Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comEA announces Hasbro Family Game Night for Wii, PS2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/ea-announces-hasbro-family-game-night-for-wii-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/ea-announces-hasbro-family-game-night-for-wii-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/ea-announces-hasbro-family-game-night-for-wii-ps2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Electronic Arts has finally revealed the fruits of its recent partnership with board game evangelist Hasbro, announcing Hasbro Family Game Night, a collection of classic board games for the Wii and PlayStation 2. Shipping this fall, the game will include a wide assortment of Hasbro properties -- six in all -- from Battleship, Yahtzee, Boggle, and Connect Four to Sorry! and its more recent incarnation in Sorry! Sliders.

Purists will be happy to know that they'll be able to play the classic games as they remember, though EA notes that new versions will also be included as well for those looking for a different way to play. In addition, the collection will let players build and decorate a virtual game room, earn trophies, and play various mini-games once they tire of sinking each other's battleships. However, even with support for between two and four players, we doubt the compilation will have us tossing out our boxed favorites just yet, though at least with this game we know we'll never have to go searching though couch cushions for missing pieces before we can play.
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]]>battleshipboard-gamesboardgamesboggleconnect-fourconnectfoureaelectronic-artselectronicartshasbrosorryyahtzee2008-05-16T09:50:00+00:00Telltale details first Strong Bad episode, 'Homestar Ruiner'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/telltale-details-first-strong-bad-episode-homestar-ruiner/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/telltale-details-first-strong-bad-episode-homestar-ruiner/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/telltale-details-first-strong-bad-episode-homestar-ruiner/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If our recent interview and the latest screenshots from Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People weren't enough to a satiate your interest in harassing the residents of Strongbadia, publisher Telltale has released some additional details for the forthcoming adventure game's first episode, titled "Homestar Ruiner," which will be released over WiiWare and the PC in June.

According to Telltale, the plot, for people who care about such things, will see the bobble-headed Strong Bad scheming to win the tri-annual 'Race to the End of the Race' while also working to get a disgraced Homestar Runner from loafing around his domicile. As mentioned in the past, the game will include a variety of mini-games and other diversions, two of which Telltale has now revealed to be Snake Boxer 5 from Homestar's fictional game development studio, Videlectrix, as well as the ability for players to create their own Teen Girl Squad comics. SO GOOD!
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]]>episodichomestar-runnerhomestarrunnerstrong-badstrongbadtelltalewiiware2008-05-15T18:00:00+00:00EA details MySims Kingdom for Wii, DShttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/ea-details-mysims-kingdom-for-wii-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/ea-details-mysims-kingdom-for-wii-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/ea-details-mysims-kingdom-for-wii-ds/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While we'll admit that The Sims was never more than a stone's throw away from being an all-out casual series anyway, EA will continue to dress the franchise in casual attire in MySims Kingdom, the sequel to last year's 3 million unit selling MySims. Shipping this fall worldwide for the Wii and DS, the game was first announced earlier this year as one of a handful of new dumbed down casual-themed takes on The Sims. However, EA today released the first details about the game, calling MySims Kingdom "a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom."

The gameplay, which once again sounds more than a little like Animal Crossing, will center on exploring and developing a kingdom through The Sims-style customization, with the DS version adding emphasis on mini-games as players try to turn aside a rival evil king. Adds The Sims studio head Rod Humble, MySims Kingdom will include "rewarding quests, building houses, bridges or even making contraptions powered by electricity or water." The game eschews much of the larger franchise's sandbox appeal for backstory, leaving us waiting for until next year's The Sims 3 before we can know the joy of deleting the ladder from the neighborhood pool.
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]]>eaelectronic-artselectronicartsmysimsmysims-kingdommysimskingdomsimsthesims2008-05-14T09:45:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Battlefield Heroeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click to enlarge

Producer Alexander Grondal said the team wants Battlefield Heroes to run on your Grandma's PC and -- with a sub-250MB download and the ability to run on Intel's anemic integrated video offerings -- we're sure it will. But that doesn't mean Grams is going to kick the Pogo crack pipe and be racking up levels in Heroes anytime soon. It's about as simple a shooter as you can imagine -- everything from the cartoon aesthetic to the streamlined controls reinforce the game's message: have fun -- but it's still a shooter at heart.

