See the clip after the break.
Today's more-than-tech-demo-video: Wii Music
See the clip after the break.
Continue reading Today's more-than-tech-demo-video: Wii Music
Massage Me turns (legitimate) massages into gameplay
By mapping game controllers onto soft wearable fabrics, Hannah Perner-Wilson and Mika Satomi invented Massage Me, a special device that allows gamers to give fantastic (legitimate) massages while playing their favorite video games. The website gives detailed instructions on how to build your own devices, but for those more curious than intrepid, the site also features photos and video of the product in action.
See Massage Me in action after the break.
[Via Next-Gen]
Continue reading Massage Me turns (legitimate) massages into gameplay
Today's ads-used-to-be-this-good video: Iron Sword
The video is watermarked with "Gaming-Age.com," but we could only find an article there that references an equally great print ad for the game. So we send Gaming Age a nod, too.
See the ad after the break.
Continue reading Today's ads-used-to-be-this-good video: Iron Sword
It's pronounced 'OOV-UH-BUHL' says 'EWW-BOHL'
MTV's Multiplayer blog continues its helpful pronunciation guide, this week shifting from Nintendo's Reggie "FEEH-SUH-MAY" to notorious something-resembling-filmmaker, Uwe Boll. The German director notes that if you're going to bash his next anti-masterpiece (and let's face it, you almost certainly will), at least have the decency to get his name right. It's not "YEW-EE" or "EEE-VEE," it's "OOV-UH."
"OOV-UH-BUHL."
All that's left is to apply this knowledge to everyday conversation:
- "I can't wait to see OOV-UH-BUHL's interpretation of Far Cry's thought-provoking plot!"
- "I left a message on OOV-UH-BUHL's answering machine. I do hope it's spelled correctly."
- "Wow, I was simply BUHLED OOV-UH by how bad that movie was."
Soldier of Fortune: Payback thinks it's okay to play with dolls
Ragdolls, that is. Brought to you by the creepy kids who tore the arms off their action figures, Soldier of Fortune: Payback declares war on subtlety, good taste and the important bits that keep your limbs connected to the rest of your body. The brief video above is demonstration enough of the game's absurd level of violence, don't you think? Its composition of gory decomposition should give the ESRB a grand old time and players a hearty chuckle -- proof that over-the-top, Verhoeven-esque violence is still funny... or that years of desensitization have turned us into heartless murder machines. We just don't know, Jack.
What we do know is that if Soldier of Fortune: Payback is anything like its predecessors, utterly generic gameplay won't stop it from surfing a bloody torso all the way into the spotlight. (Like it just did when we posted this video!)
Today's future-of-advertising-video: Yaris game
Things we learned:
- The 4-Door Sedan Yaris comes in such focus-group-approved colors as "Jade Sea Metallic," and "Flint Mica."
- Northbound on 101 goes straight up (and straight down) as often as it goes north.
- The Yaris is powered by the constant desire to catch a cat toy mounted on its roof. Sadly, the toy is always just out of reach.
Continue reading Today's future-of-advertising-video: Yaris game
World's oldest Halo 3 player found
Sure, her gaming skillz look a bit weak, but we've seen younger players do just as poorly the first few times they played. We wonder if she's gaming online at all, because she dishes out some smack talk to the TV at one point ... at least, we assume it's smack. Plus she might want to sit a bit further back or else she'll need glasses. Oh, wait.
If you've got an older Halo 3 gamer in your life, let us know about it. Better yet, drop some suggestions in the comments for what this player's gamertag should be.
Insomniac 'flattered' by Mario Galaxy concept
"It would be amazing to think that [Mario creator Shigeru] Miyamoto-san thought that was so cool that he wanted to incorporate it into Mario Galaxy. Granted, he's doing it in a different way, but it's still a spherical world, so it's flattering to see those sorts of things," he said.
We're not convinced, however, that it was hours of Ratchet & Clank that inspired Miyamoto's Mario ideas (though now that we think about it, that Mario Sunshine water pack is awfully suspicious ...). We wonder if the levels aren't an idea culled from strenuous play sessions with Tetrisphere. We've embedded videos of all three below as evidence to present; any other games with spherical worlds you can think of?
