japan japan japan i loves you

From a japanese soap opera.. most of us agree i think this is what love really is.

Alex

No YOU listen!!!!

Genzoman illustrates the deepest desires of anyone that has played Ocarina of Time, via Go Nintendo.



Alex

monster hunter tri events!!!!!

The great community push continues as Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri community site now offers a constantly updated schedule of upcoming Arena and Event Quests, along with a mention of what rewards each quest nets you. To access it, head over to the link and click on the gem icon.

There’s a nifty calender on the site, too, that you can import into your Outlook, Google or iPhone calender if you want to keep track of quests personally. So, what’s the Siliconera consensus on the game so far?

Alex

Alex loves japan

So, one boy is trying to tell the girl he likes her. The other boy sneaking around in the box interrupts and says, “please, enter my cardboard box.” The girl looks back and says, “cardboard box?” But, the box boy really wants the boy to play Peace Walker with him. Unlike other Metal Gear Solid games, Peace Walker is designed for teens with a CERO B rating in Japan and a T from the ESRB in North America.

I love what I find sometimes.



Alex

Gigantor review... I want one

Somehow I went from discussing reviewing the neat little bean bag chairs Sumo provides to events like the recent Penny Arcade Expo East to having a seven foot by six foot Sumosac Gigantor in my living room.
Sumo sells bean bag chairs, from the relatively small one-person Omni often seen piled throughout the corridors of gaming fan events, to the giant, (at least) two-person polyester fiber-filled Sumosac Gigantor, which must have been a real bitch to ship to my apartment. I know it was a real bitch getting it inside. They've been trying to get us to review their product for years it seems, leading to an inside joke about reviewing one just so we could use the line "It felt like I was standing up."
They approached us again following PAX East, and we caved, but I was worried about my cats. They like to pee now and again, and I was afraid the simple bean bag chair would wind up a sack of cat urine-scented beads. Not a problem, said the Sumo representative. They would send me something with a removable cover, perfect for my cat-pee sprinkled lifestyle.
And so there's an enormous Sumosac Gigantor in my living room. The cats both love and fear it, for reasons that will become apparent, and I can honestly say this: It's nothing like standing up.
Loved
It Eats Your Will To Move: After two six and a half foot tall men tore open the gigantic shipping box and squeezed its contents through the door to my apartment and stuffed the Gigantor inside of its micro suede cover, I fell upon it in exhaustion, and I did not want to get up. The poly-fill inside the sack bunches where you aren't sitting, providing adequate support while still remaining soft and giving you some room to maneuver. It's less like sitting down or curling up on a cushion, and a bit more like being held. It's supremely comfortable, to the point where I've slept in it several times over the past two weeks, both on purpose and accidentally. It's almost too comfortable, as many of my recent gaming sessions have mysteriously transformed into naps.
True To Form: I'm a large man, weighing somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 pounds. That anything I lay on can retain a fair semblance of its original shape is a miracle. As I mentioned above, I've slept for long periods on the Gigantor, and within a half hour of me getting up, it's back to the shape it was in before I burdened it with my presence. Now and then it needs a little fluffing, but there's nothing wrong with a little fluffing.
Very Roomy: The first night the Gigantor spent in my house was spent with me sprawled out on it playing 3D Dot Game Heroes, my girlfriend next to me playing Plants Vs. Zombies on the iPad, and at least one cat. That's without anyone's feet actually touching the ground. Well, except the cat's, but that was by design. In short, it's one roomy sonofabitch. I image three regular-sized, relatively friendly people could curl up at once without much of a problem.
Removable Cover: A week into testing the Gigantor, disaster struck. It turns out the door to the room with the cat box in it was closed accidentally, and one of my little furry friends took it upon himself to pee on the giant cat bed in the living room. This was discovered by wandering into the living room, dropping down onto the sack without looking, and being showered with yellow droplets. This was both good and bad. Bad, because ew, pee. Good, because the cover didn't let the pee through it, resting atop it in a puddle instead of soaking in. So yeah, if you've got cats, aim for a covered bean bag chair, or sell them for parts.
Cat's Away!: The most fun you can have with an oversized bean bag chair like the Gigantor is its ability to launch your feline friends (or small dogs, I suppose) into the air. Wait until your cat is asleep on it, and then fall down hard onto an unoccupied spot. The poly-fill quickly shifts to accommodate you, launching the cat two to three feet in the air, depending on weight. This is the most beautiful thing you will ever see. I wish I had pictures. Maybe this explains the peeing.
Hated
Space, You're Gonna Need It: Most furniture is rectangular. It helps you place it against walls, arrange it strategically, and put coffee tables near it. The Gigantor is seven feet wide, six feet deep, and about three and a half feet tall. Essentially, it's a giant cylinder. It's great for very open corners, or rooms with lots of floor space just asking to be covered with something, but in a cramped apartment, there aren't many places to put it that make sense. Right now I've got mine in front of my entertainment center, having moved my couch off to the side. I guess that works, but it leads me to my second negative point...
Aesthetically Unpleasant: It's a sack filled with foam. It comes in different colors, but a different -colored lump is, for all intents and purposes, still a lump. Unless you've been following a strictly lump-based decorating style, the Gigantor is not likely to fit your home decor. That means you either need to really want a giant sack in your living room, or you have a basement rec-room or dedicated gaming room you feel could benefit by the addition of an extremely comfortable mound.
So no, the Sumosac Gigantor is nothing like standing up. It's an insanely comfortable mass of micro suede and polyester fluff that could easily be the centerpiece of a more expansive game room or, under the right circumstances, act as a love seat substitute in any situation you find yourself needing a love seat. At $399 you're going to want to be damn sure you have a spot large enough for it, and it isn't the prettiest thing you've ever sat on, but it could very well be one of the most satisfying.
And you can't put a price on cat-flinging.
FINE PRINT EXAMPLE: The Sumosac Gigantor is a product of Sumo Lounge International. Retails for $399.99 USD. Smaller, less-expensive sizes are available. A unit was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played both single and multiplayer modes. Tested it in a variety of situations. Yes, it works really well for...that.

