With so many games on the horizon for 2009, there still weren’t many titles that were really catching my eye. Well my friends, that has now changed. After Loot Ninja’s 1st eyes on during a recent 2K media day, it’s easy to see that Mafia II is without a doubt going to be on everyone’s shopping list come this fall. This crime epic is being developed by the same team behind the original game, Illusion Softworks, which since then has become 2K Czech. This may come across as a bold statement, but if the small tidbit of gameplay we’ve seen is a true and accurate indication of what to expect, then I’ll go out on a limb here and say (don’t chew me up on this please) that this may very well be a candidate for game of the year. I will explain why.
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Way back in the day, er um actually January of this year, Electronic Arts announced what would be it’s 1st (and probably last) entry into the PlayStation Home space. For all of you PS3 users who are actually still active on Home, and can find time between harassing the members of the scarce female population (both real, and the guys pretending to be females) and doing the running-man dance in random locations, you might want to give this new Home space a good peek. There’s an assortment of multiplayer games to choose from in the “Complex” as it’s referred to. The one I’m personally most excited for is the tournament style Texas Hold ‘Em poker, with support for up to 8 players. It seems like EA’s new space is going to be the most promising addition to Home since, well, ever. Give it a look and let us know what you guys think of the new space.
P.S. If you want to find me on there, forget about checking the about us page for my PSN info. I’ll be the guy at the poker tables with chips stacked up to the ceiling and surrounded by dudes dressed as chicks who will be cheering me on; all the while doing the running-man and blasting Salt N Pepa’s “Push it” in my Mic, see you there.
Well, Well, Well, look at what we got here. It seems that SCEA’s got some explaining to do come next week. A Best Buy pre-order box has been spotted sporting an interesting little sticker. It reveals that there will be a demo of developer Sucker Punch’s open-world, super-hero action game: inFamous. Oh but it gets better because the pre-order isn’t only for inFamous. It also grants entry to the Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta. Yea, I said it; the Uncharted 2 mother-fucking multiplayer beta. (Ok let’s take a deep breath together) So besides the fact that no one knew there even was a multiplayer mode, we find out that not only does it exist but that it will be available June 6th-June 28th, which would lead one to assume that we may be seeing Nathan Drake’s next adventure earlier than once thought.
The inFamous Demo is set to run from Friday May 8th until Wednesday May 20. The PSN store updates on Thursdays as you guys know so I’m pretty sure Sony will have the demo up the very next day on the 21st for those who don’t pre-order (the same way it worked out for the Killzone 2 demo). Earlier reports initially declared this pre-order deal to be a Best Buy exlusive, but this one has the stench of Gamestop written all over it. We’ll know all the details in the coming week so check back here for updates.
[via Kotaku]
Well it’s that time of year again folks when Gamestop offers their big ‘buy 2 used games get 1 free’ promotion. This deal includes accessories as well (HINT: perfect time to load up on over priced Wiimotes and DualShock 3’s as far as accessories go). The deal can also be applied to online shopping; all you have to do is enter promo code “BUY2GET1″ at check out.
I know what you’re thinking, at first glance buying used games doesn’t seem too appealing, but this is the perfect opportunity to pick up games you’ve missed out on in the past couple of months. For example, you can group AAA titles that you haven’t had a chance to play like Street fighter IV, Fallout 3, and Killzone 2 for a cool $110 (with today’s prices these titles new could easily run you about $195). Now the example I used is to show the higher priced tier of used games, of course there’s also some nice bargain bin gems priced around 20 bucks. Happy Hunting!
In this current generation of video games, we as gamers have been witnessing the increase of certain industry trends. Whether it’s the recent emphasis on more casual experiences via the Nintendo Wii (which some would argue is hurting the industry, but in fact it is making it bigger and stronger by broadening the demographic), or another or the almost automatic inclusion of an online multiplayer component, thanks to the Xbox 360. One trend that has spread like the plague across all platforms is downloadable content (DLC), and I feel this is something that deserves some serious thought.
I call it a plague because not only does it look like it’s here to stay, but this trend is giving developers the opportunity to take an already overpriced $60 game (or even $80 if you’re into collector’s editions) and mold into a $100+ hole in your pocket. It’s absurd that a game can cost almost a third of what you paid for the machine you play it on. Now I don’t think the idea of DLC is bad, it’s just that I think there’s a lot of bad DLC out there. DLC that truly adds to the experience, whether it’s a bunch of new features (i.e. Co-op), additional hours of gameplay and/or extra Achievements/Trophies to go with it I think is awesome (i.e. GTA: Lost and the Damned and Prince of Persia). The problem lies when developers and publisher alike try to milk the consumer for everything they have.
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The unstoppable Nintendo Wii is alot of things, but a console for hardcore gaming isn’t one of them. The recent release of the “highly” anticipated 3rd person action title Madworld is evidence of that. With a more than decent meta-score review of 82, the title received much praise from game journalists everywhere. Sometimes critical praise isn’t enough though, and the lack of marketing (except at Gamestop) can really effect sales. So much so that we should do the math now, just to show how bad it actually sold.
If you divide the number of copies sold (66k) by how many Wii’s are out there (50m), it’s a pathetic 0.0013%. That’s how many Wii owners picked up the console’s 1st “killer app” of 2009. Now I haven’t been able to make sure of it, but I’d bet my left nut that “Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie” game probably sold at least 2 times the amount. It’s pretty wild when you think about how different last gen and this gen actually are for Nintendo. Last generation, 3rd party developers didn’t want anything to do with the Gamecube. This generation, everyone wants a piece of the Wii pie, and it seems pointless because no matter how good or original your game is, there will always be a game involving a certain Italian plumber doing various activities (tennis, bowling, racing, balance boarding?) to pummel your game in sales.
There are certain memories some people can never let go of, whether it’s their first day of school, the first time he or she rides a bike, or maybe even a first kiss. One memory I can never forget occurred on my 5th birthday. It was when I finally managed to save the Princess from that prick King Koopa. It was a long grueling journey, but I swore if I had read “sorry Mario, the Princess is in the next castle” one more time, I was going to throw that goddamned NES right out the fucking window. This victory would mark the beginning of my love affair with all video games.
Since that time I’m pretty sure I’ve owned every single system and handheld that has been released. I even owned a Virtual Boy. Yes, I said it, a Virtual Boy (don’t judge me, the 90’s were crazy). With every year passing me by, the thought often comes to mind of whether or not I’m getting too old (24 years old now) to play games. Then I quickly get a grip and I think to myself as we say in Brooklyn: fuggedaboutit. Video games are what keeps me feeling young, and many of my favorite childhood memories happened whilst holding a video game controller. And even though I’m sure all this gaming will probably lead to arthritis so bad I wont be able to hold a cup when I’m old and gray, I’m still not giving this shit up for anyone.
My love and knowledge of all things video game related is what has landed me here at Loot Ninja. I am currently the Forum Administrator and will now be the Weekend writer as well, providing you guys news and insight from a 100% non-bias, anti-fanboy perspective. I’m really excited to help bring new stuff to the Loot Ninja table. And don’t forget that I am also here to hand out lollipops and asswhoopins on Game with Loot Ninja nights…but I’m all out of lollipops.
Joel. Out.
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