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"There are two things I like. Naked women and Fallout. I had been aware of the D20 Burlesque show for some time; they do monthly performances where attractive women strip out of nerdy outfits, and this month their theme was “Dystopia”, complete with a piece based on the post-apocalyptic dystopian game Fallout. With my “Pip boy” firmly in hand, I attended the show over the weekend."
In this week's installment, Matt Beaudette of Gaming Irresponsibly gives his list of the Top 10 Characters in Video Games. With so many memorable character throughout the history of video games, will your favorite make the list?
In part 4 of this series on storytelling in games, Matt Beaudette of Gaming Irresponsibly takes a look a few smaller elements used to tell stories in video games.
The first entry in a new weekly looking at different methods of Storytelling in games. This week we take a look that the silent protagonist, and compare some games that use it well with some that do not.
"PushStartSelect: "FPS titles have become the hottest selling item over recent years. The craze started back when ID made Doom, a game that would make you turn and bob your head because things were literally flying right at you. Of course the horror aspect made it all the more awesome, but the genre has changed and expanded into all sorts of formulas. We still have the horror titles like Fear, Doom, and even Quake, but the genre is now lead by the blockbusters of Call of Duty or Battlefield. A..."
"A brilliant and successful new IP can affect an entire generation of games and game players; I consider these to be the best new franchises of this current generation (2005-present)."
There's some damn spookiness going on. Joystick Division pontificates upon the importance of the paranormal within the world of video games while listing out the best ghosts to ever haunt the medium.
"U.S. Supreme Court that a California law banning the sale of violent video games to kids went too far is just the latest in a long string of headline-grabbing moments in gaming history. Unfortunately, at least as far as mainstream audiences are concerned, those headlines often center around violence in video games, particularly focusing on how that violence affects children. Read the full story for more."
Well everyone it has happened again. A person acting alone has done a major crime only to have the blame passed on to media entertainment. After a terror attack in Norway games like dragon age, bioshock and Modern Warfare 2 are taking heat for the event. This is not new when school shootings or other major crimes happen people look for someone to blame besides the person.
A game's setting is as important as its characters, stories, or weapons. They're the canvas on which stories are painted. Joystick Division pooled its collection of beautiful gaming brains to come up with the definitive list of the most iconic settings in video games.
The new BioShock game announced for PlayStation Vita during E3 is an entirely new game, rather than a port, Ken Levine revealed to IGN.
Asked whether the Vita game was a tie-in with the upcoming Infinite, Levine replied, “All I’ll say is that it’s its own thing, being built from the ground up, yes.”
Why does New Marais feel so empty? Joystick Division writer Garrett Martin looks at how Infamous 2's city feels soulless, and suggests a few ways the developers could have made the city more lifelike.
Who are the most electric characters in video games? InFamous is all about a bike messenger that happens upon the powers of electricity. Is he the most dangerous? Hardly, but he stands among seasoned shockers like Raiden and Darth Vader's Starkiller.
Ever been creeped out by a game? Joystick Division has. In this article they look at the ten most disturbing things they've ever seen or done in video games.
Morality has become the gaming theme of this generation. Black, and White, Good vs. Evil with some choices doing nothing to impact the long term plot. Gamers have experienced morality in games such as Fallout 3, Mass Effect, GTA IV, Bioshock as well as several others. Goozernation takes a look at the bigger questions and asks is morality really needed? Why do gamers always have to make a choice with consequences?
"A story caught my eye recently. A title that had me showing my O face before I even read the the full story. However, I always try to come across as a critic no matter the situation. In this article, I will go through all the “ways” this article details and give my thoughts on each. Ready? here we go!"
Joystick Division runs down the ten best ensemble casts in the history of video games, from Psychonauts to Knights of the Old Republic. Did your favorite make the list?
An auteur is, in film, a director who maintains complete control over the creative process and infuses a distinct personal style in his or her works. A video game auteur is someone who manages to have games that feel distinctly theirs, with strong narratives, styles, and a loose adherence to typical conventions. They are people who create that certain kind of game you can't find by anyone but them.
"At the "From Background to Center Stage: Building Game Worlds As Main Characters" panel for Bioshock Infinite PAX East, we were lucky enough to catch the best question of Friday: "One: do Big Daddies have penises, and two, what is the average size of a big daddy penis, and three [...]" -- you can watch the video for the rest, it's below.
Just remember, kids: you'll be immortalized for this sort of thing."
Anyone who has played 2K Games' Bioshock have undoubtedly noticed their ominous soundtrack. But what most people don't know is, the original song they were going to use for the grand entrance from the prologue had an entirely different feel to it.
"While it’s always best to try and get your hands on the latest and greatest stuff that developers, publishers and retailers are more than happy to shove down our throats with all the restraint of a mental patient, it doesn’t hurt to check out a few titles that have since comes, gone and had the hell played out of them already. After all, there are more than a few ways to get your hands on a new game, but as I’m always prone to remind anyone who will listen, it isn’t so dreadful to look back a..."
These characters may be great video game heroes, but in the real world, they'd kinda be freaks, douchebags or worse. Check 'em out here - chances are that one of your favorites made the list.
"Your mom may claim she loves you, but at the end of the day, she hates everything you like. What you wear, how you eat, who you date - it really doesn’t matter. Trying to please dear mummy is an exercise in futility. How to cope with it? Just enjoy life as you see fit. That means trying out new games, even (and especially, if you’re a typical adolescent) the ones she hates. Not sure what titles qualify? Well, some mothers have unique hatreds, but we feel the following list should keep you cov..."
"It’s been a wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride for Microsoft with their Xbox 360 console. Improving in areas that they were weak with the original Xbox, Microsoft has pushed forward and continued to work closely to secure third-party publishing deals to keep their fans happy. It’s no surprise that our Top 10 Xbox 360 Games Since Launch is dominated by third-party software."
"Game developers, would you kindly stop talking in my head? I know that in an interactive medium like video games it can be difficult to guide the player character, but the horse is just about dead. This tends to happen in the FPS genre more than anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a design choice that has led to some of my favorite experiences such as BioShock or Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece, Metal Gear…"
"The beauty lies in what is communicated to us from the game, and in how we respond to its resonance. They don't need to be complicated or elegant, but they must introduce characters and ideas that stir us, tied into a story that has something grander to say."
Whether you want to play them with your family or to avoid dealing with them, here are five games that should get you in the mood for the holidays. Happy holidays!
"The following is a list of 25 exceptional single player games. It covers a diverse range of styles and genres but each title offers a worthwhile gaming experience. Each game on this list is either exclusively a solo affair or, in the few cases where a multiplayer mode is present, the single player campaign is the core experience of the game. Games with multiplayer modes are denoted with an asterisk and the list is presented in no particular order."
"There's old-timey druggies everywhere (complete with Reefer Madness ranting and homicidal urges), philosophical overtones and a lot of voices over the radio telling you a lot of different things. But if Jack keeps his head on straight, he can come to some pretty amazing discoveries -- as can the player."
TK-Nation's Cassandra Khaw corners Harrison Krix into an interview and learns about how the McGuyver of Cosplay made his awe-inspiring Big Daddy cosplay, the technical details and the fringe benefits of looking like a monster straight out of hell.
Hint: It involves free beer.
"Developers all over town are SLASHING prices this Halloween - you could say that these games are SO CHEAP IT'S SCARY. (Please don't hurt me...) What I'm trying to say here is that Halloween's an excellent time for the cheap or thrifty to grab something new!"
"More and more companies are opting to release a special or limited edition of their games. Featuring special download or physical goodies like action figures, art books and other doodads, these editions have fans reserving like crazy to pick them up on day one. Case in point: both the Legendary and Prestige editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops are sold out—and they aren’t even out yet! There are plenty of new ones out now (Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Medal of Honor and Dead Rising 2 among th..."
This is not a "best scary games of all time" list, but rather a healthy selection of genre greats that ranges from psychological thrillers to jump-scare-marathons and undead blast factories.
"As video games become more and more robust in terms of content and story development, we are greeted with characters that can feel very human. Though they live mainly off of scripted cues, they play a vital role in how games impact us."
Even though the game is perfect as is, a BioShock movie is still on the way. Ken Levine has confirmed that he's working with the filmmakers on bringing the game to theaters.
Horror games can be incredibly fun to play, putting you in the driver's seat of staying alive and getting your heart pounding. But what about those that are scared of horror games; when they're fascinated by the story, but can't stand to play the game, what do they do?
All Age Gaming's John Elliott brings us the 9th developer profile. This fortnight he looks at the System Shock 2 and Bioshock series developer Irrational Games. See inside for a look into the FPS developer.
