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Roundtable Discussion: Pushing the Envelope on Sex and Nudity

Relatively recently Grand Theft Auto news made waves by showing a full frontal male nudity scene. Now, this is hardly the first time a human being, male or female, has been shown nekkid in a game. You can at least go back as far as the reprehensible Custer's Revenge for the Atari to find a digital representation of male genitals. The question is, do we really need this sort of thing in a video game?

Posted Mar 20 2009, 04:30 PM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: sex, amber ahlborn, cole stryker, joe keiser, roundtable discussion, nudity

How to Cook like a Tauren

"Tired of your character getting all the great food?" So begins the sales pitch for one of the interent's quirkier e-books. Some internet hero has developed a cookbook based on the fictional delicacies found within World of Warcraft's Tauren territories. Dee-lish.

You've fought like a Tauren and died like a Tauren (and probably taken more than a few with you,) so why not eat like a Tauren? In real life. Why should you only be able to eat Poached Sunsdcale Salmon in-game? You've seen Delicious Cave Mold dropping here and there, but what's it really like?

Mmm. Cave mold.

Posted Mar 13 2009, 11:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: world of warcraft, cole stryker, mmorpgs, cooking, tauren chef, food

Dr. Mario Supports Universal Healthcare

McSweeney's Internet Tendency has been a great source of game-related satire, with pieces like:

Things a Lieutenant Would Say to His Men Before Combat If, Instead of Soldiers in a Central American Revolutionary Conflict, He Thought They Were Characters in Contra for Nintendo.
Expert Help for your Fantasy Baseball Franchise (with an all-Nintendo cast of characters).
Halo 3 Cheat Codes, as Explained by Neglected Girlfriend, Janet Iverson
Pick-up Lines Used by Mario

Here comes the latest spoof, wherein Dr. Mario Weighs in on Universal Healthcare.

Posted Mar 12 2009, 10:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: comedy, cole stryker, health, dr. mario, mcsweeney's

New Mobile App Turns Life into a Video Game

The Observer reports that couple of technorati dudes from New York are beginning to market Foursquare, a mobile application that rewards users for going out and having a social life.

With Foursquare, users can download a mobile application that will let their friends know exactly where they are (by text message, Twitter and on maps, too!), and also find fun, new things to do in spots in their immediate location--"like, try this specific beer at Spitzer's Corner," Mr. Selvadurai explained. Users can create their own tips and track all the cool things they've done (in a "Top 12") and the things they want to do (in a "To Do" list).

OK, so it's kind of like yelp.com, which allows folks to rate and recommend restaurants, museums, parks, and other hotspots to each other. And there's also a bit of Twitter thrown in for good measure. But it's much more than that.

Posted Mar 11 2009, 01:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, observer, mobile games, foursquare, dodgeball, twitter, yelp

Watch The Last Express Like a Cartoon

The cult-classic rotoscoped The Last Express has been uploaded to Vimeo, and now you can watch all the cutscenes in the form of several video clips, the collection of which runs about 75 minutes.

The Last Express was one of the most expensive games of its day. It's a classic murder mystery set in the golden age of rail travel on the inimitable Orient Express. With 44,000 hand-drawn frames of animation, and countless hours required to play out each scene with real actors, it is worth watching a few clips just to see what kind of effort was poured into this game. Tragically, The Last Express is one of gaming history's greatest flops. Due to corporate restructuring, the developer's marketing department was unable to promote the game, and it was only on retail shelves for a few weeks. Sadly, the was out of print within a year.

Here's Part 1:

Posted Mar 10 2009, 10:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: kotaku, adventure games, cole stryker, cartoons, the last express, vimeo

Gaming for Therapy: A Rabbi Plays Call of Duty

Oy vey. A freelance rabbi (whatever that means) plays Call of Duty: World at War, and it helps him to face the horrors of World War II era persecution of the Jews. That's the schpiel that Micah Kelber is spinning:

The surprising benefit of the game was that throughout my entire life, since sneaking into the synagogue library with David Yagobian and paging through a book of Nazi medical experiments, I have had nightmares about Nazis. Jewish summer camp didn’t help. In games like “Call of Duty,” you get unlimited lives; you keep playing the game until you are victorious. It’s a safe place. When your character dies, you may have to go back to a checkpoint, but this is simply inconvenient, never tragic or final. You will always have another chance to kill your demons.

So, playing Call of Duty helped Micah face his fears.

