Asura's Wrath manga game turns me into a Manga-style videogame character
Posted by PsiMonk Feb, 17, 2012 11:21
I'm not quite sure what I'm meant to make of this, but the PR folks behind Capcom's Asura's Wrath game have turned me into a Manga character. Click below for the full portrait - the game comes out 9 March for PS3 and Xbox 360 and is a ludicrously over-the-top blend of sci-fi, Japanese mythology and Tom and Jerry violence.In the middle of a recession, it apparently costs $40,000 to "patch" a mainstream game. No wonder smart game makers are going cheap, weird and independent...
Posted by PsiMonk Feb, 15, 2012 09:54
The video above? It's a trailer for a game called Dear Esther, that's got game bloggers and critics in a froth since it finally "launched" on Steam last night. The game was originally an experimental Half-Life 2 "mod". Now, after winning Independent Game Developer Awards, the first-person ghost story has returned with overhauled visuals as a standalone, £7 title. And it's wonderful - but it's also just the latest indie game that's more interesting than Gears Of War 3.
In just over 8 hours, Double Fine raised $400,000 on Kickstarter for an old-school point-and-click adventure game. What just happened?
Posted by PsiMonk Feb, 09, 2012 04:24
Double Fine Productions, the developer created by legendary designer Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Stacking, Grim Fandango), has just not only funded their project to make a "brand-new, downloadable 'Point-and-Click' graphic adventure game for the modern age, but they've funded this oddball idea using money entirely pledged by fans of Double Fine/Schafer on Kickstarter. But wait, there's more. Fans have already, in a day, pledged nearly a million dollars to the game and its creators (Schafer is apparently working alongside fellow point-and-click legend Ron "Monkey Island" Gilbert). That's a record for Kickstarter, double what was needed after a day, and news that will be causing traditional publishers to look distinctly nervous.
One of the best, if weirdest, games ever could finally be getting a sequel.
Posted by PsiMonk Feb, 08, 2012 03:57
Chances are you haven't played Psychonauts. If you haven't, go check it out for PC and Mac here (it's only £5.99). It's an exuberantly deranged action-adventure/platforming game about psychic superhero kids who're jumping about inside adults minds. It's also one of those games that seemed destined never to get a follow-up, despite much public pleading and behind-the-scenes pitching by its creator Tim "Double Fine" Schafer. Except now, it seems there may be a happy ending, courtesy of Minecraft.The Sony PS Vita's sales in Japan are at their lowest since launch. The company's response? It's a "good start". Wake up and smell the coffee, Sony.
Posted by PsiMonk Feb, 03, 2012 11:02
Now, let's start by getting things very clear: I really like the Sony PS Vita. In my recent review of the launch hardware and gaming offering, I gave it a (high for me) 8/10. It is an absolutely spectacular and unrivalled system in terms of bringing console-level power to a handheld form. The two analogue sticks, in particular, make other handheld control schemes look rubbish. That said, it's fairly obvious there are some issues with the PS Vita - most notably, its price. In a smartphone world, it's too much. And it looks increasingly like the Japanese, the only people to be able to buy one quite yet, agree.2 of 14
SIMON MUNK
Simon Munk has been playing videogames since 1976. He has written on games and technology for over fifteen years for titles including MSN, The Times and FHM. He has won the GamesMediaAwards for Consumer Magazine Writer twice. Simon's favourite game ever is Gauntlet.