"BioShock was one of the greatest games of all time. Still, many gamers dropped their controllers in awe following the ending of the game. It was, in some ways, powerful but could have been so much better and more developed. The high point of the game is obviously the “star wars-esque” realization about Andrew Ryan and his demise but the awesome battle against Frank Fontaine is followed by a short sequence that depended on whether you were a heartless jerk or altruistic savior as far as the Li..."
"Every once in a while, however, an achievement comes along that makes you think, "They want me to do what?!" Here is a list of 10 of the most ridiculously lengthy and/or challenging Xbox 360 achievements dreamed up by game developers. Try tackling any of them and you might wind up forsaking friends, family and even your sanity in the quest for higher Gamerscore."
Journalism and collector's editions have covered well how games are made, but this newly released document from Irrational Games shows us how the BioShock franchise actually started, as a pitch to publisher 2K.
Suffice it to say, it was a pretty different game back then.
"In today's shooter-filled market, we spend a lot of time spraying bullets and looking down scopes. But every modern shooter gives us some kind of blunt weapon or knife for up-close encounters. In real life, if a badguy charged at you with a knife, you'd probably still shoot him. But video games make the melee button so satisfying, as you watch an opponent crumple to the ground, stumble backwards, or see the "Beat-Down" medal flash on screen. Melee weapons add a visceral side to our shooters a..."
With games like Heavy Rain and the upcoming Alan Wake featuring great story's, All Age Gaming's Michael Brennan discusses whether we are entering a time in gaming where a game has to feature a great story for it to truly grab the gamer.
This week's The Bender is all about the gaming news this week plus more, lots of blips that might have been passed over by other gaming blogs. Speaking of gaming blogs, we discuss those too. Also, Yoda Fleshlight. Listen now however you please: iTunes - Zune - Direct MP3 Download - Stream from Binge Gamer
Fortunately for gamers, some glitches are actually hilariously entertaining to experience. They can range from mildly funny to completely insane. Have a look at some of the funniest and most entertaining videogames glitches of late.
This week only, Amazon.com is again offering "Buy 2 Xbox 360 Games, Get 1 Free" promotion. There's more than 35 Xbox 360 games eligible for this promotion including Fallout 3, Soul Caliber IV, Fable II Platinum Hits, Halo 3, Street Fighter IV, Ninja Gaiden II, Grand Theft Auto IV, Oblivion IV and many others.
Bioshock 2 has been praised but remains in the shadow of Bioshock. Many gamers didn't find it as fresh as the original. Regardless of how you rate the game, it is the "shock" franchise that set a standard for involved, cerebral FPS play when first-person shooters were mindless frag-fests.
A Japanese artist has 1-upped geek art by creating a full sized, beautifully detailed Bioshock "Big Daddy" sculpture... out of a tree...with a chainsaw...while wearing a hockey mask. Seriously
The overall best use of music in videogame commercials are here. Including well known tracks like "So happy together" to mostly unknown "How it ends." Check out these videos and cool tracks and find out what made them so great.
"A brief look at the villains from your favourite books and films will reveal some common personality traits; they're all a few sandwiches short of a picnic. This is of course true of video games too, with many antagonists - who are more often than not found in the form of boss battles incidentally - displaying qualities that would suggest they're not quite with it upstairs.
Here then, are the ten most psychotic characters that have appeared in video games."
It is a topic that has been raised before. Why do so many games fall into the trap of having disappointing, inappropriate, or just downright silly end bosses?
Negativegamer.com takes a look at some recent examples, and what they could have done to create a more appropriate end bosses.
Go to the source for the full article.
"On this weeks episode WildBillYurkas from Twitter joins Ronnie and Andreas to talk about January NPDs, Halo: Reach beta starting May 3rd, Ghost Recon: Future Solider announced and a lot more in the news section. And for what they have been playing its Bioshock 2, Mass Effect 2 and MAG. Also make sure you listen to the end for an all out spoiler-riffic review of Mass Effect 2."
"Frank Lantz is a disarming figure. He has a serious face with the sharp severity of a Classical bust. This impression is almost immediately undercut by a welcoming enthusiasm and playful grin. The contrast between stoicism and ebullience is entirely fitting for a man of his experience and ambition. Lantz is creative director and co-founder of Area/Code, a 'cross-media' entertainment company behind Pac-Manhattan, Big Urban Game and the recently launched Code Of Everand.
It’s good that there..."
"For a limited time, you'll get three Xbox 360 Platinum Hits for the price of two. Offer valid February 7, 2010 through February 13, 2010, or while supplies last, when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Limit one free Platinum Hit per household. To qualify, check out with three of the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits listed below in your cart. The price of the third qualifying Platinum Hit of equal or lesser value will be discounted during check out."
Could a Bioshock game be coming to the Wii sometime in future? According to 2K Marin's Jordan Thomas, it's a possibility, but nothing is planned for the Wii at the moment.
This is remniscent of the statement that 2K Boston tech director Chris Kline made over a year ago, when he said "I don't think there's anything preventing the game complexity of BioShock from being on the Wii."
"Choosing the best games of a decade is a tricky thing. It's tempting to simply pick your favorite games, but that's not considering the question deeply enough. The following titles were picked for the Top Ten Games of the Decade based on quality, innovation, and cultural influence. All ten of these games are titles that gamers will still be talking about in another ten years. With that, enjoy the list!"
"Tonight, television fans around the country tuned in for the season premier of LOST. If the producers are to be believed, it's the last season, and should give some closure to the plot lines started up over the past five years. While watching, I couldn't help but think about what makes the show so successful, and realized there are a few things that game makers could take away from J.J. Abrams' series. Well, besides Polar Bears, of course."
"Nothing is certain in today’s game industry. But the closest you’ll come to a sure thing is that movies based on video games suck. There are exceptions, sure. But most of the time, gamers end up regretting their ticket purchase after watching their favorite game get some off the wall adaption on the silver screen that fails to encompass any of the elements that made the game so good. So to save the movie industry some time, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 games that need to get big screen ..."
"Every so often I hear people talk about how they miss the days when Japan ran the game industry. I don't think they so much miss the days when Japanese developers were on top of the world as much as they miss the days when Japanese developers/publishers actually worked in large to promote creativity rather than just follow trends. Those days have faded. While many great games still come out of Japan, thanks mostly to their always shrinking console market and a lack of knowledge on how to revi..."
All Age Gaming has gone through all the Playstation 3 games that have been released to the end of 2009 and have come up with the Top 10 Games on the Playstation 3 so far. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
Xboxliveaddicts’ reviewers look back on some of the best Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade games of the decade with scores of 9 or above in this feature.
John Elliott from All Age Gaming has plowed through all the Xbox 360 games that have been released to date and has come up with the Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
"Tim Warnock, a matte painter and a concept artist working in the film industry (Watchmen, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I), has posted several gorgeous paintings showing his vision of BioShock's underwater city, alive with flashing neon signs and jutted with skyscrapers.
These shots of Rapture were briefly featured in design company Eyeball's 2007 commercial for the multi-platform first-person shooter. Even though they appear for only a few seconds, paired with Bobby Darin's "..."
Celebrating the 360's fourth anniversary IGN takes a look at the top 25 games on the console including some new and old releases over the years. The list is comprised of a wide variety of genres and features XBLA games for those looking for something on a budget. 360 owners can see what they've missed out on and put on their list for the holiday season.
"Silent Hill 3
In a tight bind, when our bowels simply can’t hold out any longer, the standards for where we’ll rest our rear-ends drop sharply. But even if we had industrial strength diarrhoea, the one thing we’d always insist on is an adequate amount of light so we can see where we’re depositing our business. Sadly, Silent Hill’s dingy and disgusting John can’t quite keep up with these rigorous standards.
"
"Microsoft has announced a new starting price for Xbox 360 Classics in Europe, and three new blockbuster titles for the program, offering high quality experiences at outstanding value. From this month, Grand Theft Auto IV, Midnight Club Los Angeles: Complete Edition and BioShock will join the best selection of Xbox 360 games in the Classics range. A selection of titles, including Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 and Naruto: Rise of a Ninja will now be available with a Recommended Retail Price..."
Destructoid and GT have teamed up for a bit of fun with BioShock's plot. We present to you...
Once Upon a Pixel: BioShock
"Barely surviving a plane crash, the player lands in icy uncharted waters and discovers the undersea city of Rapture, a failed utopia whose citizens had embraced genetic engineering before descending into pure anarchy. Power and greed have run amok and the city has succumbed to civil war. To survive, gamers must turn everything they find into a weapon, use their powers of observation to piece together what happened and make the difficult decisions necessary in order to escape a paradise gone b..."