 taken from kotaku

Alex 

Holy Crap WTF New Stuff From Edsel???

 

So ya new stuff from meh check it out.  Or don't.  I don't care.  I feel like pizza...

Edsel

FFXIV screen shots

So on kotaku i was just browsing as normal and i saw some new screenshots from my favorite upcomeing game! who else is excited?! go check em out here!

Alex

episode 1

This will be on my wedding cake

Alex

TAAANK!!!

Awesome pure awesome i hope you figure out what it is.

Alex

Awakening

The marauding Blight has scattered, but a new, more sinister evil rises in its wake, and once again the Grey Wardens rise to face a deadly foe in the Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening expansion pack.

Forget your humble or not-so-humble origin. Whether pauper or prince, imported character or newly generated for the expansion, this time you're in charge of the Gray Wardens. You're just in time to face off against a new, strangely intelligent, highly vocal sort of Darkspawn, embarking on a quest that could very well unravel the mystery of the recurring Blight once and for all.

Rather than downloadable content, Awakening is a full expansion pack, so you know you can expect a level-cap increase, interesting places to go, people to see, and monsters to kill. What you might not know, is whether you should spend $40 on fifteen to twenty hours of expanded gameplay. Well, should you?

Loved
The Continuing Saga: There's nothing quite like the feeling of completing a lengthy role-playing game, maxing out your characters, and then getting the chance to revisit them, adding an additional layer of depth and power to your creations. Just as I consider Dragon Age: Origins to be the spiritual successor to BioWare's Baldur's Gate, Awakening can be likened, to a point at least, to the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion for Baldur's Gate. The level cap is increased, you visit new lands, you find more powerful equipment, and in the end you (possibly) save the day, again.

But Awakening actually goes a step beyond that. With new specializations and talents, it feels more like an MMORPG expansion than something you see in a single-player game. Rather than simply making you a more powerful version of what you were before, the additional customization options actively work towards defining your character's role in your party. I wanted to be a sneaky rogue in Dragon Age, but always felt like I was simply a weak fighter in leather armor. With the new Shadow specialization, I am the sneaky rogue I wanted to be.

Injecting A Little More Character: While Awakening did briefly saddle me with my least favorite character from the original game, it made up for it with a new cast of characters that, at times, seem even deeper and better developed than the first group, despite having so much less screen time. Of all the new additions, Anders, a quick-witted mage on the run from the prison-like Tower of Magi, completely stole the show. Not only is he ready with a quip at every turn, he's also incredibly fond of kittens. Keep an eye out for animals of the feline persuasion as you play through the game - that's all I will say. It's so adorable, you'll want to sleep with him. You can't, but you'll want to.

Hated
Identity Crisis: By the end of Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, I was left with an odd, conflicted sort of feeling. Awakening certainly didn't feel like downloadable content; it's too big to fall into that category. It's marketed as an expansion pack, but the amount of work BioWare put into fleshing out the new characters and the new, more intelligent Darkspawn threat goes far beyond what I'd normally expect from a simply expansion pack. It mostly resembles a full-blown sequel, but it stops short, never quite reaching that level. Indeed, it almost seems as if BioWare consciously knew they were putting too much work into Awakening and pulled back at the last minute, leaving me with the gaming equivalent of being on the verge of sneezing but never quite making it there.

I suppose my only complaint with Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, then, is that the development team put effort into the expansion. It seems silly, but the feeling remains. While I enjoyed my time with my new companions, taking on a revived and evolved threat and making decisions with consequences just as world-shaking, if not more so, than in the original game. I just felt that right when I was reaching my stride, the game stopped, as if afraid I might enjoy myself too much.