Posted Mar 09 2009, 11:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: doom, cole stryker, call of duty world at war, nazi's

Sauerkraut is My New Favorite Games Video Journo

He's tastier than Yahtzee, goes down smoother than the Mega 64 guys: He's Kraut! And he's the newest, most Teutonic video game pundit. Marvel as a bowl of sauerkraut takes us on a tour through video game history. Tetris, Prince of Persia, Scorched Earth, Breakout and Pacman. It's simple, it's sublime, it made me choke on my breakfast.

Video after the jump:

Posted Mar 09 2009, 10:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: yahtzee, prince of persia, mega 64, cole stryker, wtf, breakout, pacman, scorched earth, sauerkraut

Roundtable Discussion: Genre Design Evolution

Roundtable Discussion takes the intrepid 61FPS blogging team and pits it against itself in the search for deeper truth. The moderator for today is Derrick Sanskrit.

Hey kids, I think it's time for another roundtable chat. I've actually been wanting to ask this of you guys for a few weeks now, because I've noticed that lately I've been playing a lot of games I never would have even considered playing as a kid. Am I alone in this or are we all doing it?

What sorts of games are you playing now that you didn't play during what I assume was the glorious childhood heyday of gaming we all experienced? What sorts of games did you play then that you don't now? Have our tastes changed or have we merely opened/closed ourselves to certain experiences? What is fundamentally different about how these games are made now and how has overall design changed over time, affecting us as game consumers?

I know that's a bit of a loaded series of questions, so I'll kick things off.

I pretty much never played racing games as a kid. As a lifelong urban New Yorker, I never romanticized the concept of driving a car and have veered away from it for as long as I've been able. My college roommates pressured me into playing Gran Turismo, but it was Need For Speed Underground that made me a convert.

Posted Mar 09 2009, 09:00 AM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: derrick sanskrit, need for speed, shmup, cole stryker, bioware, burnout paradise, joe keiser, guilty gear, roundtable discussion, design, genre

Final Fantasy VII and How Nostalgia Colors Opinions

A few days ago I rhapsodized about A Boy and His Blob, only to have Bob Mackey provide me with a reality check. The game had its flaws. He's right! This morning I read IGN's roundtable discussion on Final Fantasy VII, which set out to determine if the game is overrated.

I don't think FFVII could have possibly come at a better time in order to enjoy canonical status today. A huge portion of today's video game journalists were probably ten to fifteen when the game was released. I vividly remember seeing the game's trailers aired during ABC's TGIFriday. Even my parents were impressed.

Posted Mar 09 2009, 08:00 AM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: a boy and his blob, cole stryker, final fantast vii, nostalgia, bob mackey, squaresoft

Drugs Will Make You Less Effective in Online Gaming

Remember when anti-drug organizations would persuade young people to stay away from pot because it would make them video game-playing losers? Well, times have changed and Above the Influence is now targeting those losers, claiming that they'll be losers among losers if they smoke pot.

Posted Mar 06 2009, 07:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: 1up, penny arcade, cole stryker, drugs, above the influence

Trailer Review: Flock

Capcom has a new game up for preorder. It's called Flock, it looks like it lies somewhere between Pikmin and Lemmings, and it's due to release in early April.

Like Lemmings, it's about moving sheep from one end of the landscape to another, only this time with a UFO avatar. With light puzzle elements and a pastoral setting, this game looks like a great little casual game. It's only a $15 download, too. Apparently it also had a "sophisticated physics engine." Who knew? I wonder why this isn't being developed for mobile devices. It seems perfect for a grab and go-type gaming experience.

Video after the jump:

Posted Mar 06 2009, 05:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: capcom, pikmin, cole stryker, lemmings, flock

Facepalm: Video Game Violence

I thought we had moved past this particular breed of yellow journalism, with most mainstream news sources covering video games or launching blogs. Even USA today has a new games blog. So I was disappointed to see a large Canadian newspaper publish an article about video game violence. I don't even know where to begin!

Some kids get hooked on Guitar Hero, but the vast majority of gamers today spend more money - and time - on shockingly graphic search-and-destroy video games. Turning every violent teen male fantasy into reality, these games have a simple primal theme: kill, and kill again. And then keep killing.

Not even close to being true. Just ask Nintendo, Pop Cap, Maxis, or the dozens of casual gaming developers that have hit it big selling nonviolent games.