"With Gamer on the horizon, we've decided to celebrate the moments when games and movies converge, creating scenes that'd look as good on cinema screens as they do on our battered portable tellies.
So, rest your joypad on one knee, rest your DVD remote on the other knee, and join in. How many have you played?"
"It is no shocker that for the most part, girlfriends and video games don’t quite get along. Every now and then you may acquire a significant other who isn’t bothered by any video game, and of course there are always games like Super Mario Kart that appeals to both genders. Then there are … other games. Games that girls will despise. Games that girlfriends will curse forever and banish to the bowels of hell. Read on, for the Top 10 Games That You Girlfriend Hates you for Playing."
Just in time to prepare for Halloween comes the top 10 video game costumes. These costumes are based on creativity more-so than looks, but there are still a few hot costumes ;)
Sure, most game-to-movie adaptations tend to suck, but every now and then there is a real gem. And wouldn't it be nice if some amazing games got amazing movie adaptations? Here are Kokugamer's Top 10 Games That Need Movie Treatment.
Go to the source for the full list.
"Every time a game is successful, critically or commercially, folks start speculating about sequels. Will there be a sequel? How many sequels? When will we see the sequel? What will happen in the sequel? Who shows up in the sequel? Sequel?
That’s too obvious. A truly compelling game deserves the exact opposite. If the story is masterfully written, players will want to see how it actually started. If the world is deeply designed, players will insist on seeing how it first formed. And if the ..."
"It has been revealed that, despite the delay of BioShock 2 to 2010, an undisclosed studio is hard at work on the subsequent sequel, BioShock 3. Commonly expected for release in 2011, the intention to deliver BioShock 3 has been common industry knowledge for some time, however reports today suggest that the game has already entered development."
"With the impending arrival of some massive sequels later this year and early next year, we feel it's a good time to recap on the original instalments of two games that are soon due for their much-anticipated continuations; these being Bioshock and Assassin's Creed."
"It's safe to say August 12th 2009 will go down in the Avatar history books (albeit teeny tiny history books), but it will also be a landmark day for gamers with the introduction of a brand new way to access and play your Xbox 360 games: Games on Demand. Launching worldwide with a library of great titles"
"T.S. Eliot once wrote, "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." While that may be interesting enough for your freshman Introduction to Poetry class, it hardly works as a video game premise, which would explain why Activision hasn't yet secured the rights to Call of Poetry: Modernism Warfare. On the other hand, video games need intense settings and outrageous set pieces, and there's nothing more intense or outrageous than the end of the world. For this week's top ten, w..."
"Generally, the first rule when it comes to rescuing hostages is ‘don’t let everybody get horribly done in.’ But sadly, this proves too much of a stumbling block for many game heroes. Be it accidentally killing geriatrics with a killer virus or letting the damsel in distress get crushed by a cow, the following rescue missions all get botched. Spectacularly."
"With the recent announcement of the Fallout 3 DLC coming to the PS3, a question arose in my mind. Should gamers be charged full price for DLC or games that are timed exclusives once they release on the console that was forced to wait for the content?"
"Now, BioShock 2 could very well be pushed into calendar 2010, missing the holidays completely.
Officially, Take-Two blames the delay on the need to "provide additional development time for the title."
Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two called the delay "the right decision for the product," but calls the impact on its revised financial outlook a "disappointment.""
"In gaming today, stories are a huge part of the experience, and the ending means a lot after your hours of effort to reach your final goal. However, sometimes your graft is not worth the results. Koku Gamer brings you the ‘Top Ten Worst Endings in the Last 5 Years’, to celebrate (or commiserate) the most recent disappointments in gaming. Remember, this is about endings, so expect spoilers!"
"2K Games and Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle is now available in shops across the UK for a suggested retail price of £29.99 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and £19.99 for Windows PC."
PC fight fans are in for a real treat come July 7 -- Street Fighter returns to the platform, appearing for the first time since Alpha 2 in 1998. Those interested in an arcade-style pad for their fix (or a pad at all, if you don't have one) can pick up the bundle pictured here from the Capcom Store for just $60.
Another classic series is being revived, too -- Tales of Monkey Island gets its first chapter this week in the form of "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal."
Multiplayer shooter fans...
"6:00 AM – Slice and dice, bub.
They start out with a pretty decent title, one of those cases where the game is better than the movie. X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
10:00 AM – If only Jack Ryan had his wings.
Out of all the clues, this is the only one that has me slightly confused. So I checked where all bargain gamers like myself would go, Cheap Ass Gamer. Most users are saying it is Tom Clancy’s HAWX, so I’m going to agree for now.
Another guess is Bioshock (based on “Jack Ryan” being in..."
"2K Games and Bethesda Softworks are teaming up to deliver a
value-packed experience that combines 2006 Game of the Year Winner The Elder Scrolls
IV: Oblivion with 2007 Game of the Year Winner BioShock into one complete package.
Beginning July 7, the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle will be
available in retailers across North America for an SRP of $39.99 on the Xbox 360(r)
video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and $29.99 for Windows PCs."
More bad news for the fans eagerly awaiting the "Bioshock" film adaptation. It seems as though Gore Verbinski is frustrated with all of the hold-ups of the movies he has been working on latley... It is also quite possible that the Bioshock movie might be dropped completley. If this occurs, then maybe Rapture might finally be built by the P.O'ed fans, and wage war against the Movie Industry.
"With fear of sounding like an old grouch, I recall days when the Internet was not so popular, or even not popular at all. For the video game world, this carried with it one wonderful positive: mystery. It's not that print media was completely free of giving us some juicy details months (even years) before we played a game, but it retrospect, it seems it was more tastefully done, and well-orchestrated, as opposed to what the rabidly curious nature of the Internet produces."
"Microsoft has announced that they will launch a brand new service for Xbox LIVE! gamers later this year, allowing full retail games to be downloaded direct to the console. The “Games on Demand” service does away with the Microsoft Points system, and will launch this August worldwide."
"Further pursuing this chain of though, Lowe was later questioned on the importance of each the Causal and Hardcore demographics, to which he stated that there’s significance in both: “For every Carnival Games there is a BioShock and for every Wii Fit there is a Resident Evil 5.""
"Silent protagonists, or for those who haven’t been properly acquainted with the English language; quiet heroes, aren’t exactly a common product of modern video games. However some have become famous for the lack of verbal engagement, whereas some would argue that it doesn’t create an extra axis of mystery to the character, but only renders them as bland and unimportant. Here is a small list of 5 silent protagonists in modern gaming, and how their silence altered how the game was perceived on ..."
"You have built an entire world steeped in mystery and lore. Within this world enters a solitary figure, causing disruption wherever they go. Watching from afar, a shadowy entity convinces this figure to do their bidding as they battle for survival. Friends appear and disappear, enemies grow in number and aggression, questions arise as to what, exactly, would be the “right” thing to do. Madness, loneliness, desperation and greed. These are the themes of the videogame you have created, this is ..."
GameSpot has a pretty great expose online now regarding the "DRM dilemmna" -- that is, publisher action said to minimize piracy by limiting what gamers can do with a given title for the PC.
In it they speak to DRM advocates, opponents, developers, publishers, and DRM vendors themselves -- a must-read if you're looking to gain a broader perspective on the matter at hand, or don't know what DRM is about.
Bioshock 2 is still in production, but the makers are already discussing the possibility of a Bioshock 3. 2K Marin's creative director, Jordan Thomas, has recently revealed that the setting for Bioshock 3 might once again be Rapture.
"I absolutely believe that there might be future games set in Rapture in whatever time period," he said.
"Why he's overrated: Speaking of 'roid rage, check out this loser. Marcus Fenix is the kind of muscle-bound buffoon that makes even guys like Kratos seem like introspective philosophers. His personality consists entirely of grunting, shouting, and shooting.
As much as Epic Games has tried to fool gamers by licensing tie-in novels and comic books, we all know the truth. There is no real story to be had for Marcus in Gears of War, aside from arm up, take aim and go on a bug hunt. It's all ab..."
Who doesn't love Bioshock? Swing by and have a look at 7 little facts you may or may not know about the hit series, ranging from how the Little Sisters were created in all of their creepy glory, to the sympathy the staff felt at people's disappointment of the final boss fight.
The Bioshock movie has been in pre-production for some time now, with even Gore Verbinski, the man behind Pirates of the Caribbean acting as director. However the movie has recently encountered a hitch in the form of Universal halting production, apparently trying to find ways to decrease the film's expected $160 million budget. This doesn't look like it will permanently derail the movie, already alternatives are being found (like moving the filming to London) but things are definitely up in ...