Still, uneasy feeling or no, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is twenty more hours of Dragon Age: Origins, and if you felt the same way I did about the original release, feeling slightly unfulfilled isn't going to stop you from milking every second of enjoyment out of the expansion that you can, and there's plenty of milk in those udders.

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening was developed by BioWare and published by EA on March 16 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Retails for $39.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through the entire game on PC, then fiddled about with the PlayStation 3 version.

Messageto all

this is amazeing

Happy Friday

Alex

yet another reason why i love japan

Only they could come up with this... its awesome =)

Happy st.patty's day

Alex

Something will happen in 7 days

Maybe you'll eat a turkey sandwich. Perhaps, you'll drink a glass of carrot juice. You may even read watch television. The future is endless. The reveal for this countdown teaser is not.

Japanese game company CyberConnect2 is running a teasing that is teasing something in seven days. The site simply reads "7 days to go".

[In Seven Days, Something Will Happen] CyberConnect2 is best known for its own on Naruto games and on the .hack franchise of games. So the odds are pretty good for a new Naruto game or a new .hack game or the long overdue .hack//naruto lol

Alex

Laura Croft... not tomb raider

Not surprisingly, Square Enix announced today that developer Crystal Dynamics is at work on a new Tomb Raider game. Except, this one isn't called Tomb Raider, the famous words nowhere to be found in the game's title.

Instead, the game is called "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light". Strange to forgo such a recognised brand, but then, it's a downloadable game, not a full retail title. And in the words of Crystal Dynamic's Darrell Gallagher, it's "something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting". Add in the fact the name isn't as relevant as it once was, and maybe dropping the "Tomb Raider" thing isn't the worst idea of the week.

It'll be out later this year, and there's no other information at this stage, with the game due to be shown off for the first time at GDC next week.
taken from Kotaku

Alex

FF1 and 2 on iphone and touch

For those of you chomping at the bit for Final Fantasy XIII, here's a fun little surprise to tide you over: Both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are now available on the iPhone for $9 a pop.

The original Final Fantasy includes the five bonus dungeons, The Soul of Chaos pack and The Labyrinth of Time, added to later editions of the game. While Final Fantasy II contains the five bonus dungeons added with the Soul of Rebirth and Arcane Labyrinth pack.

Both games are also available for the iPod Touch as well.

Guss what I'm gonna be playing on my ipot touch for the next couple of weeks to months to forever.... this is awesome.

Alex

Love Plus Better Than Love?

A few days before last Christmas, a line stretched around a Tokyo bakery. The customers were waiting to buy Christmas cake. But they weren't waiting to buy just any cake.

In Japan, Christmas is akin New Year's in the U.S. — secular and spent with friends. Yes, there are Japanese Christians who celebrate the religious aspects, but the holiday does not carry the connotations of being with family necessarily. It's more of a "party" holiday, one for dates and one to eat cake with your mains squeeze.

The cake was part of a promotion for Konami's Nintendo DS game, Love Plus. The cakes, which were sold at three different bakeries in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, featured the characters from the game. But why were people getting these Love Plus Christmas cakes? There is a proud history (internet history, that is) in Japan in which folks take pictures of Christmas cake in front of a computer screen displaying some sort of dating sim. It is a gag of sorts, but there is a ring of truth to the loneliness. Konami had tapped directly into this subculture with the cakes.

Konami is primarily known for three series: Metal Gear Solid, Bemani and Pro Evolution Soccer. That is starting to change. Love Plus was released in September 2009 and was unlike anything Konami had done before. Sure, Konami had developed dating games — tons of them. But those titles focus on the beginning of the relationship — the wind-up, if you will. Love Plus gives players the pursuit, but then asks this question: You've got the girl, so now what are you going to do?

The game not only takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware, but allows a player to talk, send emails and even "caress" her via the Nintendo DS's mic and touch screen. It's the combination of senses (audio, tactile, oral) that separates Love Plus from Konami's other dating sims. The fact that the game takes place in real time and uses tens of thousands voice expressions and over a hundred cutscenes makes Love Plus seem far more organic than anything to hit the Nintendo DS before it. The game's characters even change the way they speak to the player over the course of the game.

As columnist Tim Rogers pointed out, there was a stink about male players getting "too" in to Love Plus. This certainly could have been a publicity stunt. Konami even polled 500 Japanese men if they wanted to fall in love with a video game character. (Sixty-four percent said "yes"!) Likewise, the one about the guy who "married" a Love Plus character was a publicity stunt or performance art or both.