Posted Mar 06 2009, 12:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: violence, cole stryker, journalism, parenting, stupid kids, maxis, canada, pop cap games, nintendodo

Watcha Playing?: Spelunky

Eegra's Patrick Alexander, in a rant that I've already covered, mentioned that he really likes Spelunky a freeware adventure game that plays like a slightly and gratefully more robust La Mulana.

You play a whip-wielding adventurer in search of gold who has to avoid creepy crawlies and avoid Indiana Jones-esque deathtraps. Perhaps most interestingly, the game uses randomly generated level design, while somehow managing to retain challenge and fun. This is a common element of roguelike design, but not one that is often seen in platform games, considering how crucial level design is. But here, it works, and it makes it very replayable.

Posted Mar 05 2009, 08:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, indie dev moment, freeware, spelunky, derek yu, procedurally generated content, roguelike, la mulana

I Hate the Video Game Industry

I suppose I've developed a reputation for being something of a curmudgeon. Most of my posts here are accusatory and caustic, and I spend more time writing about things I don't like than things I do. That's why I consider Patrick Alexander over at Eegra to be a kindred spirit.

Like Patrick, I play precious few video games. I guess that would seem odd to readers, considering that game journalists are supposed to be experts. There might be one or two games released each year that capture my heart. Desktop Tower Defense was the last game that really brought me to my knees, and that was released years ago.

Furthermore, I can't relate to those who really get off on game industry stuff. News! Previews! Screenshots and Trailers! All the marketing and wooing and it's all so much fluff and grandstanding. If I were to quit writing about games, I would only follow a few websites that focus more on game theory and serious criticism. I don't care if Capcom employees are bisexual. I don't care if the Xbox is being released in a special color. I don't care about cosplay or Olivia Munn or Jonathan Coultan or Jack Thompson. And if I see one more gaming-related cake...

Posted Mar 05 2009, 10:30 AM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: patrick alexander, eegra, cole stryker, journalism, industry

JRPG Stories: Awful

I have to watch my step around these parts, as I am surrounded by JRPG devotees. That won't stop me from making fun of them occasionally, or praising my fellow journalists when they do so. Paul Ryan at Games Radar has crafted a list of JRPG tropes out of which even superfans should get a chuckle.

Posted Mar 04 2009, 02:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: cole stryker, jrpg, cliches, games radar, paul ryan

A Boy and His Blob Wiimake?

Imminent Nostalgia Overload Warning!

A Boy and His Blob is being remade for the Wii, published by Way Forward Technologies, according to Wikipedia. Those jerks at Nintendo Power only offer a super pixellated set of screenshots, but it's enough to make my heart soar.

Your gelatinous sidekick, Blobert, can morph into different useful items when you feed him jelly beans. What's not to like? For all you youngins (and I mean that like the guys on HBO's The Wire say it, not like a redneck mother) who haven't played the original, here's a video to fill you in on what you've missed:

Posted Mar 03 2009, 06:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: a boy and his blob, cole stryker, nintendo power, nostalgia, way forward technologies

Trailer Review: Watchmen: The End is Nigh

"I think Watchman is a pretty cool guy. Eh cashes in on decades of nostalgia and doesn't afraid of anything."

Alan Moore is someone for whom I have long had a deep admiration. In my mind's Artistic Integrity Roundtable, he holds court right between Steve Albini and the Coen Brothers. Moore has always distanced himself from film adaptations of his work. The filming of From Hell, V for Vendetta, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen left him wanting nothing to do with Hollywood, so I'm guessing the same goes for the upcoming film and video game adaptations of Watchmen. Here we have a couple of new "vignettes" released today. They look terribly mediocre, but I won't let that stop my from enjoying the original comic.

What bugs me the most about this portrayal of the characters is that they were never big, dumb brutes.The reason why the comic was so revolutionary is that it was one of the first to reveal the underlying humanness inside every super hero. These trailers do little to convince me that the game will communicate that sentiment as well. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the franchise had been treated with the moral ambiguity of Bioshock, for example?

Oh well. Biff bang pow.