"The reason is Verbinski wants to concentrate on his other projects. The first of these will be Bioshock, the film adapation of 2K Games' hugely popular FPS. That film is expected to begin production in 2010 and if nothing else, it sounds like Verbinski is 100% committed to this project, which can only be good news for Bioshock fans."
Do you remember the article about the home-made life size portal gun? Well the creator of that gun went on to create more video game memorabilia. This time its the syringe from Bioshock. What will he make next?
"Exclusivity means everything to gamers nowadays. You could even go onto say that exclusivity is the very life source of every existing fanboy in the world. Although Sony have been in the console business one and a half generations longer than Microsoft, the Xbox has managed to accumulate some unforgettable title such as Gears of War, Halo and of course, Bioshock. As I mentioned earlier, exclusivity is everything nowadays, and when Bioshock was announced to have a Playstation 3 version in the ..."
The gang here loves us some "Top Lists", but over the past few months they have gotten out of hand - how could we continue making top lists? After hours of grueling brainstorming with Street Fighter 4, Chris Plante, our wetnosed associate editor delivered brilliance: "What about the best hands in shooters!" We laughed, and approached it as a joke, but the more we thought it about it... [snip] no, seriously, think about it...
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"The problem comes when you go back and look at your list of achievements and see that there are some that are worth 30, 50, 100 or 150 points. Those are the ones you want. You probably also make the assumption if you dont look at the list that some tasks would be worth a lot. For example, you would think, that completing 50 horde waves would be worth 100 points or at least 50. Its not easy to do, and you need to have four or five players that work together and stick through all the waves. ..."
"Since the dawn of time, game players could be categorized as one of two things -- winners or losers. If you perform well, you win a game. If you dont, you lose. Its as simple as that. Lately, however, weve seen a paradigm shift; now we are seeing games you cant lose. Or, more accurately, games that dont have any clear, defined "losing" state. Were used to the tried-and-true "game over" screen, but what if you cant get a game over? Would it still be a game?"
"Show Notes:
With downloading TV shows so easy, is it time to get rid of cable?
The Time Warner / Viacom debacle
We have been playing: Halo 3 (Xbox 360), World of Goo (WiiWare), Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360), Lost Planet: Extreme Colonies (Xbox 360), Lost Planet (PS3), Fallout 3 (PS3), Fallout (PC), Fallout 2 (PC)
Mike and James talk comic books for a second... and then Doctor Who.. *neeerrrdinng*
The News:
EGM is Dead! DEAD!
One Mag dies, one mag goes to eBay
BioShock like St..."
"In years past, NeoGAF has done their favorite moments in gaming, using only MS Paint to show you. Looking back at 2008 brings us some of the coolest moments, great memories that can look amusing to just plain epic, even when in Paint. I purposely left out the names of the games as half the fun is guessing (but if you cant figure it out, right click and hit properties to see the file name where I put the game)."
"For Bioshock, because its so story driven, the question obviously arises: how long can you do it without turning into The Matrix? The first Matrix was great, the second one was weird and the third one, you thought: Who [making this] is on crack and who isnt?. But, then again, look at Star Wars. Its a fight between good and evil, just like Bioshock. If we spin it the right way and get the right twist of innovation, we can make six parts of it, as Star Wars did.
But we have to be car..."
BioShock hits the PlayStation 3 in Japan this month, and with it comes a "teaser". Kind of odd, kind of scary...what do you make of it?
"A man chooses. A slave obeys. I love BioShock, I hate BioShock. It's the game that threatened to burst open our understanding of just what could be achieved through a synthesis of ideas and interactions. And it kind of did. And it kind of ruined itself by doing so."
Sub-Zero of unrealitymag.com has created a top list for... real estate? Yes that's right, they've made a top list concerning the ten places you'd not want to consider living in.
With a steady theme of violence being a major deterrent, Silent Hill took out first place. This was followed by Raccoon City of Resident Evil and Megaton of Fallout 3.
Read on to see the pros and cons for each!
"Enter our "meta-metareview," a list of every game released this year that's scored above 85% on average from reviewers around the world. You won't be surprised by the games that made the list; you will be surprised that some of your (and our) favorites didn't make it.
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The best-reviewed game this year? April's Grand Theft Auto IV (98%), followed by a three-way tie between LittleBigPlanet, BioShock (PS3) and World of Goo (95%) -- all three of which were released in October. Metal Gear S..."
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"If there’s one thing that videogames do well – perhaps more so than any form of digital entertainment around – it’s immersion. The ability to suck in an individual not just through giving them complete control over their actions, but more pertinently, through the surroundings and awe-inspiring sights developers painstakingly carve and sculpt. It’s debatable that this sense of captivation has only progressed, with more talented designers getting more out of increasingly powerful consoles. And ..."
Do you enjoy games with collectibles? Then this list may be just the thing for you! Whether it's collecting letters, fossils or skulls these games are the top providers for those who love a good scavenger hunt. Collectibles have always made for good fun and lengthening gameplay, so here's the twelve best for you by gamedaily.com.
"There's nothing like a steamingly camp villain to really set off a game plot with a bang (and a mince and a girly titter). There's just something about a preening effeminate bad guy that instantly undermines a hero, no matter what abilities and attributes said doer of good might have. He's threatening to destroy the world? Pah. He's threatening to destroy the world in lip liner!? Christ, he must be confident.
And that's to say nothing of the countless enemies who are hilariously camp purel..."
"I don't think the chart needs to be explained, you have the games, you have how much space they would take on your hard drive, and then how much time you'd be saving (not listed on the chart is how much relief you will be giving your poor disc drive). No longer do 360 fanboys have the fodder of "oh you PS3 people have to install games blah blah" .. in the end, if you have a big enough hard drive, you know you'll be installing these games soon enough."
Some information on the new player content for the games has been provided in a new trailer from 2K Games, via Voodoo Extreme. It includes some information of the "World of Hurt" and "Challenge Rooms" content which is going to be available in the PS3 version of Bioshock.
As Voodoo Extreme's player is not compatible with GameGrep, please hit the title of this article to take you to the source site and video!
What do gamers do when people in America are going to the booths to vote? They hold their own elections, for video game characters of course!
Take your pick from the likes of Sackboy, Tom Nook... and even 12-Pack! Even gamers like a good old beer now and then, right? Each candidate has a badge, their promises and their slogan.
So who gets your vote?
The upcoming downloadable content for the PS3 version of Bioshock is still a question mark in many gamers minds. Is it really worth the announced $10 price tag? Gamespot AU recently got hands on with a fair portion of the expansion and so far to them it looks promising. More info at the source
"The download will arrive Novmeber 20th for $9.99 and include three challenge rooms, packing new trophies along with new locations, objectives and artwork not seen anywhere else in the game."
"Today 2K Games has come out and announced a release date for the previously reported PlayStation 3 exclusive downloadable content.
2K confirms that the Challenge Room DLC will be available via the PlayStation Network from November 20th, although at this stage no price point has been revealed."
"PC
Backyard NFL Football '09, Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp, Bully Scholarship Edition, Dead Space, Deer Hunter Tournament, Europa Universalis III Collection, Far Cry 2, NBA 2K9, NHL 09
PS2
Backyard NFL Football '09, Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp, Disney Sing It, Disney Sing It Microphone Bundle, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, Monopoly, The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows - Amazing Allies Edition, SpongeBob SquarePants Featuring Ni..."
A teaser trailer for Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams was shown on the PS3 version of the game. And now Charles Shechbeck, one of the developers of the title, has come forward to add a little more fuel to the fire. The game is confusingly described as a prequel and a sequel at the same time and apparently the replica of Rapture is meant to represent something significant. Or perhaps not, there is a lot of vagueness there, as normal with a newly announced title.
Those who finish the PS3 version of Bioshock are in for a special treat. Unlocked in the extras after the game's completion is a teaser trailer for the sequel, the game being titled Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams. It involves a grown up Little Sister sitting on the beach while a sand version of Rapture rises from the sand. A user has managed to upload some screenshots of the video.
Update: Video has been added.
"Real world definition of "mature": Showing the mental, emotional, or physical characteristics associated with a fully developed person; involving serious thought.
Videogame definition of "mature":
Shits, tits and gibs.
What is adult? According to ratings boards and hand-wringing politicians, the only qualifications necessary are a bucket of blood, a stream of foul profanity and a parade of naughty lady parts. Ironically, the very things that are included to win over immature teenage bo..."
"When asked about why EA was suddenly interested in buying Take-Two, the EA boss made it sound like he was trying to do the BioShock developer a favor:
"[We wanted] to help that company get through what has been an uneven profit experience."