It's a curious message coming from the same team that's been bringing the popular, and complicated, multiplayer Battlefield games to the hardcore shooter fans of the world. Has some of their audience grown up? Run out of free time? Still using the same gaming rig they built to play Battlefield 1942 in 2002?

In our brief experience with the game at EA's Spring Break event in San Francisco last night, we were initially disoriented by the third-person perspective. Even though you see your character, Heroes doesn't play like a third-person shooter; it's an FPS through and through. A quick mental adjustment later, and we were running after enemies, grabbing flags, flying planes, and driving tanks.
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Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Battlefield Heroes

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]]>Battlefield-HeroesDICEEAEA-Spring-Break-2008handson2008-05-13T15:30:00+00:00LostWinds sequel already in the workshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/lostwinds-sequel-already-in-the-works/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/lostwinds-sequel-already-in-the-works/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/lostwinds-sequel-already-in-the-works/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've barely had the chance to fix our hair after downloading the first game, but Frontier Development is already working on a sequel to its WiiWare launch title LostWinds. Seriously, this has to be some kind of speed record or obsession over not letting the paint dry.

As expected, not much is known about the sequel, though a notice at the bottom of the company's website for the game teases that the follow up will include "new gameplay as Toku and Enril's incredible adventure to save Mistralis continues." The stylish platformer managed to impress us during our brief time with it in April, but for those of you who've downloaded and played the game, what's the verdict -- is a sequel warranted?

[Via Go Nintendo]
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]]>frontierlostwindswiiware2008-05-13T09:30:00+00:00Agetec shows kid-friendly PS2 love in Falling Starshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/agetec-shows-kid-friendly-ps2-love-in-falling-stars/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/agetec-shows-kid-friendly-ps2-love-in-falling-stars/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/12/agetec-shows-kid-friendly-ps2-love-in-falling-stars/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Refusing to close the lid on the PS2's casket, Armored Core publisher Agetec has announced plans to bring last-gen RPG Falling Stars to North America this summer. The game casts players in the role of a young girl named Luna on a quest to save the village of Dazzleon from her own green-skinned uncle and his obsession with turning peaceful creatures into evil pets.

According to Agetec, the Ivolgamus-created Falling Stars will include "cute characters, fun mini games, and simplified controls." Wait, is this a PS2 or Wii game we're talking about here? Either way, this role-playing game for the younger set will no doubt give players coming off of the Lithuanian developer's Barbie as The Island Princess something else to look forward to after nap time.
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]]>agetecfalling-starsfallingstarsIvolgamuskidsrole-playingroleplaying2008-05-12T23:00:00+00:00Spend Mother's Day playing games with momhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/spend-mothers-day-playing-games-with-mom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/spend-mothers-day-playing-games-with-mom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/11/spend-mothers-day-playing-games-with-mom/#commentsFiled under: ,


Don't panic: It's Mother's Day today in North America. We know it crept up on you, overshadowed by more significant holidays like Gears of War 2 Gameplay Footage Day and GTAIV Day Month. Luckily, Susan Arendt over at Game|Life has your back, with a list of excellent gaming gifts for moms of all types (or at least, all gaming types).

Does your mom miss those classic card game nights around the kitchen table? Fire up UNO on Xbox Live Arcade. Is she a tad overprotective of her offspring? She might relate to BioShock's Big Daddies (yes, we get the irony). Does she dig cooking and adorably mispronounced English? Then it's Cooking Mama all the way.

