Throughout the first episode of American McGee’s Grimm I had the constant sense that it just plain wasn’t for me. It’s not terrible (but it’s not good either), it just seems to be targeted toward the type of person that thinks peeing is hilarious.
The gameplay is simple to a fault. You have to corrupt fairy tales. This is simple, because you have a sort of sphere of influence, an area around you that turns anything within it from its cheerful start to something more twisted and sinister. The more you corrupt the more levels you gain and the bigger that sphere of corruption, along with the ability to turn larger objects.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Return to Castle Wolfenstein but I’m a huge sucker for exploding Nazis. The only thing better than an exploding Nazi is a melting Nazi. So this trailer, from QuakeCon, piqued my interest.
Now if they bring back Mecha-Hitler I’ll be completely sold.
For years Madden has included all-time teams for the 32 NFL franchises. Of course since most of the greats aren’t currently members of the NFLPA they can’t use the players’ names or likenesses resulting in, for example, dramatic passes from QB#16 to WR#80 when you play as the All-Niners Team. Not quite the same but it’s the thought that counts.
I bring this up because Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown is suing EA over RB#32 on the All-Browns Team. He claims the traditional loophole - not using anything but their number - should still count as using his likeness without his permission so he’s suing for trademark infringement, unauthorized use of his likeness, trademark dilution and unfair business practices.
I’m not sure what the courts are going to make of this. Yes, it is obviously intended to be him, but at the same time he’s not the only RB who’s ever worn 32 for the Browns so it’s not really his exclusive trademark. It could go either way, and I’m not sure either result will have too huge an impact on EA; hardly anyone plays as the all-time teams anyway, at least nobody I know. At any rate it should set an interesting precedent.
The 11 remaining people that play Everquest II and Star Wars Galaxies can now talk to each other! Ok, maybe that’s not entirely fair, some people still play Everquest II.
Station Voice, the free integrated chat service, is soon going to also hit Everquest (the first one, now I really didn’t know that was still around) and all SOE’s upcoming games. It could be good, but then again it could just turn out like voice chat in Live Arcade. Plus it might ruin the superhero aesthetic of DC Universe Online when everyone sounds like Lenny, Comic Book Guy, Martin or the Squeaky-Voiced Teenager.
American McGree’s Grimm is launching today on GameTap. If you haven’t checked it out, you should. We previewed it in earlier this month and thought it was clever.
Danny should have a review of the first episode up. With Grimm, GameTap is doing something interesting with the game. Fans will be able to play it for free during the first 24 hours. After that, they’ll have to pay for an individual episode. (GameTap subscribers get it for free.)
It’s the same formula that other networks have been doing. Maybe it’ll work with online video games.
Well…ok, not all of it. But a demo of Madden 09 is on Live and PSN and that’s a start. It means real Madden is close.
I’m through a season and a half of NCAA 09, the Hall of Fame Game is on Sunday and now a Madden demo exists. The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us.
When music and comics collide in Rock Band, I assume you get this. Frankly, these characters are pretty amazing. I especially liked Venom. It looks like InsaneGame48 managed to get a full facial tattoo going on or something. I also liked the old Spidey symbol T-shirt.
Captain America looks pretty decent. I imagine that’s what he’d look like if he played guitar in a band. Iron Man is a little weak. He kind of looks like he’s rocking that Michael Jackson Thriller jacket.
For good measure, there’s even some video game character such as Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solidand Ada Wong from Resident Evil 4.
Don’t tell Scotty, but the first shots of the new Street Fighter film has hit the Web. And I’m already starting to warm to the flick. I’m sure the fact that Kristin Kreuk is starring has a lot to do with that.
The shots from Slashfilm.com shows Ms. Kreuk walking around a marketplace set. Then there are a second set of photos showing a guy with nunchuks in the water. There’s also images of militamen dressed in black. They also have Michael Clarke Duncan as a very angry Balrog.
On Friday, Sony will be adding a massive update to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, according to the PlayStation blog. The company mentioned it in its E3 media briefing, and in a couple of days, gearheads will be able to check out Gran Turismo TV firsthand.
Here’s a list of shows on the channel and another thing to note:
For the first two weeks only, we are providing all pay-per-view content for at a discounted price of $.99! It’s a good way to get a taste Gran Turismo TV. The HD content we shoot for our exclusive stuff looks pretty amazing. Following the initial two-week period, content will start at $1.99. So start downloading away!
This will only matter to you if you’re really, really, really into cars. Speed Channel fans are probably champing at the bit.
This is a little on the weird side, but game designer Richard Garriott, the man created Ultima, is a big space geek. He’s such a geek in fact that he’s one of those folks who paid for a trip to the International Space Station.
I guess he couldn’t wait for Virgin Galactic to get their spaceport ready.
Anyway, CNET’s Daniel Terdiman is reporting that Garriott is having a contest to bring the DNA of players from Tabula Rasa into space. It’s a little wacky. OK, I lied. It’s unbelievably batty and insane.
Players, who I assum will be picked randomly, will have their DNA coded and put into a time capsule along with messages from other folks from around the world. Meanwhile, Garriott will take that into space and store it on the International Space Station.
For those unlucky many who won’t have their DNA digitized, they can have their Tabula Rasa character uploaded to the time capsule. I guess that’s a good consolation prize.
The folks of Tabula Rasa are mentioning this as humanity’s “saved game.” It’s kind of weird when you think about it. I suppose that seed “Doomsday vault” in the arctic is plantlife’s “saved game.” But frankly, I think folks have enough common sense not to cause apocalyptic devastation on themselves.
cant w8 till this game comes out 