EA wanted to help. How nice of them. It makes you wonder just how much (or how little) they ever cared about Take-Two in the first place, and when you get comments like this from BMO Capital Markets:
"We do not believe there is another serious bid..."
2K Games have listened to the angry cries of PS3 owners and gone to work to fix some of the problems plaguing the Playstation verion of Bioshock. A patch will be released after the game's launch, fixing the Big Daddy problem noticed in the demo, and getting rid of some strange white bars which appear in the opening cutscene. No specific release date has been announced as of yet.
Here just a few days ago there were a few complaints about the quality of Bioshock on the PS3, as opposed to the 360 and PC versions. And Community Manager Elizabeth Toby of 2K, the company behind the game's port was quick to respond downplaying the exampled Big Daddy, citing it as an exception to the game's quality, not the norm. However over the following days more examples have popped up and in a bid to quell the rumors Elizabeth Toby has once again written a message to the gaming communit...
The demo was released just a couple of days ago for Bioshock, and it seems that the demo has caused a lot of trouble for 2K already as many gamers have noticed how the graphics in one particular section of the demo is appaling when compared to the XBOX360 version. 2K Forums' resident Community Manager Elizabeth Toby was however quick to respond to the situation with the below quote.
Also be check to take a look at the two screenshots in question below.
Bioshock is just weeks away from release on the PS3 and evidently it has lost none of its luster in its port or year old age. In the upcoming copy of PSM3 magazine the game is reviewed and given a 93/100. A very impressive score and very close to what the game scored on the 360 and PC.
October 21st in the USA, and October 24th in the UK will see more AAA titles released than any other time of the year. With Fable II, LittleBigPlanet, Far Cry 2, Dead Space, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and much more, we have determined that this is the VideoGamiest Day of the Year! Mark your calendars, save your money, as we show you some of the games coming out on what promises to be the most exciting day of 2008.
2K Boston has unveiled a new trailer for the PS3 version of BioShock. It shows the entrance to the city called Rapture and picks up pace at the end, showing Jack - a main character in the game - slaying the scary and deformed monsters.
Vid is in the source. Look out for BioShock on the PS3 October 21st.
Note: You must enter your birthdate to view the video due to mature content.
Capcom producer Ben Judd recently talked to VideoGamer.com about his upcoming game Bionic Commando.
He also had a few things to say about the popular titles Metal Gear Solid 4 and Bioshock...
With the release just a month away 2K have revealed the full list of trophies to be present in Bioshock. There is a grand total of 54 trophies with 48 Bronze (11 of which are hidden), 2 Silver (1 of which is hidden), 3 gold and of course the prestigious Platinum trophy. See the source for the full list. Note that some of the hidden ones have storyline spoilers.
David Houghton over at GamesRader has composed a series of grievences directed at developers as to how they are destroying what used to be 'a proud warrior people' known as real gamers.
Various techniques and new features in gaming have made things almost 'too easy', and take away from the challenge of it.
Things like regenerative health, auto-aiming, unskipable tutorials, cut-scene boss battles, and the ability to quick save, are making things far too easy for us.
Publishers and Dev...
In the past, box art was clean and simple, such as the Atari 2600's. Nowadays, we have these amazing designs for box covers, but what if the games we play today had the same covers of the Atari 2600? the-minusworld has created some, such as Halo 3 and No More Heroes.
There's more in the source for you to check out as well.
Over at the Game Developers Conference in Austin, Tom Abernathy, who writes for Microsoft Game Studios, explained how a character's wants and needs lead to better gameplay.
He used examples from the games Portal and BioShock, pointing out that they both wanted and needed something, which also led to drama.
2KElizabeth the lead community manager over at 2K Games has released the news that many PS3 owners have been waiting for - the existence and release date of the Bioshock demo. Though the game has been released for some time on the XBOX360 and PC, many people have not had the chance to play it and the demo, which is to be released on 2nd October 2008 should give those gamers a first-hand taste of the game.
As some Europeans will read tomorrow in the latest issue of PC Zone, Ken Levine, the Creative Director of BioShock, has said that if you have any dislikes about the game, he will take all the credit for them.
He added in that "it's important that somebody takes responsibility, and at the end of the day my job as creative director is to sort of be the arbiter of taste... with great power comes great responsibility, right?"
"The PS3 version of BioShock has a 5Gb mandatory install that takes a little over 10 minutes to complete.
The game was rumoured to have a sizable install after the BBFC rated the game back in July, but 2K commented at the time that it was likely to have an install of “around 5 or 6 minutes” at most, according to this DarkZero report."
Christmas is almost around the corner, and as with every Christmas, the best games are looking to be released in time for parents to go out and buy their kids games. However, GamerChip who previously stated that there may be too many games being released for christmas, have now put together a list of games that they think will succeed and some that they believe will fail. Lets take a look at a few of them...
"Add LEGO to the front of this list:
10. Lord of the Rings
9. Grand Theft Auto
8. The Matrix
7. BioShock
6. Terminator
5. Silent Hill
4. Scarface
3. Gears of War
2. The Elder Scrolls
1. The Seventh Seal"
PS3 owners hankering for some BioShock and hoping to trump 360 owners in the graphical department are all but out of luck. According to senior producer at publisher 2K Games Melissa Miller, Blu-ray hasn't made much of a difference, and they're aiming to be on par with the 360 version.
Makes me wonder if Sony could've/should've gutted Blu-ray from the beginning and saved everyone a couple hundred bucks each..
"The PS3 version, which is being handled by Dark Sector dev Digital Extremes, is set to feature new content in the form of a 'Survivor' difficulty mode and downloadable 'Challenge Rooms' which test your plasmid skills.
The PS3 port of highly-acclaimed 360 and PC FPS BioShock has been dated for October 21 in the US, and internationally on October 24.
And yes, BioShock PS3 also sports full Trophy support, before you ask.
"We are proud to introduce 2K Games' showcase title, BioShock, to ..."
In a recent interview with Gamasutra, 2K Boston tech director Chris Kline revealed that he "(doesn't) think there's anything preventing the game complexity of BioShock from being on the Wii", providing the Wii audience is properly introduced to such a series.
A hint at a possible Bioshock port to the Wii?
[Discuss in the forum]
"What exactly is survivor mode?
Its a new, highly challenging difficulty mode exclusive to the PlayStation 3 version of BioShock.
How does this differ from Hard Mode?
Youre more vulnerable, enemies are tougher, every resource is more precious.
Why did you guys decide to make this?
When we designed the original three difficulty modes of BioShock, we tried to define a spectrum encompasses as much of the shooter audience as we could, balanced as optimally as possible. However, we know ..."
With Bioshock making it's way to the PS3 X-Play have managed to get access to Bioshock, and give us a bit of a teaser for what's to come. Among those mentioned are:
Survivor Mode - Every Bullet Counts
Downloadable Content - Challenge Rooms
Up Res'd Videos - What they couldn't do on the X360 due to disc size limitations.
Goto the source and view the video now.
"BioShock for PS3 will feature "exclusive" DLC puzzle scenarios which take place outside of the game's narrative -- the DLC will be accessible through a separate section on the main menu. There is currently no release date or pricing at this time.
The BioShock DLC takes place in arena-type levels designed to look like Rapture. The scenario we saw involved a little sister stuck atop a Ferris wheel -- she needs to be rescued! The first thing that has to be done: Hit the control box with the s..."
Programmer Andrew Rudson of Digital Extremes - one of the devs helping out with the PS3 port of everyone's favourite underwater FPS-RPG - has confirmed trophies will be included in the third version of the game. Read on for his thoughts on the feature, how it works, and its inclusion with BioShock.
Lead programmer Chris Kline stated that bioshock should have failed. He stated that in a lot of ways it did fall with "a series of big mistakes and corrections and slipped ship dates, but all these helped made it a good game"
Concerns was what the game should be. He thought that a direct System Shock sequel was the way to go, but later scrapped it due to believing it wouldn't be a popular title for the fans.
He also stated that fans and even their own team got excited when they present...
"Ok, we have a problem. But its the best problem we can imagine. There were just too many good games this year for us to pick nominees for the Game of the Year category at G-Phoria 2008.
So, we need your help. Pick your favorite game from the list below, and help us weed down the list to a manageable set of nominees.
Then, at E3 08, well announce them, along with all of the other nominees, for this years G-Phoria."
Whether youre a 360 launch day veteran or a newcomer who picked up the console to play one of the many blockbuster titles that have graced the system over the past 6 months, chances are there are more than a few classic games that slipped under the radar whilst you were diligently beavering away at Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4.
But dont panic, as here at GV were digging up jewels from the rough to ensure that you can make the most of the somewhat sparse summer release schedule by catching u...