Of course, for moms who are less than avid gamers, there are also a plethora of excellent casual games out there. Titles like Peggle, Diner Dash, and Puzzle Pirates could prove to be perfect distractions for the mom with a lot on her plate. Happy Mother's Day to all the Joystiq-reading maternal units.
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]]>bioshockcooking-mamadiner-dashmothers-daypegglepuzzle-piratesuno2008-05-11T15:00:00+00:00inXile founds SparkWorkz, former Microsoft exec to headhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/inxile-founds-sparkworkz-former-microsoft-exec-to-head/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/inxile-founds-sparkworkz-former-microsoft-exec-to-head/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/inxile-founds-sparkworkz-former-microsoft-exec-to-head/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


inXile Entertainment, the developer behind 2004's tongue-in-cheek RPG The Bard's Tale, has announced the founding of a new online-focused division called SparkWorkz, with former Microsoft exec David Heeley tapped to call the shots. According to inXile, SparkWorkz will "build an online network and community" for showing off user-generated content.

All of this sounds a bit like inXile is attempting to recapture YouTube's lightning in a bottle, as inXile CEO Brian Fargo notes that the company's goal is to create an "online destination for people to show off their creative talents across a number of different game and non-game media environments." Among other things, players can expect to use the network to create and share content created using the company's upcoming Wii and DS adaptations of Line Rider, giving us another reason to look forward to the cult Flash time waster's launch this summer.
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]]>inxile-entertainmentinxileentertainmentline-riderlineridersparkworkz2008-05-08T01:00:00+00:00Metareview -- Boom Blox (Wii)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/metareview-boom-blox-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/metareview-boom-blox-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/metareview-boom-blox-wii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little looney, and in this video game they're exploding your TV. Steven Spielberg's first foray into video games brings us Boom Blox for the Wii. Reviews have been pretty glowing or just good. Don't expect some Spielberg epic here, it's definitely a casual title designed for the Wii, which apparently uses the Wiimote quite competently.
  • 1Up (100/100): "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played. Buy this game."
  • IGN (81/100): " If you're looking for a game you can play with friends and family - - one that everybody will be able to pick up and enjoy in a matter of minutes -- look no further than EA Boom Blox. It's a fun puzzler and also a game that really puts Nintendo's controller to great use."
  • GameTap (80/100): "In Boom Blox, however, you might complete one level that is pretty challenging only to unlock a new level that's strangely simple, which is particularly odd in a game that requires you to finish one level in order to move on to the next. ... Nevertheless, Boom Blox is still a worthy purchase for Wii owners. It's one of those rare family games that doesn't fall into the genres of minigame collection or rhythm title, and your seven-year-old kid will have as much fun as you do."
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]]>boom-bloxmetareviewmetareviewssteven spielbergstevenspielbergwii2008-05-07T21:00:00+00:00Social networking sites as market research for gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/social-networking-sites-as-market-research-for-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/social-networking-sites-as-market-research-for-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/social-networking-sites-as-market-research-for-games/#commentsFiled under: ,


Chances are, you're on one (or all) of the major social networking sites out there -- MySpace and Facebook, being the two that stand out most. Vancouver-based Gnosis Games wants to utilize the time spent on these sites towards developing retail video games. Already, it plans on bringing one of its casual Flash-based games to the Wii. Candy Arcade is a (shock!) collection of sugar-themed mini-games.

Facebook has allowed Gnosis Games to share a small taste of these games, such as the surprisingly addictive "Sugar Blitz" (pictured, above). Not only does the application offer organic word-of-mouth marketing for the team, it gives them valuable feedback on what players like and dislike. Yes, the comments and Wall posts offer good clues, but Facebook's tracking tools offer even more insight into the habits of gamers. Through the Facebook application, Gnosis can see how players find the game, how long they play, and where they go within the application. If a cheap Flash-based game does well on Facebook, will it translate to retail success? That's what Gnosis is hoping for.

