when it all gets released. The Passing hasn't been officially dated, although they'll have to get it out soon to meet that original "in March" deadline. The comic and the L4D1 DLC have no firm dates at the moment.
Chapter 4: Valve and Crackdown 2 Exclusives [Gametrailers]
[via: Kotaku]
Amazon has sent word that this Monday's Gold Box, their shrine to the impulse buy, will consist solely of PS3 games. Expect a PS3 deal of the day to show up around midnight pacific time, and then to be showered with moderate to significant discounts on other games throughout Monday. [Note: In an email, the company actually claimed the Gold Box was happening on Tuesday, March 22, but considering Tuesday is actually the 23rd, and the website and image provided confirm the day as Monday, I'm going with that one as correct.]
No hints or clues on the games yet, but considering the bounty of decent and high profile PS3 games in the last 6 months or so, there's a lot of potential for some great deals. Will any of the holiday hits like Uncharted 2 or Demon's Souls make the cut, or will the entire thing be filled with the season's rejects? Are Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, and God of War III too new to get a discount? Might as well make up your wish lists now.
Gold Box [Amazon]
- Game Boy shared a quick first impression of Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing.
- Mikey asked if you might consider turning off ad blocking for GayGamer.net.
- Steam was officially unveiled for Macs, along with Mac versions of all the beloved Valve games.
- We wished Game Boy a very happy birthday.
- And then he gave us the gift of impressions straight from GDC, including Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Puzzle Quest 2, and the Paradox Interactive line-up. Such a nice boy.
- Sony officially revealed their motion control system, Sony Move, and demonstrated its capabilities.
- Monkey Island 2: Special edition was announced for release later this year.
- VorpalBunny reviewed White Night Chronicles International Edition, saying that it's unlikely to win over folks who weren't already huge JRPG fans.
- In this week's Animal Crossing Diary, Wootini met an angry duck and missed out on buying that crown he's wanted forever.
At the Game Developer's Conference, Raymond Padilla quizzed all of the most secret contacts for any details about the next major upgrade to the DS line. If the answers he got are accurate, the next DS will be far more of an upgrade than the DSi or DSi XL. A few points:
- The system will still have two screens (duh) but they will be larger and higher resolution. Additionally, the space between the screens will be "negligible," allowing developers to use them as one large screen.
- It will have an accelerometer, allowing for some motion detection.
- The dev kits are being compared to the Gamecube in terms of power, which doesn't necessarily mean that the games will be Gamecube caliber, but it's at least a point of reference.
- The first games for the system should be ready for this year, meaning it's possible that the system could be unveiled at E3 and launched by the holidays.
It's not mentioned but I'd also speculate that the things the DSi line added to the hardware, like DSi Ware and the two cameras, would be included on any new system, albeit with extra storage space and the ability to take higher resolution pictures. Maybe even full motion video?
We'll have to see how these rumors pan out. Are you ready for a major DS upgrade, or were you hoping that the DSi would last a little longer? The DS has been an almost unprecedented success for Nintendo, and continues to just roll over the competition. If Sony also manages to get the PSP2 out this year, we could be up for another major handheld battle.
Nintendo DS2 Information Unearthed at GDC 2010 [RPad.tv]
The game developers conference isn't just about celebrating the craft and art of making games with other developers. It's also about fabulous prizes! Both the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Independent Games Festival Awards were handed out this week, with Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2 winning Game of the Year at the former, and Pocketwatch Game's Monaco taking the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the former.
Uncharted 2 was also awarded Best Writing, Best Technology, and Best Visual Arts. Scribblenauts was another multiple award winner, with Best Handheld Game and the Innovation Award, while Batman: Arkham Asylum, Flower, and Torchlight each took one. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to ID's john Carmack, while Valve's Gabe Newell took the Pioneer Award and the Penny Arcade guys were awarded the Ambassador Award.
At IGF, Monaco was also a multiple award winner, also receiving recognition for Excellence in Design. Limbo by PlayDead was giving the Excellence in Visual Arts and Technical Excellence awards, while Turning, Closure, and Continuity each took one. Apparently, indie games only have the budget for one word in their titles. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor for the iPhone/iPod Touch won Best Mobile Game, Heroes of Newerth took the Audience Award, and Max and the Magic Marker won the D2D Audience Award.
Congrats to all the winners, and for a full list, follow the links below.
Uncharted 2 Wins Big At 10th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards
Monaco Takes Grand Prize At 12th Annual IGF [GameSetWatch]
Above we have the newest character revealed for the Dragon Age: Origins expansion, Awakening. This could be interesting:
Not all the denizens of the Fade identify with darker emotions like rage and pride. Some embody the nobler qualities found in humanity: faith, hope, compassion, and justice. Justice is not a name, it is an identity. A victim of magic gone awry, Justice has been torn from the Fade against his will and trapped in the body of a dead Grey Warden. Lost and disoriented, he seeks a guide to help make sense of this alien world and demonstrate what it means to be human.