"Time for another Top 10 list from Screwattack who apparently played every first-person shooter ever and narrowed it down. The most dominant genre in gaming today, Stuttering Craig takes a glimpse at The top 10 best FPS games ever.
"
"According to a PSU source, Bioshock will be releasing for the PlayStation 3 November 4th, 2008.
Announced in late May, 2K Games finally confirmed the rumors that not only would the game be coming to the PS3, but will include "new content" and "new features."
"Since BioShock for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows won countless 2007 Game of the Year awards, we are excited to see the impact of this stellar title for the PlayStation 3 when it debuts this fall," said Christoph Hartmann, presiden..."
The article looks at a whole bunch of games and then sees what spell check has to say a bout their names. A pretty good read as some of their are interesting. Some like Pikmin which produced minibike, dominik, dominick, pickman and skimming. Tekken produced trekkers, trekker, trekked, trecker's and Heineken. Abadox managed to produce Barbados, Paradox, Paradoxes, Paradox's and Paradoxic.
With Bioshock making it's way to the Playstation 3 we knew before that it would be getting some exclusive content and speculation about the Home Integration, but it seems that we never really had any confirmed news, however it seems that Game.co.uk have confirmed it by putting up the Box Scan of the game which shows the Home icon on the box. The box can be found attached below.
Strauss Zelnick, who is the Take Two Interactive chairman, is talking about the BioShock movie once again. When Zelnick was asked about the release date of the BioShock movie, Zelnick said that the release of the movie will come out near the time of BioShock 3 releasing. Zelnick did go on to say that the time frames are not all sorted out, so don't expect any of the release date info we have so far to be final.
With Bioshock announced to the world, for October this year, Sony have today announced a surprise that a mystery developer is currently working along side 2K on the game.
As well as being a port of the XBOX360/PC version, Bioshock for the PS3 will also feature as-yet-unannounced features exclusively for the PS3 port.
As well as this news, also included in the article are new screenshots for the PS3 version of the game which can be found attached below.
"Recently several magazine outlets have reported news in their latest issues regarding Bioshock making its way onto the PS3. Now its been confirmed by 2K games themselves on this news.
2K games have confirmed the release of Bioshock onto the PS3, on October 2008 this holiday season. 2K games also confirms the development of this title have been in the works, which sort of goes against what Ken Levines past statement, that they have no plans of brining Bioshock to the PS3. I guess that goes..."
"BioShock for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® was released in 2007 and received numerous Game of the Year honors from prestigious organizations including Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TVs VGAs and Paste Magazine. BioShocks extension to the PLAYSTATION 3 system will bring exciting new content to this amazing title and reach many new players, while giving the title the oppo..."
So the rumours have finally proved true, huh? The next issue of PSM3 (hitting newsstands June 5) features BioShock for the Playstation 3 as one of their cover stories.
Although Take- Two wouldn't comment at this time, PSM3 is a very well respected Playstation magazine and news is that a Swedish gaming magazine is also going to preview BioShock PS3 in their next issue.
Confirmed.
"In what appears to be the first real confirmation of the wonderful Bioshock coming to PS3, Swedish videogame mag GameReactor claims to have the first images in the next issue, due June 12th.
Bioshock till Playstation 3 - Vi har de första bilderna - which we presume means 'we have the first images'. Thankfully, we'll all have something else to do on June 12th just in case this doesn't quite come to fruition..."
EGM began the rumor of Bioshock being released for the Playstation 3, but the rumor was quickly shot down when gaming site The Bitbag confirmed from 2K games that there are no plans to release Bioshock for the Playstation 3.
- If you want Bioshock to be released for the Playstation 3, there is an online petition here
"Award-winning videogame "Bioshock" is to be turned into a movie by "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski, entertainment industry media reported Friday.
The film is set to be the highest profile adaptation of a videogame since 2005, when Fox paid Microsoft five million dollars for rights to make "Halo," a project now scrapped, Variety reported.
"Bioshock" is set in a futuristic underwater city called Rapture which has spiralled into anarchy.
"I think the whole utopia-gone..."
"A PlayStation 3 version of 2K Boston and 2K Australia's story-driven underwater shooter BioShock will arrive this September, assuming rumors printed within the June issue of EGM are true.
According to the magazine and proven NeoGAF proxy SuperSonic 1305, the PlayStation 3 port will pack improved visuals over the previous PC and Xbox 360 editions along with the previously-released free downloadable content.
When reached for comment today, 2K Games told Shacknews it had "no comment" on th..."
With the special edition of the 360 version of Bioshock came a collectable figure of a Big Daddy. Disappointed with the quality, Schwerpunkt Studios, headed by a 23 year old male Aussie with a major in Bachelor of Arts has re-painted the Big Daddy to look..well, a bit more slick than the original.
Modding the figure required the mutilation disassembly by removing each piece at their associated joints, arms, legs and so forth. He goes over which paints he used and a slight step by step proc...
With the new edition of High Definition consoles now in stores and selling rapidly like wild fire, the world of video gaming in of itself, is quickly changing. Not long ago you loomed around lazily playing games with a quality so cringing, you literally wanted to rip your eyes out right then and there. But with the new release of all these astounding consoles such as The Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3, the world of gaming has been brightened up and much, much more energizing.
But now, we ...
Endless speculation seems to be surrounding the future of Bioshock 2 and whether or not it will be moving over to the Playstation 3 for the sequel (as well as staying on the 360). This article however, is further speculation off that and falls into the hands of 2K Games official website because on it they have been stating on the Job Pages that they are seeking someone with "experience developing for next-generation game consoles". Nothing to much to read from that but in addition to this hav...
2007's huge hitter, Bioshock has even garnered attention from even the larger news companies. MSNBC interviewed creator of Bioshock, Ken Levine, and asked the question "What do you play when you're not working?". This gives us a nice perspective on the face behind the game.
Levine's list comprises of:
- Civilization IV
- World of Warcraft
- Heroes of Might and Magic 2
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Beyond Good and Evil
"The 2K Marin job listing, published to Gamasutra, seeks a "Senior BioShock 2 Designer" with five years of experience across "PlayStation 3, Xbox, and Wii" platforms.
More convincing evidence in the case of at least a PS3 version of BioShock 2 is found under job qualifications: "PlayStation 3 experience is required.""
"Take-Two announced today that 2K Marin is working on a sequel to BioShock, and that it is set for a fourth-quarter fiscal 2009 release, placing it around October.
In a conference call to its investors, Ben Feder, CEO of Take-Two, stated that despite the studio change, Ken Levine will still be working on BioShock 2, and he will be working on a new IP. A lot of the work will be done at 2K Marin, but thats not to say that Ken will not be involved. Hmm, this sounds like Ken may be focused m..."
What can only be described as one of 2007's top games, Bioshock is available through Valve's online community/store service, Steam. A lowered price is now set at $29.95 USD.
Unfortunately with Steam downloads you will not get a physical version of the game which you can hold in your hands, it will only be available through Steam as a download. Expect roughly an 8GB download.
As a bonus Valve is offering "Bioshock: Breaking The Mold" for download (pdf) which is an art book on the game.
"Bioshock
This atmospheric first-person shooter game drew players in to a unique dystopian setting and broke ground with a storyline that forced players to make moral decisions.
Portal
One of the most original (and funny) games in recent history requires players to solve puzzles using a teleporting "Portal Gun." It also features a hugely compelling character in the computerized guide GLaDOS.
Rock Band
The studio that created toy-guitar game phenomenon "Guitar Hero" cranked the volume ..."
"According to joystiq.com, "The studio hopes to bring the fallen aquatic utopia of Rapture to celluloid life through extensive use of green screen technology, an approach not dissimilar to Legendary Pictures' interpretation of 300. If the computer generated approach is deemed feasible and fitting, the focus can then shift to capturing BioShock's secondary (and uninhabited) characters."
The site adds, "The studio hopes to bring the fallen aquatic utopia of Rapture to celluloid life through e..."
"Yet more top-tier awards look set to be stuffed into the already-bulging BioShock trophy cabinet following news that the ambitious underwater masterpiece has been nominated for a staggering 12 gongs at the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards."
"In time with EGM recently regurgitated the rumour that BioShock would be "Cell-enabled" in 2008 comes new job listings at 2K Boston clearly indicating that some sort of work is happening on the PS3. Compound that with further rumours that a BioShock prequel is in the works and, well, you wind up with absolutely no confirmation and a bit of a headache."
Best games. These really depend on people's tastes. So, different sites have different lists. Here's what QuickJump (qj.net) has as the top games of 2007. Its an all around list that includes all current-gen platforms.
