Preview: De Blob 2

 

In case you are like me, and have never played de Blob before, here’s a crash course.  You control a small, colorful creature who is on a mission to restore color to his home city of Chroma.  The INKT Corporation, led by Comrade Black, is sucking all of the color out of Chroma, leaving it black and white.  In essence, it is your job to return life to the city, and its inhabitants.  The game is highly-revered for its quality platforming experience and impressive utilization of the Wii remote.

Comrade Black returns in the sequel, this time disguised as Papa Blanc, a mysterious priest.  Once again, it is your job to bring color back to Prisma City and prevent INKT Corporation’s interference in the local election.

The new game, de Blob 2, boasts many new features.  Of them, upgrades and an available two-player option are the most interesting.  Throughout the game, you can earn inspiration points which can then be traded in at the Idea Emporium for upgrades such as increased paint capacity and defensive shields.  The cooperative multiplayer option allows the second player to gain control of another rebellion member named Pinky.  Together, you and your friend will be able to overcome difficult challenges.

No pre-order bonuses have been announced by Amazon.com yet, but I’ll keep you posted.  The game was produced by THQ and is branching off from its original console, the Nintendo Wii, releasing for the DS, Xbox 360, and PS3 on February 22, 2011 in North America.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Pre-Order Bonus

I can’t wait for Black Ops to come out.   While not the most devoted Call of Duty fan, I have had my fair share of the game (nearing 4 days of game time) and can say that I love the franchise.  Modern Warfare 2, the last installment, raked in more dough than any other game or form of entertainment, ever.  It got this kind of a reception for good reason too, the multiplayer is amazing.  But I digress, Black Ops is the new coolest thing.

The game, from what I’ve gleaned from game play videos and the commentary of testers, follows much the same formula as MW2, not as fast and frantic as Halo: Reach, just a good old shooter.  Moreover, it’s a Call of Duty game, so it’ll be good regardless.  So here’s the deal:

If you pre-order Black Ops from Amazon.com, you get 200 pre-order bonus points.  What does that mean?  It means you get $20 off your next video game purchase from Amazon.  So jump on it now, Call of Duty: Black Ops arrives on November 9th.

Further Reading

Call of Duty: Black Ops Achievements List

The New Generation of Gaming

E3 2010 was a long time ago.  Well, maybe not that long ago, but the expo is old news.  How about its impact on the gaming industry itself?  Most people like to talk about which console is better than another and which games implement the newest technology.  Rarely, however, do people sit down and think about the big picture, what the new technologies will mean for us in the future.  Seeing as not much was being said on the topic, more specifically, from this viewpoint, I decided to put together a quick summary to use as brain food.

I’ll start off with the PlayStation 3′s Move.  Many of you will say “Wait a minute, this technology isn’t new.  The Wii came out with it ages ago.” and you would be right, mostly right anyway.  I mean, sure, the Wii did have motion controls, but I wouldn’t say they were accurate, nor reliable for that matter.  That didn’t stop the Wii from heading the sales charts, but the controls just weren’t up to snuff.  Now, finally, we get wind of a more accurate, and more reliable, counterpart that could, potentially, unseat the Wii from its casual throne making way for a new motion-control master appealing to the core.  At least, this is what was promised by Sony executives.  I could see it happening, couldn’t you?  Hopefully this update to motion-controls will push the gaming industry towards a philosophy of “quality over great marketing”.  That is how the Wii became so popular, wasn’t it?

Kinect is another one of those motion-control technologies, the only difference being you don’t have to hold a controller.  Although an Xbox junkie at heart, I will admit I was unimpressed with the Kinect lineup revealed at E3.  Still, I think the device could lead to welcome changes in the way people play, and interact, with gaming consoles and other media.  Hopefully, Microsoft’s focus on user experience will inspire other companies/developers to follow suit by making gaming more fun, streamlined, and immersing.

The last of my musings is about the new 3D technology “coming to TVs everywhere” (wasn’t a real quote, that I know of, but it sounds cool).  Sony is integrating the PS3 with 3D technologies that just so happen to be present in their own TVs.  Nintendo also announced the 3DS, a system that allows you to experience games in 3D without the need for goofy glasses.  What do I think of these improvements?  It was only a matter of time before it came to the console, so no big surprise there.  On the other hand, anything that makes games feel more “real” is a winner in my book, as long as I don’t throw up in the process.  It’s a step forward and there is nothing wrong with that.