Love Plus is not alone. There are countless dating sims and PC visual novels that connect with players on emotional levels. Ditto for console titles that run the gamut of role-playing game to action game. Video games can move us. The bells and whistles of the Nintendo DS aside, Love Plus attempts to move player in the same way any video game does: Through an investment of time. By playing a game, you are giving a chunk of time, a chunk of your life to that game. What Love Plus has explicitly done like some many good dating games before it is turned that investment from the game itself and turned it into a character in that game. The appeal of that character for some players becomes undeniable, because when they look at that character, they see experiences, movements that they have spent together.

This week, Konami has announced that it will be releasing another Love Plus game with the temporary title Love Plus+ (Plus). Konami is running a campaign to collect people's names so the Love Plus girls will have a larger vocabulary to draw from. That's all we really want as humans: Someone who remembers our name, someone to eat cake with, someone to spend time with so that we don't feel alone. Love Plus in a small way offers just that.

Konami has plans to localize the game for us here in the west.

Alex

Stargate Resistance Dev Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Stargate Resistance couldn't ride to the rescue soon enough to save Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, which announced yesterday over its forums that it has sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company promises full continued support for the game, which released Feb. 10.


In a statement, FireSky, the Cheyenne Mountain in-house studio behind Stargate Resistance, said the bankruptcy filing was itself controversial within the company "and may be rescinded." It notes however that Chapter 11 provides for the reorganization of a company's debt into a manageable plan; it's not liquidation or the dissolution of a company. "Our entire staff is in-house working on upgrades and expansions for Stargate Resistance, and we continue to be motivated and excited by the response we've received from our customers."

The company's filing seems to be tied to the conduct and dismissal of Gary Whiting, Cheyenne Mountain's now former chairman and CEO. Shareholders have filed a complaint against him in Arizona court, according to a statement on the company's site. Cheyenne Mountain alleges Whiting put Cheyenne Mountain on the hook for a payment to a shell company he controls, and that Whiting's dealings with that company have also exposed Cheyenne Mountain to a lawsuit in Utah. They also say that Whiting and his company bought stock from Cheyenne Mountain and its subsidiaries but failed to honor the purchase terms or make payments.

"It is uncertain at this time what the affect of Mr. Whiting's actions and the pending litigation will have on the Company's operations and financial condition," the statement says.

Alex

Kitase Talks : FFVII Remake?

Final Fantasy XIII releases in less than three weeks, but people still can't stop pining for Final Fantasy VII, released XIII years ago. But Yoshinori Kitase, answering hypothetically, said a remake by modern standards might take XIV years to make.

Speaking to TechDigest, Kitase, the producer of Final Fantasy XIII (and director of VII) said a remake would be attempted if it were feasible to complete in a year. And that's hardly likely. His complete answer:

If it were possible that we had all the right facilities and the right environment to be able to make and prepare a Final Fantasy VII remake within a year, we'd very much like a go at it! But even Final Fantasy XIII has taken over three and a half years to create. If we were to recreate Final Fantasy VII with the same level of graphical detail as you see in Final Fantasy XIII, we'd imagine that that would take as much as three or four times longer than the three and a half years it has taken to put this Final Fantasy together! So it's looking pretty unrealistic! But if any such situation came about by any remote chance, then yes, we'd do it!

Granted, we're extrapolating his offhand calculation that a remake would take 4 times as long to create as an original on a three-and-a-half-year development cycle. The operative concern here seems to be whether Square Enix could pull it off in a year. And no, that doesn't sound likely.

Alex

VR Stuff From Edsel

So holy crap I know I haven't posted in, like, a year, but I've been researching a bunch of new stuff for all of you guys (well that, plus I'm really flippen lazy). Anyhoo, just wanted to give you the updates in the VR world for a bit. So if you read my past posts about the VR technologies coming from some of the greatest minds in science (I think most of them are GT grads...), you'll know that I've looked into mostly game related stuff. This next piece of beauty is, as far as I can tell, not originally designed for games, even though it could easily take them to the next level. I will pray for the developers who need to put up with this crap, though.



These images I have so lovingly shown before you are the new form of Virtual Reality. The completely immersive (maybe I made that word up) technology causes the user's 5 senses to all be reacting to different stimuli to make the user truly feel as though he is in the world that has been creates. Smells, feels, sights, sounds, and (according to all I have read) tastes will all be incorporated into this "Cocoon" of computer generated reality that will give the user a realistic and unique feel. Now, I think I may have posted something on this before, but I still hope that this will help all of you who find this facinating enough to program it. I know I'm just going to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor.

Edsel

P.S. To Anonymous about the question of Neko animes. Alex will soon post about what he finds, though I can't really help you with this. Unfortunately, the only anime I have any interest in in that genre is Black cat, which I'm sure any Neko fan has already seen, but I will keep my eye out and let you know if something comes up. Best of luck and keep on enjoyin, Otkus :).

Well done!

In November, Blizzard released a Pandaren Monk in-game pet for World of Warcraft on the company's online store, with half of the proceeds from the sale pledged to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The $10 item generated $1.1 million for charity.