Plans for integration with social networking sites goes beyond simple market research data. The community encourages competition and bragging. Imagine if unlocking an achievement in the retail game unlocked avatars for display on one's Facebook page. The Xbox 360 Live Gamercard application already has us showcasing our conquest for more Gamerscore. The interaction between social networking and video game marketing has only begun -- expect it to become prolific as more marketing teams jump on board.
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]]>candy-arcadefacebookgnosis-gamesmyspace2008-05-06T12:15:00+00:00Kongregate to bring its service to Facebookhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/kongregate-to-bring-its-service-to-facebook/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/kongregate-to-bring-its-service-to-facebook/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/kongregate-to-bring-its-service-to-facebook/#commentsFiled under: ,


We don't talk about it a lot, but we have a secret love for online Flash service Kongregate. Not only does it offer achievements (truly the only good reason to play games) but it's brought us Flash obsessions like the soul- and time-sucking behemoth that is Desktop Tower Defense.

Now, the service is expanding into one of our other, even more secreter, loves with the Kongregate Facebook Challenge application. Though the features are limited at the moment, you'll soon be able to challenge friends to games through the Facebook service. You know, because the internet just wasn't distracting enough.

[Via 1UP]
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]]>facebookkongregate2008-05-06T09:55:00+00:00This Wednesday: Wits & Wagers abets XBLA lineuphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/this-wednesday-wits-and-wagers-abets-xbla-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/this-wednesday-wits-and-wagers-abets-xbla-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/this-wednesday-wits-and-wagers-abets-xbla-lineup/#commentsFiled under: ,


This Wednesday's Xbox Live Arcade addition is "trivia party game," Wits & Wagers. That's what it says in the headline. Not conveyed in the bold line of text is that the game offers 700 different questions -- none of which you necessarily need to know the answers to. You see, the trick is to place bets on the answers which you think are "closest to the truth." There's also "dancing characters and upbeat music" to look forward to, so that's nice.

Wits & Wagers (only available in the US, UK and Canada) supports 4-player couch play, 2-6 players online, as well as those wacky camera and big button peripherals you have hooked up to your Xbox 360. But how much is it?
  • $1,000,000
  • 239 Wii Points
  • 13 pieces of eight
  • 800 MS Points
  • The Truth
Place your bets on the one you think is closest to the truth.
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]]>Wits-and-wagersXBLAXBLAWednesdayXbox-LiveXbox-Live-Arcade2008-05-05T17:55:00+00:00Hail to the Chimp delayed to June 24 [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/hail-to-the-chimp-delayed-to-mid-june/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/hail-to-the-chimp-delayed-to-mid-june/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/hail-to-the-chimp-delayed-to-mid-june/#commentsFiled under: , ,

hail to the chimp
Wideload's Hail to the Chimp party game has been pushed back from a scheduled May 27 release date into "mid-June," a Gamecock representative told us this morning. [Update: Gamecock has clarified that the new release date has been set for June 24.] The publisher attributed the short delay to a need for "polish" (working with animals can get dirty, after all), though we wonder if the extra weeks aren't equally necessary to generate some excitement for a campaign, which to date, has received little coverage. Ape or not, a politician's success relies on the strength of a savvy marketing team.

For further analysis of the issues at hand, check out our Hail to the Chimp impressions from GDC and EIEIO.
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]]>breakingnewsgamecockhail-to-the-chimpwideload2008-05-05T12:25:00+00:00Rockstar's Dan Houser disses casual gaming, explains process of rebuilding NYChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/rockstars-dan-houser-disses-casual-gaming-explains-process-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/rockstars-dan-houser-disses-casual-gaming-explains-process-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/03/rockstars-dan-houser-disses-casual-gaming-explains-process-of/#commentsFiled under:

Dan Houser, Vice President of creativity for Rockstar Games, has apparently never enjoyed the visceral thrill of creating a Mii in his own likeness and entering the boxing ring with a similarly Mii-ified version of Adolf Hitler -- or else we assume he wouldn't have dropped the following foul-mouthed quote in an interview with New York Magazine: "Yeah, fuck all this stuff about casual gaming." Poignant, no?