Justice doesn't seem like he'll be the cuddliest member of the crew (although a romance option with a living corpse would be ... unique), but his angst could provide some interesting conflicts, especially if you play a character not exactly following the straight and narrow.
It looks like there's one more new companion to be officially revealed, which will likely coincide with the last page of the Penny Arcade comic being written for the game. Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening is out this Tuesday for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Dragon Age: Origins - Justice [Bioware]
IGN is reporting that a trusted source at GDC "overheard" the news that Insomniac Games, a reliable Sony partner for over a decade, has gone multi-platform, and is currently developing a game for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. The rumor is being reported by Matt "Megaton" Casamassina at IGN, so take it with as many grains of salt as you need, but if true, this would be a pretty radical shift for the company and possibly cause some holes in Sony's exclusives schedule.
Insomniac is known for the Ratchet and Clank and Resistance series of games, and is currently believed to be working on the third game in the Resistance series, due either late this year or early next. They recently opened up a second studio in North Carolina, and while rumors of a new IP have floated around for a while, nothing solid ever surfaced. If this rumor pans out, it's likely this new, unannounced game would be the one they're developing for multiple systems.
As an independent company, Insomniac are free to develop games for any console or the PC, despite their previous system loyalty. Pretty much they'd only have to deal with the inevitable cries of betrayal and rending of garments from Sony fans. Despite the PS3's improved fortunes of late, I imagine it's still pretty tough out there for any Sony exclusive developer not named Naughty Dog. While critics generally loved the last Ratchet and Clank game, players (and the developer) might be feeling a little fatigued after 5 games in the series, not including spin-offs. Originally touted as a Halo-killer, Resistance hasn't quite lived up to that potential; in particular, Resistance 2 was considered a disappointment by many players and critics alike. I wouldn't blame any company for doing what they need to stay afloat these days, particularly one with as much raw talent as Insomniac has demonstrated. So far the companies aren't commenting (except to say, "No comment,") so we'll just have to wait for now.
Rumor: Insomniac Games Going Multiplatform [IGN]
- Due to a leap year bug, PS3s all over the world starting throwing out a weird error, making PSN inaccessible and certain games unplayable.
- Fruit Brute shared his enthusiasm after he went hands-on with the first level of God of War III.
- He also interviewed the game's Design Director Todd Papy, and asked if they realized they were basically making Kratos into a gay porn icon.
- Wootini reviewed the first episode of PSN's "reality" show, The Tester.
- Valve teased an announcement with an obscure game update and a new ending for Portal, before a leaked magazine cover revealed Portal 2, due this holiday season.
- Despite making the company literally billions of dollars, Infinity Ward's bosses were fired by Activision for insubordination. In response, the pair filed a lawsuit against the company.
- This week's podcast hit the big 50, and shortly after had to lie down with a heating pad and watch NCIS.
- Wootini went deep into Endless Ocean: Blue World.
- Microsoft announced a slew of new descriptions that would be allowed in gamertags and biographies on Xbox Live, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender.
- NaviFairy reviewed the PSP/PS3 Mini Age of Zombies.
- It was a sleepy week for Narnia in this week's Animal Crossing Diary.
Adult Swim's newest game is tailor-made for any of you environmental activists out there with a streak of ultraviolence. Polar Bear Payback puts you in the paws of an angry, blood stained polar bear, righting the wrongs committed against his fellow arctic creatures. You start off going after the small fry seal-clubbers, but continue to work your way up the earth-poisoning ladder.
It's pretty much a traditional brawler - it doesn't quite hit the highs of the site's last two games, Creamwolf and Robot Unicorn Attack, but it's a decent way to waste a few minutes.
Polar Bear Payback [Adult Swim Games]
GoNintendo (or someone they're tight with) seems to have gotten their hands on the April issue of Nintendo Power, revealing the surprise sequel to Scribblenauts is on the way. According to the article inside, Scribblenauts 2 will feature over 10,000 new words, and 120 new (and improved!) levels. They're also tossing adjectives in the mix. No verbs yet, but personally I can't wait for gerunds! The game is due out this fall.
Oh Scribblenauts, I really wanted to love you. Either my lack of imagination or the wonky controls kept me from fully committing to the game, but hopefully the sequel will fix my concerns and deliver on the promises of the first. Adjectives could add a new layer to the game - instead of using a Pegasus to solve half the levels, I can now use a Pretty Pegasus!
Latest issue of Nintendo Power says Earthworm Jim remake for DSiWare, and...Scribblenauts 2! [GoNintendo]
[via: Joystiq]
And girls who like girls who like rumble packs!
Gay Gamer of the Week
Name: Ben B.
Forum Name: Cicero
Age: 22
Location: Jacksonville, Fla
Gay, Straight or Bi: Gay!
Find out more about me!
Recent Comments
GGP Mailing List
Are you gay and working in the games industry? If you are interested in networking with other folks like you within the industry, try joining the Gay Game-Industry Professionals mailing list.
Links
The GayGamer Store
- Help support GayGamer by purchasing your items through our store!
All rights reserved © 2006-2010 FAD Media, Inc.