The Pandaren Monk, an adorable little anthropomorphic panda that follows players around as they explore Azeroth, was one of two in-game pets Blizzard introduced in early November, the first virtual items for World of Warcraft offered in the Blizzard store. Both the Monk and Lil' KT were priced at $10 apiece, but only the panda man there would split his proceeds with the Make-A-Wish Foundation until the end of the year.

Doing a quick bit of math, that means that Blizzard sold 220,000 Pandaren Monks between the release in November and December 31st. That's some impressive numbers right there.

"We've had a long relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and we're proud to support the priceless work they do for children," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This donation also reflects the spirit and generosity of our players – their enthusiasm for World of Warcraft and for supporting a good cause made this possible."

Let's keep in mind that this promotion also generated $1.1 million in sales for Blizzard, who I am certain didn't spend that much creating an in-game pet. Everybody wins!

Blizzard teasing aside, this is a tremendous show of support from World of Warcraft players, adorable in-game pet or no, generating an impressive amount of money in a short period of time for those who need it the most.

"Thanks to Blizzard Entertainment and World of Warcraft players around the world, we will be able to grant the heartfelt wishes of even more courageous children with life-threatening medical conditions," said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. "This generosity is helping us bring hope, strength and joy to children when they – and their families – are facing an unimaginably difficult time in their young lives."

Well done, WoW fans!

Alex

Demon's souls 2????

It's not confirmed, but a Demon's Souls sequel would seem like a no brainer, especially considering the attention the game got.

As web forum NeoGAF points out, a podcast from Japanese gaming news source Dengeki hints that a sequel for a challenging and hard game released last year would be coming out this fall. The game is said to have very "interesting" gameplay systems. Sounds like... Demon's Souls!

This is not official confirmation, however. It is from Dengeki, would could be hinting as information it has under embargo or something.

Word on the street is that Sony signed a first look deal if developer From Software made a sequel. The game is a PS3 exclusive and Sony Computer Entertainment published the title in Japan. Apparently, From Software was relentless in its refusal to bend to Sony's suggestions to change game play, save system and make the title easier. Rumor has it that nobody thought the game was going to be the sleeper hit it eventually became, which is why Atlus, not Sony, distributed the game in North America.

The game was a hit. And if rumors are true, Sony has a first look at the sequel. If there is a sequel and From Software doesn't or isn't able to develop the title, then we'd imagine Sony would farm it out to an in-house developer.

Actually hope that Dengeki Online is not hinting at Demon's Souls 2. Fall 2010? Wouldn't that be rushed?

looking good

I think i may just go pick this up after work today...




Alex

Snowboarding in hapan is over 9,000!!!!(Why i love the japanese)

See this is why i love the Japanese...


Alex

FFXIII on ps2 cost SE a year and a half?

Not only was Final Fantasy XIII originally planned for the PlayStation 2, senior producer Yoshinori Kitase says that switching the title to the PS3 cost Square Enix "a year-and-a-half".

Late last week Kotaku posted pictures of the PS2 version of the game. The game, which was released on the PS3 last December in Japan, was formally announced as a PlayStation 3 title at the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles back in 2006.

"Final Fantasy XIII was originally meant to be a PS2 title, but we had to switch systems due to the arrival of the PS3," says Kitase. "That cost us about one and a half years and was constantly a case of trial and error."

So this is a bad thing, right? Not necessarily.

"However, because we worked so hard at the beginning, we got to a cruising speed much faster then anticipated and therefore could start on the translation and international voice recording process at an early stage of the development," Kitase continues. "It's because of this that we can release both the European as well as the American version barely three months after the Japanese release."

Taken from Kotaku

Alex

NEW HYPE

OK... My Star trek online hype is over... The game is a few days from release and beta is over... So now what? what else can i get hyped over? Well when I was picking up Demon's Souls I was asked if i wanted to pre-order Final Fantasy XIII. So i said what the hell and pre-ordered it. So yesterday on my day off I started looking up trailers. sure I've looked at them before but not in depth. Now I'm Excited and I cant wait.

Video Games | Final Fantasy XIII | International Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Alex

Final Fantasy XIII Music On A Record

Square Enix is selling a selection of songs from Final Fantasy XIII on a vinyl record with the l’cie mark.

W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII has eight songs, four on each side.



Side A
Nautilus
Fang’s Theme
Sunleth Waterscape
Father Keep Fighting


Side B
Pulse de Chocobo
Colorless World
Final Fantasy XIII Battle Theme
Ragnarok – Sans Pipe Organ -

Collectors and DJs that are also Final Fantasy fans can purchase the record from Square Enix’s online store for 2,800 yen ($31). Just for comparison, the complete Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack on CD goes for 3,990 yen ($45).

