If you haven’t heard, Little Big Planet is the upcoming phenomenal PS3 system seller scheduled for a September release! I can say that LBP and Spore are my two most anticipated games of 2008! I’m so excited about LBP being released that I’m already trying to think of what levels I plan on making!

I’ve decided that my first venture will have me recreating world 1-1 of the original Super Mario Bros game. I’m not sure if the tools in LBP will allow a close enough translation of the classic map, but I’m definitely going to do my best!

(more…)

I just don’t get it. How could a potentially great game like Motorstorm fail on such a basic, primal level.

How hard is it to add a split screen mode to a video game? How hard is it to realize that split screen in a racing game is not just a good idea, it’s friggin necessary!

(more…)

Honestly, if you hire someone for a technical support position, shouldn’t you make sure they know about the product they’re supposed to be supporting?

I worked as a technical support agent in the past, so I do know it’s a hard job. I appreciate that most of your clients are old techno-phobic half-blind dumb people who would need instructions to plug in a power cord. I appreciate that, but that is not me.

(more…)

Yesterday, my brother re-introduced me to the wonderful world of MUGEN. I’ve seen some youtube MUGEN matchups before and did a little research to find out what it is, but I had never taken the time to actually download and try making my own fighting game.

You see, M.U.G.E.N is a freeware 2D fighting game engine that emulates Capcom’s Street Fighter and allows the creation and integration of customer characters, stages, game modes etc… Ever fancied pitting Peter Griffin against Homer Simpson? Or Spider-man vs Superman? Or Wolverine vs Batman? How about Mario vs Sonic? Ok, with the exception of the last one, no video game has ever allowed you to do the other match-ups before!

(more…)

The previous post ended with a very valid question about the possible end of Media Ownership: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? For that I have no answers, only guesses and weighted assumptions.

As my friend said in the previous post, the end of corporate control over the music world can (mostly) have only good consequences for the customer: better choices, greater control and less filling. However you have to wonder if it would also see the end of the professional artist.

(more…)

Since MP3′s, WinAmp, Napster, iPods and the like, the Music industry has been in trouble. Fewer people are buying Music CDs and more are downloading songs and albums. The Recording Industry sees declining revenues year in and year out. They’re also not the only ones complaining. Both the PC and Console game markets are seeing declines in sales due to pirating. The movie industry is trying to crack down on the number of illegal movie downloads to no avail.

(more…)

I intended my first post to be a touching plea about censorship and free speech but this would have to wait for later, since then something more important has happened: I had to eat!

So I tried to fix myself a nice a nutritious meal (6 hot dogs actually) and found out that I was out of Ketchup. Now I’m French-Canadian and not an American so I don’t put ketchup on everything and anything but hot dogs NEED ketchup.

So I went to the 7-11 (it’s quite late as I write this) and all they had was a ‘classic’ GLASS Heinz Ketchup bottle.

I just finished battling with it and am eating as I write this (keyboard cleanliness is for wusses) and a battle it was, of epic proportions. I had forgotten how frustrating those Glass Ketchup bottles could be. A little drop here and there, then you knock on the bottle and get a big batch covering your hand like if you had just went into a killing rampage in your neighborhood then you have start over for the next hot dog. (not that I ever went into a killing rampage nor that you could prove it)

(more…)

I can’t say that I went into this movie with very high expectations. Quite the contrary, I’m actually very wary of movies with a lot of hype and mystery surrounding them. Still, I did watch Cloverfield with an open mind. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t as disappointed as most.

Even though I did somewhat enjoy the movie I have to admit it had many plot holes, bad decisions, and absurdities. In a whole, it was entertaining, I give it that, but the following points keep it from being good in my eyes. Warning, from this point on the article is pretty much all spoiler:

(more…)

To make the claim that any game is “the Future of Gaming” is a bold move, I admit, but if you’ve played Valve’s Portal than I’m sure you’ll agree that the industry will (or at least should) head in this direction. Sure, Portal hasn’t made any hardware innovations such as rumble support, online play, or motion/touch controls. Sure, it’s not even a new genre as much as a new spin on several pre-existing genres. It’s true that every element, except for the actual portal game mechanic, has existed in games before. But that, my friends, is not why Portal is the Future of Gaming. It is so because it does offer something which we haven’t seen in the video-game industry in a long time … hope.

(more…)

Let’s start by setting the record straight. I’m a Muslim. I’m not a Terrorist nor do I have any criminal record of any kind. I believe that the events of September 11th, 2001 were horrible and I do not support their perpetrators in any which way. I love Canada and plan on living here for the rest of my life if I can help it.

It might also be good to point out that I’m a big fan of the multi-player part of Call of Duty 4. I’ve played it for 50+ hours and have already unlocked all of the challenges and all the weapons (and am now just trying to max-out head-shots for the golden weapons). I’ve played many First Person Shooters and have to admit that Call of Duty 4 offers enough innovation to keep me interested and coming back for more.

(more…)