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is due out October 30.
Continue reading Insomniac 'flattered' by Mario Galaxy concept
Today's resold meme video: WoW Toyota commercial
Toyota may be a follower to showing how it can save the World ... of Warcraft, but this spot hits several in-jokes in a short amount of time. See the ad after the break.
[Thanks, Mal F4cti0n and raffleski]
Continue reading Today's resold meme video: WoW Toyota commercial
Today's shredingest video: Guitar Hero III victor
Yes, weeks before you adoring, fake guitar fans get a chance to play, the hardest song has been bested by a player on his fourth attempt. The video of the event is mediocre, and the moment of triumph is anticlimactic. ("Go balloons, go balloons, we need more balloons. ...") But we were still floored watching this face-melting song --and player -- in action.
Be amazed by the clip after the break.
Continue reading Today's shredingest video: Guitar Hero III victor
Halo 2's Zanzibar map done completely in Lego
It seems like if you want some guaranteed internet traffic these days, all you have to do is slap Halo tags all over the place. In fact, it's probably standard practice by now for sites offering things like FREE VIAGRA and GET RICH NOW NOW NOW to put Halo in the metatags. Darned 'Halo' branded little blue pills.
However, if you actually go out and create something all your own as a fanatical tribute to the Halo universe, then you have our respect. When it involves recreating the Zanzibar map from Halo 2 completely to scale in Lego, then you have our allegiance. In fact, we'd love to have something like this gracing the front window of the 'Stiq offices. If you've ever read Douglas Coupland's Microserfs, then hopefully you get the reference. If you haven't read it, then you probably just think we're dorks.
Anyhow, check out the video of this incredible Lego creation, and then go raid your old toy closet and pull out the bricks. Time to get crackin' on your own Lego version of Lockout. Ping us when you're done.
Too Human video developer diary coming to Xbox Live
Despite their qualms with Unreal Engine 3 licensor Epic Games, the title looks good (though, in the era of BioShock and Mass Effect, nothing breath-taking). However, the footage we saw does seem a bit slow, hinting that the game might not yet be optimized for higher framerates. The concept art is interesting, as is their approach to Norse mythology.
Although we like hearing about their approach, we'd love more to see what specific aspects of the mythology were incorporated and why. Unfortunately, that'd likely spoil the entire first game, so don't expect that video to surface until much, much later, when Too Human finally manages to come out.
According to a press release sent to us by Microsoft PR, the video is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, although we couldn't find it. In the interim, we've embedded the video above.
Super Halo Brothers traverse World 1-1
However, the use of proper camera angles and the Mario sound effects lend itself to a thoughtful parody of the retro sidescroller. Of course, we're thinking the guy playing the protagonist plumber did not have as much fun during the making of this film.
[Via X3F]
Today's trickiest warthog jump video: Halo: The Three Towers: Revisited
How do you warthog jump, exactly? It's simple, all you need is a few dozen grenades and a good grasp of trajectories. After the break, 30 minutes of truly clever jeep-launching excitement -- seriously, we don't want to imagine how much time was wasted in the making of this film.
Continue reading Today's trickiest warthog jump video: Halo: The Three Towers: Revisited
E for All those with empty, unfulfilled lives
Are you a complete and utter failure? Do you find yourself staring into the distance, sighing into the echoing caverns of your life? Is your sad existence often accompanied by music from an equally sad piano? Are you just about ready to type "quit" into the command prompt of life? If you answered positively to any of the above questions, you're much better off than the people in this video. They're likely too ensnared by regret and ineptitude to even muster any sort of response.
These men, women and curly-haired nerds will be off attending the E for All Expo from Oct. 18 to Oct. 21, where they'll "power up and play" and experience the "cutting edge of the video gaming world" -- provided they don't use it to cut their wrists. Judging by the exciting games montage, they can look forward to playing World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero and some racing game that's probably been out for months. As if that wasn't enough, the show's exhibitor list also promises encounters with the 5-Hour Energy booth and (OMG) Fatal1ty!
See you there!