Kotaku review: demon's Souls(Alex wants this game)

Dare to enter the kingdom of Boletaria and you may regret it, brave warrior. Demon's Souls is a harsh world, perverted by ancient evils and men gone mad at the loss of their souls. But what of your own sanity?

From Software's PlayStation 3 role-playing game sloughs off many of the conventions one typically associates with Japanese RPGs, putting players into a world unlike any other. The real-time action RPG features a heavy focus on hand-to-hand combat, not calculated menu choices. There are no party members to recruit, no love interests to pursue. There are only demon's to slay and souls to collect and a goal—defeat the Old One and free Boletaria from its colorless curse.

Demon's Souls is full of complex challenges and complex concepts, a game with no traditional save point system, no pause option and no coddling of the player who may have become accustomed to simpler, more forgiving fare. it is a hellish place of suffering, where men are routinely crushed by the powerful demonspawn that inhabit it.

So, why, then is Demon's Souls so rewarding, so refreshing and so engrossing? Here's why.

Loved
A New Brand Of Survival Horror: Fear is a constant in Demon's Souls, at least during your first unfamiliar adventure in the kingdom of Boletaria, as death can come to the player at any moment. These frequent deaths—which will become more frequent to the player not mindful of the world around them—are by design. Demon's Souls is meant to be studied, to be carefully considered and for its world to be absorbed. Its inhabitants are meant to be feared, so that the player can learn how to dispatch of them properly. You may die in Demon's Souls dozens, in not a hundred times or more. But you'll become the better player for it, mindful of your fear.

A World In Need Of Mending: Beyond the need for self-preservation, Demon's Souls offers a heavy dose of gloom and doom through its well-realized, beautifully designed lands. From the prisons of the Tower Of Latria, closely guarded by Mind Flayers, to the depths of the Stonefang Tunnel, guarded by fire-spewing beasts, each of Demon's Souls five massive environments offers something new to be awed by, to be afraid of. And each of those five worlds come with their unique inhabitants, their own trappings, new rules for the player to observe and new denizens to dread. The one safe haven for the few unscathed humans, The Nexus, is a gorgeous elaborate structure. But it is soon dwarfed by the massive castles and major demons that the player will face.

Demon's Souls' world is both fantastic and realistic, never patronizing the player. For the most part, the player is free to visit any of its diverse lands in the order of their choosing, letting the player decide how to navigate the world. And thanks to Demon's Souls' fluctuating World and Character Tendency system, which changes Boleteria's populace and environments based on a number of factors, the game world offers plenty to do beyond the first play through. This is a world worth revisiting, death after death after death.

Major Demons: Depending on how you play Demon's Souls, whether your world ventures towards white or black, you'll face over a dozen impressive and diverse bosses. All of them are memorable in some way, from the quiet calm of facing the Old Hero, to the massive scale of tackling the Dragon God, to the shocking tension of facing the Penetrator or Flame Lurker. Or any of Demon's Souls spectacularly designed demons, for that matter. Some can simply be dispatched with hundreds of arrows from a hiding spot, but others will require ample dexterity, a calm demeanor and smart strategy. Some may invoke warm feelings of another PlayStation hallmark, Shadow of the Colossus, due to their impressive magnitude.

Simple Made Complex: Where other role-playing games throw complex upgrade paths and a flood of weapons, armor and items at the player to create the illusion of depth, Demon's Souls offers it genuinely. Strategic trade-offs must be made in your choices of what to equip, how to fight and where to engage your enemy in battle. Demon's Souls offers a simple base upon which to build its system—the ten starting character class templates—then lets the player decide how to progress from there. It's both freeing and rewarding.

Massively Multiplayer Loneliness: Demon's Souls features a rather unique online multiplayer component. Players will see, but not hear or touch, the echo of other Demon's Souls players, each fighting demons in their own instance of the world. Players can also read or leave messages for others, attempting to help strangers (and help themselves) during their adventure. Bloodstains left by fallen comrades in other instances can also be left behind, illustrating how other adventurers died, a warning to first-timers of what awaits them in the next step.

Demon's Souls does have a more traditional multiplayer component to it, letting players summon other warriors to their world as spirits, teaming up to tackle major demons. But other players can also invade your world in Black Phantom form, adding a player versus player gambling element to the experience. There is no voice chat, there is no lobby to join, which may seem like a drawback. But this implementation further entrenches the feeling in Demon's Souls players that the lonely existence of demon slaying is largely theirs alone to do.

The Soul Economy: Demon's Souls soul system adds a fascinating layer of strategy to the game. Souls, which you'll collect from fallen enemies and find scattered about Boletaria's land, serve as currency, experience and materials. You'll need them to upgrade your character and your weapons, resulting in an interesting trade-off. And should you die in one of Demon's Souls worlds, you'll lose your current soul stock—unless you find your own bloodstain—making the decision to soldier on or return to the Nexus for upgrades a constant struggle.