Whether they are awarding games on the high powered PS3, or the innovative and fast-selling DS, they have always looked at gameplay rather than graphics. Calling all Cars is a good example of this, winning an award for it's fun gameplay!
Kotaku.com recently held a "Reader's Choice Awards" in which regulars of the site could vote for their favorite game of 2007 from each console.
And while not everyone was happy with how the awards were conducted, the results were still tallied and winners were still announced.
Read below to find out who won. You might be pleasantly surprised (but then again, if you've been keeping track of the popular games of 2007, you probably won't be).
"While some readers may deride the respectability of certain review sources listed on Metacritics pages, theres little arguing with contributing numbers provided by IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy, Game Informer, Edge, 1UP, Play, and Games Radar.
Bearing that in mind, Metacritic has unveiled various "Best" and "Dud" games spread across a host of categories, which are as follows..."
"In a move likely designed to bolster seasonal sales and fend of the award attentions of rival software titles such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mass Effect, and Super Mario Galaxy, 2K Games has this week oiled and flexed its bulging BioShock muscle for all to see via a recap of the games current achievements."
"The following is a sample of the game deals in the store:
* Red Orchestra: 50% off, $9.95 total
* BioShock: 25% off, $37.45 total
* Call of Duty 4: 10% off, $44.95 total
* The Orange Box: 25% off, $37.45 total"
"The coveted award was bestowed upon the ambitious pseudo-RPG shooter by G4 TVs "X-Play" videogame channel during its "Best of 2007" awards broadcast. The critically acclaimed underwater epic led the evenings deserving recipients by also securing "Best Art Direction," "Best Writing," and "Best Original Soundtrack.""
"Before getting into Maxims top-ten selection, it is worth bearing in mind that its expertise and coverage in the world of gaming is marginal when compared to the print space it reserves for scantily clad female celebrities. Indeed, while you probably wouldnt rely on FHM for movie reviews over the likes of Empire or Premiere, you shouldnt place too much stock in Maxim when it comes to gaming especially if its sitting next to Edge Magazine on the shelf."
GamingShogun responds to the Top Ten Video Games of 2007, recently compiled by TIME. They end up disagreeing with several parts of the list and offer up alternatives.
The Top 10 According to TIME:
* Halo 3
* The Orange Box (although that is technically MANY games)
* Rock Band
* Super Mario Galaxy
* BioShock
* Call of Duty 4
* Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
* Mass Effect
* Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
* God of War 2
"Features presently appearing on Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 exclusive include a selection of new Plasmid upgrades and Tonic abilities, along with new Achievements and fresh interface enhancements.
The Xbox Live download, which is completely free, will also arrive as part of a special patch for those players enjoying the devastated city of Rapture on the PC format."
2K Games has announced that they will be offering a free download for additional content that will be added to Bioshock for Xbox 360 and PC. The download content that will be offered has not been stated yet but will appear on the official website of the game in the up and coming days. This content will be available next week.
Well an old rumor resurfaces yet again. Bioshock coming to PS3 sometime in 2008. While not alot of information released, but does that mean MS has yet to close the deal for Bioshock exclusive rights, only time will tell but remember this is just a rumor.
On that note PSP is expecting more MGS titles and nintendo wii is expecting to get some new Sonic games.
"I cant imagine anyone keeping the thing on all the way through the night without constantly knocking things over but this is something to own simply because of the coolness factor."
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) winners have finally been revealed to the public. Bioshock was awarded the Best Game award while Wii Sports was capable of snatching 13 different awards allowing it to steal the show. Then Crackdown was able to snatch best Action and Adventure game & Use of Audio award. Moving on, Okami won the the Artistic Achievement award which isn't surprising at all & best Original Score. Th...
The September NPD numbers were released today, and many thanks to sonycowboy at NeoGAF and the NPD for reporting and the actual numbers.
The September NPD tracking period is a five-week period: September 2 - October 6. With the software sales, I will also put the release date of each title, so you have a frame of reference.
Without further ado:
Hardware Sales:
PlayStation 2 215K
PlayStation 3 119.4K
PlayStation Portable 284.5K
Xbox 360 527.8K
Wii 501K
Nintendo DS 495.8K
Game Bo...
"The recently released financial results from Take Two Interactive for the third quarter of the companys fiscal year report, held a wealth of revelations. The most noteworthy was this quote from Chief Executive Officer Ben Feder: Our creative teams are delivering a strong and increasingly diverse product portfolio, including our successful new BioShock franchise.
Now that makes me think, BioShock franchise. First off you only call something a franchise if you are going to make more tha..."
"Publisher 2K Games has announced that BioShock is setting new records. First off, it has quickly become the fastest downloaded demo to ever reach the 1 million mark over Xbox Live. It was available to download on the Marketplace August 12th after a surprise announcement by Geoff Keighley on Spike TV. After only nine days of being released, the BioShock demo surpassed all the others in number of downloads. Secondly, it has secured the positions of all-time top ranked Xbox 360 game and the ye..."
This week. we covered a gamut of topics. We first talked a bit about our Wii Giveaway. Then we got into the banhammer that was dropped on Halo 3 Epsilon players and the 24 hour ban dropped on Call of Duty 4 beta fans. We talked about the free games that just came out from Ubisoft and EA, which we hope is a trend in the right direction for older games. We also hit on the Bioshock multiplayer issue and digital distribution being the savior of PC Gaming.
Bioshock currently does not have a multiplayer component. This was done by design by the Irrational Games crew. They have mentioned on several occasions why they focused on single player. Ken Levine has mentioned that the focus would make for a better single player experience because they would not be distracted by a multiplayer component. Several times in the past, Irrational has added multiplayer to games like Freedom Force and System Shock 2 with poor results.
You've seen the reviews. They rave about how the game, BioShock for the Xbox 360 is fantastic, giving it 100% ratings, but they don't seem to go into details why it's so perfect. Stuart Pearce of The Digital Gamer suggests that reviewers might have been 'blinded' by the awesome graphics and sound to notice the gameplay, one of the most, if not the most important aspect of the game. What about the gameplay? I'll leave that up to you to read at the source.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and BioShock ... what a pair, eh? Both are shooters, both with their own unique spin on the FPS genre, and both are flagship titles for their respective systems. So what's the difference? Well, one game, BioShock, was hyped to the stratosphere. The other, Metroid, seemed to suffer from a lack of attention until just before release.
So which one came out on top in the sales charts last week when Corruption debuted? The less-hyped Metroid pulled out the top spot. ...
With the recent SecuRom blunders regarding the PC version of the game BioShock, another outrage was created today as a member came to the official 2K forums asking if he would be using two of his five activations of BioShock, if he were to sign into another account and enter the serial number when asked for it. The response he got was a simple
The other way to view this, is one USER has purchased the game. Not the whole family. So why should your brother play for free?
2K Games has made the score to BioShock available for free download via 12 mp3 tracks. BioShock has received lots of good reviews for its gameplay and atmospheric elements, of which the soundtrack plays a large part. Click here to get it.
"The Leipziger Messe has named this year's winners of Best of GC, the fifth time the distinction has been awarded. And the winner in the Xbox 360 division is really no surprise at all.
There's simply no stopping BioShock.
"Underwater survival in a sunken Art Deco city, countering crazy inhabitants, and constantly faced with the dilemma of what is right and what is wrong: BioShock is the most intelligent, most bizarre shooter for years," cheered the jury.
The game has a mindblowing sco..."
A Massachusetts paper accuses BioShock of its gameplay, saying that gamers have a choice of either killing 'Little Sisters' for maxed out strength or saving them, but only getting half of killing them. Some gamers are a bit uncomfortable going around killing little girls and this could arouse some problems since if you spare them, you'll be half as successful. What do you do?
"Then there is the lingering question of the rumored PS3 version of BioShock found in the PC code. Levine responds quite clearly, "I promise you, there is no secret plan about the PS3 that we're keeping from people. There's no PS3 development going on that we're hiding. There's lots of stuff that gets into game code, plans change over time and we got an exclusive deal with Microsoft ... that's not a Rosetta Stone discovery.""
"A new patch is being developed to fix this problem on PCs, so that gamers will see more and not less. According to lead programmer Chris Kline on the 2K Forum site, The game will render in full 16:9 aspect ratio, with no letterboxing unless your resolution is not true 16:9 . You will see more in widescreen. We use a different projection matrix; there is no squashing or stretching of the image involved."
The title says it all. Is the new shooter, BioShock, going to be better than the long awaited Halo 3? Games Radar gets right to it with an article, featuring GamesRadar's Senior Editor, Joe McNeilly, rooting for BioShock and his opponent, Charlie Barratt, the Xbox 360 Editor going all out for Halo 3.