Videos after the jump:

Posted Mar 03 2009, 04:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: trailer review, cole stryker, brawlers, beat-em-ups, watchmen

GameSetWatch Lampoons IGN Writing

GameSetWatch's Alex Litel (always a good read) has crafted an excellent parody of IGN's editorial style. He's posted a fake review of Citizen Kane: The Videogame, a hilarious sendup of this rather stupid editorial. I'll paste my favorite paragraphs:

But it turns out the marketing by anti-marketing, was for the best. Gaming grammar may not quite be the same after the cognizant, cogent gameplay of this game. This game has a little of everything, like Grand Theft Auto IV, but on steroids and far more incredible. The game creates a nonpareil kinetic bond, whether you like or not.
Quite literally but also metaphorically, Citizen Kane: The Video Game is the Citizen Kane of video games—a marvelously applaudable feat that gallantly contorts with the poise and consistence of a second-year community college dance appreciation professor as she stoutheartedly gallops on the morbidly determined divinity to provide a blitzkrieg of introspection into the most tepid slice of Americana.

Bahaha. Yes.

Posted Mar 02 2009, 05:30 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, ign, gamesetwatch, alex litel

Hasbro spent 81 Million on Virtual Reality in the Mid-90s and other Fun Facts

So says the linkedin.com profile of one Steve Tice.

That's just one juicy tidbit that I've learned from following a certain shadowy figure who runs a blog called Superannuation, dedicated to digging up factoids about the video game industry by scouring trademark databases and linkedin, a career-oriented social networking site. The blogger posts a lot of interesting info. He (or she) is always the first to know when Sony's registered a weird trademark or when a chatty careerist divulges secret info on a linkedin page.

Posted Mar 02 2009, 04:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, rumor, hasbro, tipster, superannuation

Ren and stimpy SFIV Controller?

Back. The. Truck. Up.

Posted Mar 02 2009, 03:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: neogaf, cole stryker, street figher iv, ren and stimpy

Relaxing Games

Yesterday I came across an article on Slate regaling thatgamecompany's Flower, calling it "the only video game I've ever played that made me feel relaxed, peaceful, and happy."

Several years ago my college buddies and I would unwind after classes with a few F-Zero GX races. There was something about the game's blinding speed that encouraged this state of zen, during which the day's stresses would melt off of our bodies.

Posted Feb 27 2009, 12:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 5 comment(s)

Filed under: cole stryker, relaxing, ikaruga, team fortress 2, flower, ssx 3, f-zero gx

Super Secret Castle Discovered in Shadow of the Colossus

The folks at Team ICO Gamers (whatever that is) have used an emulator in order to discover a structure in Shadow of the Colossus that didn't make it into the final game.

For years Shadow of the Colossus players have wondered what lies in the Eastern section of the map. Many suggested that this part of the map was host to the lands shown in the intro scenes of the game. What no one imagined was that it was home to something more mysterious.

Video after the jump:

Posted Feb 26 2009, 01:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: shadow of the colossus, ico, cole stryker, easter egg, gamesetwatch

Follow Up: Destructoid Reposts Crappy Review

Yesterday I lambasted Destructoid's Jim Sterling for a lazy review of Halo Wars. I won't pretend that I'm the one who inspired the change of heart, but Sterling has chosen to play through the game to completion and spend some time on multiplayer. I'm not sure how he managed to do this in one day, and amend the review, but I'll take his word for it. Destructoid has updated the review accordingly.

Posted Feb 25 2009, 05:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, reviews, ron workman, destructoid, halo wars, jim sterling

Rock Band in Your Library

A video featuring Nebraska librarians setting up and playing Rock Band with a projector in an auxilliary room of some kind has local taxpayers outraged. OUTRAGED.

Posted Feb 25 2009, 02:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: rock band, cole stryker, free markets, libertarianism, libraries

Ron Workman Calls Out Destructoid for Sloppy Journalism

A few weeks ago I mistakenly associated Ron Workman with Destructoid, an error that probably made him throw up a little bit in his mouth. He left the site a while ago due to ethical concerns. I never paid much attention to Destructoid because their site is so crammed with user generated nonsense that I've never felt motivated to try to make sense of any of it.

Anyway, I've since developed a minor crush on the guy, being that he shares my inability to stomach amateur journalism from soul-crushingly profitable mainstream sites. Yesterday he took Destructoid's Jim Sterling to task for an unforgivably terrible review (Please don't watch the video, it's a terrible Zero Punctuation rip, complete with overwrought metaphor and overused vulgarity). Sterling gives the game a safe 7.0. Problem is, he never really played the game.

Posted Feb 24 2009, 06:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 25 comment(s)

Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, drama, ron workman, destructoid

This is the Reason Why Gamers Aren't Taken Seriously

Did this image excite you? Well you're the reason why gamers lack cultural legitimacy.

