You Gotta Check This Out: Crayon Physics
By Lance Yerelian | September 20, 2007
This is a new feature, which I hope to write monthly (or weekly), to shine a spotlight on a game that I think is exciting or unique and that may have gone under the radar. This week I am going to focus on a fantastic game called Crayon Physics. Why play in a game environment that already has the puzzle pieces laid out for you when you can create your own in Crayon Physics?
Video and description after the jump
Topics: PC - Games, Random | 1 Comment »
The Black Market of World of Warcraft
By Zach Sprague | September 12, 2007
If you play World of Warcraft you are no stranger to the black market.
There are some who have even tried selling their accounts or other items on Ebay. Ebay however, due to the questionable nature of the transactions, have worked with Blizzard and other gaming companies to keep those auctions off of their site.
Grugal tells you: I have an exciting offer just for you!! World of Warcraft gold really cheap! 1000 gold for only 5 dollars!!! See our website www.dupedgoldisasureban.com. Also see our leveling services, 1-70 for only 25 dollars.
Unfortunately the above is an all too common occurrence in World of Warcraft. I am sure many a young and naive player has been taken in by such “to good to be true” offers. A young friend of mine, who’s allowance afforded him too much flexibility, paid a leveling service similar to the one described above and ended up with a suspended account. I personally would not be surprised if he was completely scammed and had his account stolen. Even in the black market there are good deals and bad deals.
If you are doing something that you know is against the “law” or Terms of Service, then it is going to cost you. If the deal sounds too good to be true, then it most certainly is. Real WoW gold does not sell for 5 dollars per 1k gold, it is closer to 100 dollars, the 5 dollar version will most likely get your account banned. Same goes for leveling services, if they only want 25 dollars for 40-60 hours of work, you are being had, those same accounts will sell for at least 300-500 dollars at auction.
In an effort to combat this growing problem Blizzard instituted a spam filter which has drastically reduced the overall number of gold spam messages coming through. Another thing Blizzard implemented to combat the black market was an increase in the mail timer for all gold sent between different accounts.
Even with all Blizzards efforts the black market is not going away. It is a product of the nature of an MMO. MMO’s are about time invested. So when that time investment is something that is tradeable, such as gold, it becomes possible to exchange your real world time rewards (e.g. Money) for game world time rewards. But it does not stop at in game money. Players buy and sell anything from leveling services on characters to complete characters with all greatest gear and literally anything in between.
Topics: PC - Games | 5 Comments »
Tony Hawk’s Style and Gameplay Challenged by Skate
By Lance Yerelian | September 9, 2007
I am not a closet Tony Hawk fan as I have played and beaten every Tony Hawk since the first one, in fact THPS was the game that caused me to buy the original Sony Playstation. The addictive and arcadey gameplay initially hooked me and trying to get every combo, I thought possible kept me coming back. Despite the multitude of THPS games released (They have had a yearly release since their launch in 1999), the core gameplay has been strengthened by additions such as the manual, revert, and new focus moves.
I was very skeptical when I initially downloaded the Skate demo off the XBLM because EA has been throwing around the word “Tony Hawk Killer” and there has also been mixed reviews from the gaming population. From what I had been reading on other blog/mainstream video game sites, the controls and camera are way different, and the gameplay relied on much more realistic maneuvers rather than the 100 trick combos I’ve been busting out in Tony Hawk.
Topics: XBox 360 Games, XBox 360 General | 2 Comments »
[DEAD]BestBuy: Save $10 Off $75 Video Games and Accessories
By Daniel Yerelian | September 8, 2007
I saw this printable coupon this morning and had to throw it up here.
Note:Offer valid 9/6/2007–9/20/2007. In store only.
Happy Shopping!
Topics: PS3 General, Random, XBox 360 General | No Comments »
The Top Ten Signs You Need a Break from Gaming
By L Shepherd | September 6, 2007
Gaming is an isolating activity, and let’s face it- most of the time that’s a good thing. But, there are definitely times when a gamer needs step away from the game and into the light.
10. Nothing seems very challenging anymore outside your games. School will never require you to dance your way to the next level, nor will it be attacked by giant bees. There isn’t much point in going to the mall either, as it is unlikely to be saved by your heroic skills with a sword.
9. You feel like you really do know how to play golf, guitar and basketball. You’re pretty sure that your gaming skills have given you the practice you need to beat Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or any of those other so-called experts. And, you could definitely fight off zombies if you needed to.
8. No one bothers to call you to go out somewhere anymore. The calls eventually got fewer and fewer, but people now understand that to see you they have to come by and play alongside you. Anyone who won’t do this isn’t worth bothering with. This means you, Aunt Sally.
7. You’re pretty sure the last time you saw daylight was a week ago. But, was that a week of time in the game or in that real-life calendar thingy?
6. You rarely see people in real life, but when you do, they remind you of characters in one of your games. You begin to wonder which is real and whether we are all just characters in a video game.
Topics: PS3 General, Random, XBox 360 General | 4 Comments »
« Previous Entries Next Entries »