These new technologies will make gaming more immersing, enriching the experience, and raising the “fun factor”, whatever that is.  I can’t wait to see what developers will use the new technology to create, and I’m sure I won’t be able to wait to get my hands on it once I do.  I love creative developers, and when technology improves, so too does the creative minds of game creators.

Further Reading

• How Nintendo is Moving Forward
• Microsoft and the Next Generation of Gaming

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E3 2010 Highlights: What You May Have Missed

E3 2010 took place last week leaving us drooling over the surprising, and long-awaited, reveals. The unveiling of new motion controls as well as 3d game play has set this years expo above the rest. In case you missed any of this year’s industry-changing announcements, check them out below.

1. Microsoft’s Keynote – At this year’s press conference, Microsoft unveiled their motion-controller Kinect.  Several games will be available for the device at its release this holiday season such as Kinectimals and Your Shape: Evolved.  Other games that were showcased were Fable 3, Gears of War 3, and Halo: Reach.
2. Nintendo Keynote – Nintendo wowed the crowd with a ground-breaking technology, a 3d platform without the need for glasses.  Their 3DS will be able to play games in both 2d and 3d which is creating a buzz in video game developers.  Popular characters return with new Donkey Kong, Kirby, and Zelda titles.
3. Sony Keynote – Sony did what they do best, releasing great games and improving on current technology.  Sony’s staggering game line-up features installments in the PlayStation’s most popular series such as Killzone, Little Big Planet, and Twisted Metal.
4. Ubisoft Press Conference – Ubisoft showed off Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Driver, and Project Dust, what looks like a really cool game (hopefully it will be playable on the Xbox 360).
5. EA Press Conference – At EA’s media briefing, the much-anticipated MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, was featured as well as Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Medal of Honor.

Don’t forget to check out my Rage preview, an upcoming shooter with unbelievable visuals.

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E3 2010 Ubisoft Press Conference

This post is covers a press conference that took place over a month ago.  E3 2010 is over and the gaming world is looking forward to next year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.  You can see the highlights and check out what you may have missed from E3 2010 right here, on BitCrunch.

The Keynote began with a Child of Eden demonstration, by the creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, on the Xbox 360′s Kinect.  Child of Eden uses the motion-control provided by Kinect to provide a colorful and vibrant world of music, shapes, space travel, and classic shooters.

The Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood trailer was shown next, featuring glimpses of several different locations throughout the renaissance era.  The video showed multiple Assassins, including the now legendary Ezio Auditore, teaming up to take down the target, thus the title “Brotherhood”.   Villa Auditore, upgradable in AC2, was shown, besieged by the Templars.  Horses will have a more significant impact on AC3 with the addition of “advanced horse fighting”.  The game will be released on November 16, 2010.

Next up, Shaun White: Skateboard.   The game delivers “opportunities in a new way”.  The objective of the game is to free the once skateboard-friendly town from “the Ministry”.  The title allows you to  shape the environment however you want.  The game looks a lot better than his previous titles, such as Shaun White: Snowboarding.

Six laser-taggers showed off BattleTag.  The game picks up the “kills” and keeps score for both teams, regardless of where you are playing, although I assume you must be within a reasonable distance from the computer/game console.  The game can track up to 8 players at once.  The game will be available later this year.

The next game was Innergy, which is labeled as a wellness game.  The game measures your heart rate, as it guides you through breathing exercises.

Motionsports will also utilize the 360′s Kinect technology, allowing you to play games such as football, soccer, and skiing.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, which was also shown at Microsoft’s keynote, features personal training courses, gym activities, and friend challenges.

A humorous trailer featuring Rabbids announced the coming of Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time exclusively for the Wii console.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’s trailer was shown with four ghosts taking out training ground targets.  Exoskeletons, back-mounteed rocket launchers, and optical camouflage are all examples of equipment found in the game.  The game will support four-player co-op in campaign mode as well as support 3d game play.

Driver was the next title shown during the press conference.  The trailer ended with detective Tanner running head long into the crime lord Jericho.  A new ability called “shift” will allow you to fly around the city, taking control of any vehicle you want.

Project Dust, Spring 2011, will focus on a tribe of people who, over the generations, have lost their power over the elements.  Your job, as chieftain, is to lead that tribe back from the brink of extinction.

Ubisoft also showcased their new set of tools that will allow artists to implement interactivity, creating games and cinematics.

Mania Planet will allow users to switch between FPS, RPG, and racing genres all in the same game.

Also announced, Michael Jackson’s Beat It.

Have any questions or comments concerning the E3 convention, or have another technological inquiry?  Feel free to contact me via the Contact Page.