Torchlight: Demon's Souls is dark and it is best played in the dark. And while it might seem odd to highlight the game's lighting, it's expertly crafted. Not so much from a technical sense, but that the player must be mindful of the glowing souls, the deadly exploding Will o' Wisps, the torches, the glowing eyes that populate every dark room. There's much the player can glean from Demon's Souls lights as they cut through the blackness.

After Careful Consideration: This is a hard game. Cruel, punishing, unforgiving, relentless, sadistic... whatever you want to call it, Demon's Souls is a challenge. But you'll learn. You'll adapt. And if you're careful, attentive to the events occurring around you, you'll be fine. That Demon's Souls demands this, making the game feel more like pure horror than the traditional fun one expects of a video game, eventually spellbinding the player, is what makes the game so enjoyable.

Hated
My First Few Hours: This may make me sound like a wimp—and ultimately a crazed Demon's Souls zealot—but you need to know. Demon's Souls was, for me, torture for the first few hours. I didn't "get it." I didn't play games this way. I've played difficult action games, like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry and Otogi, and enjoyed them. But Demon's Souls is different, requiring a unique mindset—and, in my case, some help from the Demon's Souls community. Eventually, pain gave way to pleasure as I learned to appreciate the game's strict rule set, ultimately becoming absorbed by the game. You may hate Demon's Souls from start to finish for its difficulty. But I'd wager you'll come to appreciate it as I did.

Faces, Fonts & Frame Rates: There are a handful of presentation issues holding back Demon's Souls, none of them game breaking, but worth mentioning. Despite Demon's Souls' overall beauty, it has some of the ugliest character faces I've seen. Character creation is a turn off, because most options look as monstrous as the demons themselves. The game's interface also has a few quirks, with no easy way to compare items from vendors with current equipment and an icon system for attributes that has its own unnecessary, confusing language. Finally, there are a few moments where Demon's Souls can't keep up with what's happening on screen. Nothing that impairs gameplay, but not pretty.

When I talk about Demon's Souls with some of my fellow players, I feel that we're in danger of sounding like a part of some cult—or, possibly worse, a group of addicts—as if we've gotten over the hurdle of viewing From Software's brilliant, visionary creation just for its sheer difficulty. And it is difficult. But it is also laden with a smart combat system, in which equipment and weapons matter greatly, for so many reasons. But having pushed past the fog of Demon's Souls, which meant spending well over 50 hours with the game, I'm happy to see it for what it is—one of the best PlayStation 3 games of the year and perhaps one of the smartest console role-playing games ever.

To be clear, however, Demon's Souls is not some orgiastic, blissful experience. It is not the type of game one may want to wind down with, less than "fun" in a normal video game sense. But it is a wholly engrossing, enjoyably solitary experience, if you've got the patience and the bravery to look into the fog and face what's inside.




Ok so I'm seriously thinking about buying this game it looks so good.

Alex

NEW NEW NEW

OK so We here at the gamersanon studios have come up with some new stuff for all of you.

Presenting [Gamersanon*TV]



where you can watch us play games, watch anime, live podcast or the brand new
OMGWTF show.

What about when were not on? watch it any way for commercials made by us as well as episodes of anime or OMGWTF show.

What is the OMGWTF show?
Its Alex's own show where he talks about anything and everything. just whatever he feels like at the time. join us Tuesday and Thursday nights 9PM EST

TONIGHT: I'm doing the first OMGWTF show i know it isnt tuesday or thursday but whatever. Join us!

How can you watch? go to the live feed!

Alex

number 10

Episode 10 is up go to the list of podcast section and go get it!
(pic unrelated)

Alex

Star trek Online beta

OK so I pre-ordered star trek online and I received my beta key. And ive been playing it alot... "It's taken you away from WoW" -Edsel Its amazeing be sure to keep checking here im gonna wright up a full review of my beta experience...Or do a video.. who knows.

Alex

Spiderman 4 hurting warcraft movie?

Spider-Man 4 has fallen apart. Sam Raimi has walked from the film. But what does this mean for Warcraft?

Director Raimi felt as though he could not realistically deliver the film he wanted to make by the studio's due date, causing the director to pull out of the comic book franchise, scrapping the film.

According to website Deadline.com, Raimi told Sony before walking from Spider-Man 4: "I can't make your date. I can't go forward creatively." It seemed that Sony wanted Spider-Man 4 to be shot in 3D, something that no one on the crew was apparently knowledgeable about and something that would have added six months to production.

In the wake of Spider-Man 4 falling apart, Sony has since decided to focus on a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise without star Tobey Maguire. The reboot was apparently planned for when Spider-Man 4 was finished and is believed to be a "gritty, contemporary" take on the Spider-Man story for release in 2012. (Gritty Spider-Man?)