Just joking. There are many more reasons why gamers are looked down on, but our fetishization of collectables, skins, and assorted promotional hardware is one thing that sets us apart. Who cares about the color of a console?

Posted Feb 24 2009, 04:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: xbox 360, cole stryker, culture, collections

Tom Chick Gets His Panties in a Bunch over The Lost and the Damned

So, Tom Chick, of Fidgit and others, won't be playing Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and the Damned.

The reason I won't be playing Lost and Damned is because after a couple of hours with these characters, I have no desire to spend another moment with them. These are unlikable thugs doing reprehensible things. Bikers, who are traditionally the bad guys, are presented with all the usual stereotypes that make them bad guys. They're brutal, vulgar, and cowardly. I can't tell one from the other. The one who I think is supposed to be me is as typical a bald space marine as you'll ever see.

What I don't get is that this seems to be par for the course with GTA.

Posted Feb 24 2009, 02:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: cole stryker, journalism, grand theft auto, the lost and the damned, tom chick, fidgit

Geo Eye makes Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 'Pop'

Check out this trailer from Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (Cripe I hate typing that out).

Posted Feb 23 2009, 06:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: cole stryker, h.a.w.x., flight simulator, tom clancy, geo eye

Brawler Theory

We've come a long way since TMNT II, folks. You might not think that brawlers are the most cerebral of genres, but there's a surprising amount of theory that goes into the creation of games that allow players to do little more than smack NPC's around.

Gamasutra has posted an interview with Creative Director Tom Smith from THQ, who discusses different beat-em-ups, and how they managed to occupy specific niches within the genre.

Posted Feb 23 2009, 05:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with no comments

Filed under: cole stryker, god of war, heavenly sword, brawlers, beat-em-ups, mark of kri, genji

Spring Cleaning: Selling Your Old Games

Some of us hoard all of our games. Others sell their games off as soon as they beat them so they can afford new ones. Others save up their Gamecube games until they have a financial crisis and need some quick money. Like me.

I don't feel bad about selling these games because I know that Nintendo will almost definitely one day make them available to me via download for a paltry sum. Failing that, there's always emulation. Purists like our editor John would surely scoff at such madness, but then, he's sitting in his New York penthouse using Prima Guides for toilet paper. He wouldn't be able to relate.

Posted Feb 23 2009, 04:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 5 comment(s)

Filed under: gamecube, cole stryker, ebay, collections

about the blogger

John Constantine, our superhero, was raised by birds and then attended Penn State University. He is currently working on a novel about a fictional city that exists only in his mind. John has an astonishingly extensive knowledge of Scientology. Ultimately he would like to learn how to effectively use his brain. He continues to keep Wu-Tang's secret to himself.

Derrick Sanskrit is a self-professed geek in a variety of fields including typography, graphic design, comic books, music and cartoons. As a professional hipster graphic designer, his recent clients have included Nerve, Pitchfork and MoCCA, among others.

Amber Ahlborn - artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

Nadia Oxford is a housekeeping robot who was refurbished into a warrior when the world's need for justice was great. Now that the galaxy is at peace (give or take a conflict here or there), she works as a freelance writer for various sites and magazines. Based in Toronto, Nadia prizes the certificate from the Ministry of Health declaring her tick and rabies-free.

Bob Mackey is a grad student, writer, and cyborg, who uses the powerful girl-repelling nanomachines mad science grafted onto his body to allocate time towards interests of the nerd persuasion. He believes that complaining about things on the Internet is akin to the fine art of wine tasting, but with more spitting into buckets.

Joe Keiser has a programming degree from Johns Hopkins University, a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, and a fake toy guitar built in the hollowed-out shell of a real guitar. He writes about games and technology for a variety of outlets. One day he will stop doing this. The day after that, police will find his body under a collapsed pile of (formerly neatly alphabetized) collector's edition tchotchkes.

Cole Stryker is an American freelance writer living in York, England, where he resides with his archeologist wife. He writes for a travel company by day and argues about pop culture on the internet by night. Find him writing regularly here and here.

Peter Smith is like the lead character of Irwin Shaw's The 80-Yard Run, except less athletic. He considers himself very lucky to have this job. But it's a little premature to take "jack-off of all trades" off his resume. Besides writing, travelling, and painting houses, Pete plays guitar in a rock trio called The Aye-Ayes. He calls them a 'power pop' band, but they generally sound more like Motorhead on a drinking binge.