He goes on to explain that while the warm reception of Nintendo's latest console is "fantastic", gamers still want games with production values and narratives that rival those of big-budget movies, much like the titles produced by Rockstar. The rest of the interview is actually a very intriguing look at how the Grand Theft Auto IV team meticulously built a city using the Big Apple as their inspiration, but something tells us that the rest of the story might get overshadowed by that one particular sound bite.
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]]>casualcasualgamesdan-houserdanhousernintendowiirockstarrockstar-gameswii2008-05-03T20:30:00+00:00Aussie military using games to attract recruitshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/aussie-military-using-games-to-attract-recruits/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/aussie-military-using-games-to-attract-recruits/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/aussie-military-using-games-to-attract-recruits/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Taking a cue from America's army and, er, America's Army, the Australian military is also using online games to pump up flagging recruitment numbers. As the New Zealand Herald reports, Australia's Defence Jobs web site allows visitors to control crude, Flash versions of ARV Tiger Attack Helicopters, F/A-18 Hornets and more.

The games aren't exactly new (JayIsGames discussed one of them back in 2004) but they're getting increased attention now as a way for military recruitment to compete with a fierce job market. "It is critical to the future of the ADF that Generation Y and beyond can access and interact with recruiting information via the technology they are comfortable with," said Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon, who sounds extremely old.

Two of the Air Force games have recorded over 300,000 plays, according to the Herald report, which might not seem like much compare to America's Army's 8+ million users. Remember, though, that America's defense budget exceeds Australia's (and indeed, the rest of the world's) by leaps and bounds. Whoo! We're No. 1! Don't mess with the U.S.! These colors don't run! And so on ...
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]]>air forceAirForcearmyaustraliaflashmilitarynavynew-zealand-heraldrecruitment2008-05-02T18:00:00+00:00Off the Grid: The new roommateshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/off-the-grid-the-new-roommates/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/off-the-grid-the-new-roommates/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/01/off-the-grid-the-new-roommates/#commentsFiled under: ,


Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column about card games, board games, and everything else non-digital.

One of the most exciting parts about moving to a new place is having new people to play with. One week ago I arrived in California, and moved in with my new roommate and his girlfriend. Jet-lagged, and achy from spending nearly twelve combined hours in airplanes and airports, I still excitedly busted out the board games from my luggage once I arrived at the apartment.

I unboxed Risk: Black Ops under the pretense of showing them how pretty it was. Realistically, I was prodding, waiting for one of the new roomies to say "cool, let's play!" They sure did think it was a nice-looking game, but neither said boo on the subject of playing. I packed it up and passed out.

Of course, over the past week I've learned that this was not merely a single case of cold feet. Compared to the relative ease of playing video games, or watching television or YouTube videos, or renting a film, playing a round of Carcassonne or Kill Doctor Lucky apparently just isn't worth the effort.

And thus, even with a small contingent of possible opponents living in the same space, it's still surprisingly difficult to get my game on.

Continue reading Off the Grid: The new roommates

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]]>off-the-gridoffthegridrisk2008-05-01T15:30:00+00:00Raving Rabbids + Wii Fit balance board = YOGAAAAAAAAAH?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/raving-rabbids-wii-fit-balance-board-yogaaaaaaaaah/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/raving-rabbids-wii-fit-balance-board-yogaaaaaaaaah/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/raving-rabbids-wii-fit-balance-board-yogaaaaaaaaah/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In the above teaser video, which Gametrailers has labeled "Rayman Raving Rabbids 3," you'll note the appearance of one of Ubisoft's lovable and inherently demented hoppy things. While that is often amusing in its own right, this particular Rabbid appears to be figuring out how to properly operate a Wii Fit balance board. While his time with it ultimately results in weight gain, we get the feeling he's trying to tell us about some new use for the peripheral in his next mini-game miasma ...