What does this all mean for Raimi's other project, Warcraft? It means that Raimi's schedule has freed up considerably. The original plan was to begin work on the Warcraft film, which is based on Blizzard's popular online gaming franchise, as soon as Spider-Man 4 wrapped.

Raimi has two projects lined up: historical novel The Given Day, from Mystic River author Dennis Lehane, and the film adaptation of Blizzard's Warcraft. Which one he moves forward on first is up to Raimi, but, like Spider-Man, Warcraft is a huge property with a massive following. If the filmmaker is feeling like he is itching to tackle a big project, then he'll most likely move forward on the Warcraft film. But if he is feeling stymied by the prospect of doing a huge effect-heavy film, then he'll probably do The Given Day.

Last fall, the director said this about World of Warcraft: "You could make a brilliant World of Warcraft movie - as fine as any of the best superhero movies - if you had the right writers and directors."

Saving Private Ryan and The Patroit screenwriter Robert Rodat has signed on to scribe the Warcraft film.

taken from kotaku

Alex

live!

Ok so we in the past have done a live broadcast... Well its back join us this week for anime week with alex... trust me its fun

Alex

ALPHA!!! wOOt!

We have a few World of Warcraft fans in the office, and to say that we're excited about the game's upcoming third expansion, Cataclysm, is kind of an understatement. Thus our frothing jealousy at the news this weekend that Cataclysm will be entering a "Friends and Family" alpha beginning this week.

WOW.com reports from a number of insider tips that beginning Tuesday, those close enough to Blizzard to receive an invite to the alpha will be able to check out the new content. Of course, alpha means that the expansion is still in an early, unfinalized form, but this does suggest that Blizzard is well on track for releasing the expansion this year.

So, uh...any Blizzard employees in the audience? We're friends, right? Right?

Taken from game informer

Alex

Mana Bar

Going Down Under anytime soon? If you find yourself in Australia with a parched tongue this February, keep your eyes open for the country’s first dedicated video game bar, Mana Bar.

At Mana Bar you can put your feet up, grab a controller with one hand, and a martini with the other. Save your arcade quarter stash for more cocktails, because the joint offers all the gaming you can handle free of charge. Trivia, tournaments, launch events, and other gaming-related things will keep gaming lushes occupied while ordering another round.

Up to 50 patrons can occupy the establishment before the Mana Bar is maxed out. No word has been released regarding whether Mana Bar’s maximum capacity will increase when it levels up.

You can thank Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation and three other Aussies for the bar’s creation. Any Australian gamers out there excited at the prospect of tap beer and video games?

Taken from Gameinformer

OK so the country that bans so many games and has such a problem with the video game industry has this? wtf? how does that make sense that needs to be in the good ole
US of A

Alex

let it snow

Well seeing that its been snowing alot i found this on the playstation blog. thought i'd share. Anyone else see any snow? send us pics of it!

Alex

copys?

D3 Publisher’s hostess dating sim Dream C Club is without a doubt inspired by the success of The Idolm@ster, but the link between the two titles may be even deeper. Let’s take a look at character art from both games.



Hachimaki points out idols Makoto, Ami, and Chihaya appear remarkably similar to Nao, Setsu, and Reika from Dream C Club. The Dream C Club staff vehemently deny the speculation in an interview with Gamespot Japan.



What do you think? Did D3 Publisher borrow Namco Bandai’s idol archetypes or is this a coincidence? Either way, Namco Bandai wins since they own D3 Publishe

Alex

Darksiders in Hollywood

Joe Madureira, creative director on Vigil's freshly-released Darksiders, has revealed that already talks are underway to shift the franchise into things like movies and comic books.

"We've gotten some interest from Hollywood, we've talked about doing a comic series," Madureira told VG247. "We" being publishers THQ, of course, not Vigil. "At least a couple of those things have to happen, I'm sure". Seeing as he only listed a couple of things, maybe they're both a go!

For those who haven't played the game, Darksiders is the story of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, War, who has to clear his name by finding, then killing, everyone and everything responsible for triggering the end of the world.

Seeing as Madureira made his name in the business, you'd expect to at least see a comic series starring the bulky horseman and his fire-breathing horse.

Hollywood interested in Darksiders, confirms Madureira [VG247]

Taken from kotaku

Alex

Cant wait

Ok so when i get off work im gonna go pick up my Bayonetta. Who else has it? Someone give me a early impression of the game.

Alex

one more day

One more day folks who pre-ordered it? I DID!

Alex

Proof of my hate

Ok now on one of our recent podcasts We talked about my hate for twilight... Well i believe this explains it perfectly Happy weekend everyone.

Alex

Episode 9 "Riddle Me This"

Well its recorded and up go check it out we talk about what we liked in the gaming world in 2009 and what we look forward to in 2010! we read e-mails and edsel riddles us with brain teasers. JOIN US!

Alex