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Games

UK Gamers Love the Xbox 360 S

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First it was the PlayStation 3. Now it’s the Xbox 360’s turn to get downsized – physically at least. The Xbox 360 S was launched in UK stores on Friday, and it looks like the British gamers are loving the changes.

According to MCV UK, the launch was the biggest for a “revised home console.” Selling for £199.99, the console was welcomed by gamers with open arms. In fact, some stores even opened their doors at midnight just to make the console available to their customers. More from the report:

“[The Xbox 360 S] surpasses the launches of both PS2 Slim and PS3 Slim and recording over two days around the same as the original Xbox 360’s launch sales total back in week 48, 2005.

This is even more impressive when you take into account that the original Xbox 360 was launched across two versions (Pro and Core).”

So what’s hot about the new Xbox 360? This version is basically slimmer and sleeker than its predecessors. It has a built in 250 GB of storage plus Wi-Fi. This is really not a surprise as anything that comes with less than 250GB and without Wi-Fi will probably not make any impact today. As an added value, the console is supposed to run on “whisper quiet,” which will make the whole experience better. More so, the Xbox 360 S is ready for Kinect, which Microsoft is touting as the turning point in the history of gaming.

Just so you know, there has been news of dissatisfied customers returning their brand new Xbox 360 S the very next day. Apparently, this new version isn’t free from the bugs and errors that Microsoft has become known for. This shouldn’t deter hardcore Xbox fanboys from purchasing the new console, though.

Originally posted on July 20, 2010 @ 1:20 pm

Video Games In 3D!

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Believe it or not, but video game sales have gone down this year. By how much? Statistics say that they’ve gone down by 11 percent! That may not mean much (what’s 11 percent anyway?) for some, but given the figures involved in video game sales, that a whole lot of money!

So naturally, video game creators are looking for ways to increase their sales and get people to buy their games more. So you probably know that the E3 is ongoing right now. This could very well be the biggest thing that happens in the gaming world, although we all know that it is not how it used to be.

Anyhow, big players Sony and Nintendo have made some announcements to the effect that they are going to enter the world of 3D. This is not really a big surprise. After all the movies that we have been seeing in 3D, it really was only a matter of time till the video game companies followed suit.

So yesterday, Nintendo introduced 3DS. They showed off a device that will allow players to see images in 3D WITHOUT the need for those bulky and sometimes irritating 3D glasses. Now how cool is that? Here’s a clip from YouTube.

Of course, Sony will not be left behind in this race. While they didn’t announce something as radical as Nintendo (in my mind at least), they did demonstrate some games that are 3D capable.

I am certain that we will be seeing more and more of 3D games in the market as the years – months even – go by. Anyone out there excited about the fact?

Originally posted on June 16, 2010 @ 4:54 pm

Microsoft “Kinect” Unveiled

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You might know it by another name – Project Natal – but Microsoft’s new hands-free motion control system has now been announced to the public. Its new name is Kinect, and is supposed to change the way we play games forever.

I seriously don’t know what to think of the names – Project Natal wasn’t great to begin with, and I just don’t think Kinect is better (although I see the kinection connection…)

Anyway, the details of Kinect have been – finally – shared with us, courtesy of BBC:

Kinect was shown off at a glitzy event alongside compatible games, which support the new hands-free interface and, in some cases, the facial and voice recognition capabilities.

These ranged from jumping and flying games to a yoga simulator and Star Wars shooter, in which players control a virtual light sabre and use hand gestures to control action on the screen.

There was also a virtual pet, which can be controlled and played with using Kinect. Microsoft says it will release the full details of its games at another media event on 14 June.

The official unveiling was supposed to be during the E3 expo, but I guess Microsoft wanted to pre-empt its competitors. After all, Sony and Nintendo are pretty much ahead of Microsoft in this arena.

So when are we going to see this new thing in the market? They say by the end of the year, but who really knows?

Originally posted on June 14, 2010 @ 1:00 pm

PlayStation 4 In The Works?

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Sony has had a lot of success with its PlayStation series – from the first version to the third (with lots in between – mini-upgrades and portables). With the release of the PlayStation 3 Slim last year, more and people were snatching up their own consoles. Here’s the clincher: it looks like we’re going to see the fourth generation soon!

I am sure that all of you have been thinking about the next generation of PlayStation consoles, even if you’re still thoroughly enjoying the PS3. Well, perhaps your dreams just might come true before you even realize it.

Earlier this month, someone leaked videos on YouTube. The account used was named SCElabs. Go figure what this is supposed to mean. Let me take a guess…How does Sony Computer Entertainment Labs sound? For sure, this is what whoever is behind the videos was trying to do – get people like you and me to think this way!

So anyway, enough of that. Here’s the first video, titled PS4-Playstation 4-Leaked Viral Video.

And here’s the second one, dubbed PS4-Playstation 4-Leaked Launch Trailer.

While Sony’s official stand is that these videos are FAKE, there is much doubt about that. For one, it was simply a rep that released the announcement: the video is NOT from SCE. We all know that PR people do NOT know everything, and that they basically say what they are told to say. Another reason is that these videos seem to fit the rest of Sony’s marketing campaign for the consoles. More so, they are made quite well.

I don’t know – what do you think, are they “real”?

Originally posted on June 11, 2010 @ 4:10 pm

Little Folk Of Faery

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Practically everyone I know is on Facebook. Now that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. One thing that I know I like about Facebook is that I get to discover a lot of things that I probably normally wouldn’t find.

Take this little game called Little Folk of Faery. Now, hardcore gamers might scoff at the whole idea. After all, would they want to play with faeries? Casual gamers would know, however, just how much fun this little game can be!

I only discovered Little Folk of Faery the other week and I have been dying to play it. It’s about a bunch of faeries – the magical kind, not the contemporary kind – who have come upon hard times. They’ve lost their magic and their village is in ruins. Your task is to help them get back on their feet and rediscover their magic. How cool is that?

The most amazing thing about this game – as far as I can tell based on the screen shots, videos, and reviews – is the fact that the graphics are astounding. Forget cute little Tinkerbells. The faeries in this game are a fantasy-lover’s dream! And, it’s not only the creatures that are beautiful. The attention to the details is obvious. The flowers, the lights – everything is designed to take your breath away!

It looks to me that the designers really put a lot of work into making the graphics work together to impress. If only for that, I will purchase the game. Here’s the problem for me – I tried the demo version on my MSI Wind, and it doesn’t work! Apparently, the netbook’s resolution is not compatible with the game. Help!

Originally posted on June 8, 2010 @ 8:45 am