[Thanks, StarFoxA]
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>Balance-BoardDAAAAAAAAAAAAAHMinigamesRaving-RabbidsRayman-Raving-RabbidsUbisoftWii-Fit2008-04-29T17:00:00+00:00Joystiq impressions: Assorted Sierra XBLA gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Sierra recently showed off its upcoming crop of XBLA games at a media event. While a couple have promise, most could be buried by the quantity or quality of competitors. All are confirmed only for XBLA, but Sierra is considering PSN versions of most. All will be out this Summer.

Continue reading Joystiq impressions: Assorted Sierra XBLA games

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>assault-heroesassault-heroes-2downloadgin-rummylost-citiesonlinepsnsea-lifesierra-spring-event08xblazombie-wranglers2008-04-28T05:00:00+00:00Chat with Call of Duty card game creator Ben Cichoskihttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/27/chat-with-call-of-duty-card-game-creator-ben-cichoski/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/27/chat-with-call-of-duty-card-game-creator-ben-cichoski/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/27/chat-with-call-of-duty-card-game-creator-ben-cichoski/#commentsFiled under: , ,

While there were a number of video games available at New York Comic Con, one game stood out as the most fun thing we played at the show floor. It was a Call of Duty game, yes -- but it wasn't a video game. The Call of Duty card game is a nice surprise, especially for someone that's grown tired of the repetitive (and expensive!) CCG market.

You can read Stephen Totilo's excellent write-up at MTV Multiplayer to understand how the game is played -- but needless to say, this is an easy game to pick up and understand. It's a bit daunting at first, especially with its radically different design. The "real time" card engine forced players to be quick of mind, as a constant barrage of attacks can overwhelm the opponent, and lead to victory. Players can continue drawing and using cards until one of two cards is played: Pause and Nightfall. Pause cards will simply don players a special power, such as laying a mine, or throwing a grenade. However, Nightfall is where all your actions are tallied up, and casualties can accumulate.

In order to recreate the chaotic feel of the Call of Duty games, the card game is designed to make players throw down as many cards down as possible. However, no card takes effect until Nightfall. For example, I may have a soldier at risk of dying, as a Fire card is thrown on him. However, if I get a Move card, I can move him out of the way. If by Nightfall, the soldier is clear of any fatal cards, he'll survive for the next bout. It's a fascinating concept that forces very quick, strategic use of each card.

Continue reading Chat with Call of Duty card game creator Ben Cichoski

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>ben-cichoskicall-of-dutycard-gameccg2008-04-27T19:15:00+00:00SingStar series sells 12 million units in PAL territorieshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/singstar-series-sells-12-million-units-in-pal-territories/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/singstar-series-sells-12-million-units-in-pal-territories/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/singstar-series-sells-12-million-units-in-pal-territories/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


European gamers that feel naked without a mic in their hand can use the other to pat themselves on the back, as Sony just dropped word that its SingStar franchise has sold through 12 million copies in the PAL region, with some 5 million of these going out the door between last April and March 2008.

In addition, with the SingStore finally gaining traction, Sony also announced that PAL gamers have downloaded a million tracks in the four months since the store opened. Also impressive is that the store's 140,000 registered users, together with members of the game's official website, have recorded and shared 20,000 videos of players belting out tunes from the comfort of their living rooms -- public embarrassment that has been watched some 2.5 million times.

The SingStar series first got players in Europe singing off-tune renditions of "Careless Whisper" and "Like a Virgin" in 2004, and has since spawned numerous sequels, including last December's SingStar for the PlayStation 3 and the soon-to-be released Volume 2. Now, with SingStar for the PS3 finally getting a release in North America on May 20, it will be interesting to see how enthusiasm on this side of the Atlantic for the game measures up.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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