They review both games in story, setting, art, multiplayer and combat. In each part, they give their reasons to why their game is better, countering comments. Go to the source to see who emer...
GamePro has asked if BioShock would actually be coming to the Playstation 3, they got information that "they'd be wrong to think that it wouldn't", but later on of course. BioShock also uses the Unreal graphics engine, only supported by 3 consoles: The Xbox 360, PC and yes, the PS3.
"[Console]
;; Console (XBox360, PS3) specific settings
;; StreamingDynamicFloatingLimit:
;; If this is a positive number, then instead of using the fixed per-level
;; limits, the StreamingDynamic resource will use as much memory as is
;; available as long as the total memory allocated by the game is less than
;; the specified number. In other words, StreamingDynamic will grow and
;; shrink to fit to the available memory instead of being locked to a fixed
;; budget
StreamingDynamic..."
A user by the name of Paddywak posted on the 2k forums mentioning a graphics bug when playing BioShock on a wide screen resolution. This problem occurs on both versions of the game (XBOX 360 and PC).
As you can see in the image the red lines are the areas viewed (or loss of view) when playing in wide screen. Now, this is unsure of if it's the demo versions only (PC demo version only for sure) but was it the leaked copy 360 versions or the demo? Hopefully 2k can fix this issue and put out ...
FilePlanet.com is now hosting the PC version of the BioShock demo, already released for Xbox Live. One of the most highly anticipated games of the year and slated for release tomorrow Aug 21, download it to experience it now!
Everyone's favourite videogame activist and medical malpractice lawyer is at it again, this time training his aim on "Take-Two/Rockstar Games' Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock" and the ads for the game that ran during the not-at-all-violent and in-no-way-harmful-to-children" WWE Smackdown. Correct us if we're wrong (and we're not) but BioShock is developed by Irrational Games, no?
While you're waiting for BioShock on the PC (assuming you didn't already run off with an early Xbox 360 copy from a certain toy retailer), you'll soon have to option of downloading the game directly from Valve's Steam digital distribution service come August 21st. The game is already available on Steam for pre-order for $49.95 USD, so if you're not willing to head to retail for a boxed copy you can secure a direct download on launch day instead.
While it's more than likely that certain review outlets will score BioShock some way below its current critical threshold, there's little denying the pure force of weight with which 2K and Irrational Games' underwater FPS epic is presently flooding the market with (see what we did there?).
So, gather around and sea (hohoho) for yourself exactly how good BioShock really is.
Toy 'R Us has mistakenly been selling copies of BioShock early. Originally supposed to be released on August 21st, some eager gamers have already obtained the game. The error was first discovered when a member at the NeoGAF forums purchased a copy and posted photos of it on the forums. This caused other members to check their stores, with some having success and others having to suffer.
The people at 2K Games have released PDF files containing tons of concept art along with some new stuff most people haven't seen before. Even though the book is released before the game, there could be some potential spoilers in the book's foreword, so they suggest you skip that until after you've completed the game at least once. There are two versions: A smaller PDF file that you can view on your PC and a larger, high-res one that you can take to a Printshop to have bound into an actual book.
The wait for most is now over as the BioShock Demo goes live on the Xbox Marketplace.
You are not however, the only people to be waiting for the game to be released on the 24th of August, as the senior designer Joe McDonagh tells CVG how hard it was to actually get the game published.
- But according to senior designer Joe McDonagh many publishers turned their noses up at the title when it was initially being pitched around.
"For the past day or two the promise of a special announcement has been floating around on the Interweb regarding 2K and Irrational Games underwater epic BioShock. Well, that promise has now been duly fulfilled.
No, sadly publisher 2K didnt announce that the hotly-tipped FPS/RPG hybrid would arrive free to anyone prepared to legally change their name to Captain Nemo, nor did they reveal that each copy of the BioShock Collectors Edition would come with its own inflatable Big Daddy and ..."
"As many know, the Bioshock launch trailer premiered tonight on Spike TV during Kill Point. The news that everyone was actually interested in though was that fellow game journalist Geoff Keighley had a surprise announcement in regards to the game. Speculation quickly spread. Was it a PS3 announcement? A demo for Xbox Live users? Not giving a damn about whether PS3 owners get the game, I was hoping for a demo, even though I already have the Limited Collectors Edition on reserve. Thankfully I w..."
"There may be just two week until Bioshock is released on the Xbox 360 and PC but it seems as if we may not know everything about the title. According to internet reports, Irrational Games is set to make a suprise announcement regarding Bioshock on US Television this weekend alongside a new trailer. Speculation has suggested that the PS3 version is to be announced or perhaps a less exciting announcement of downloadable content is to be unleashed."
"While it seems to me there have been no end of BioShock trailers like this one or this one or this one, 2K Games has one last trailer for their spooky underwater adventure in store for us. The catch? We have to tune in to Spike TV on the night of Sunday the 12th to see it. All I can say is this had better be a damn fine piece of video game commercial film for me to want to take time out of my busy Sunday schedule of sitting around on my ass to flip the channel to Spike at 9PM Eastern to watch..."
The delay that has made many fans upset and angry, has also been a saviour for some game developers that no longer have GTAIV to compete with for christmas. Which will obviously mean that they will have more reason to release it before then, and will most likely be getting more notice from you than if GTAIV had released.
The games ofcourse are:
- Bioshock
- Army of Two
- Lair
- Haze
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Assassin's Creed
- Heavenly Sword
"n a recent interview conducted by Gamepro, Ken Levine, one of the developers working on the game, Gamepro asked him if the game would ever be seen on the PS3, he did not confirm nor did he deny the possibility of the game going on the PS3.However, he replied that Right now are focused on the X360 version.
GAMEPRO
GP: Also, another comment you might not be too open to talking about, but will we be seeing or hearing anything about Bioshock on the PS3 down the road?
LEVINE: Right now w..."
So many great-looking titles coming to the PC, and so little time to decide which to spend your money on. IGN is here to help, as they show us their top ten list for PC gamers:
10. Unreal Tournament 3
9. Universe at War: Earth Assault
8. The Witcher
7. Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
6. Half-Life 2: Orange Box
5. Crysis
4. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
3. World in Confict
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
1. BioShock
"The Hollywood Reporter claims today that Microsoft will cut the price of the Xbox 360 by $50 USD early next month. Their retail source says that the cut discount will take effect on August 8, traditionally a slow month for console sales.
The timing of the decision could also be even more significant. Just a few days after, Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 08 will hit the shelves, as well as other highly anticipated titles, including Irrational's BioShock and John Woo Presents Stranglehold from ..."
A couple of higher ups in Microsoft, Aaron Greenberg and Larry Hyrb confirmed the rumors. The X0 show X07 was canceled for this year. Xbox fans are disappointed because X07 is the show hosted by Microsoft dedicated to the Xbox 360. Last year, X06 had announcements such as Halo Wars, Banjo Kazooie 3, and Splinter Cell Conviction being a 360 exclusive.
"The tone from Microsoft tonight was one of celebration and anticipation, as they ran down their successes since the 360 launched and hyped their lineup between now and the end of the year. Peter Moore framed the discussing by recalling the blockbuster holiday season of 2004, which was driven by the Grand Theft Auto, Madden, and Halo franchises.
Moore stated that 'the only place to play all three games' this year is the 360. In addition to showing off other heavyweight titles like Mass Eff..."
2K Games and 2K Sports reveals their line up. Even though they do not surprise, it's still very satisfying to get some info on their upcoming titles. The list includes the well anticipated FPS Bioshock, next generation version of Sid Meier's Civilization (Revolution), the long awaited football game All Pro Football 2K8, and the new addition to the NHL franchise NHL 2K8. There'll also be a displaying of recently released FPS The Darkness.
Operating Systems:
Minimum System Requirements:
Recommended System Requirements:
DX9: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM ...
BioShock is said to be just around the corner, and though there have been some rather disappointing news, such as no onine multiplayer, you can't help but be interested in the game...for obvious reasons, see below.
"What about multiplayer?
Ken Levine: Not in this game.
Is that something
Ken Levine: A lot of people ask about it. If we had multiplayer in this game, BioShock would not be the game it is. You only have so many hours in the day.
The list of games that have ground-breaking [gameplay]
whether its GTA or, Im trying to think
even the initial Half-Life multiplayer was kind of a joke. Nobody played the initial Half-Life deathmatch. It wasnt until there was Counter-Strike.
I..."
"Take an in-depth look at the stunning upcoming game BioShock, as developer Irrational Games takes us behind the scenes looking at various aspects from the game, including its amazing world and interesting characters. The developers also explain some of the exciting aspects of the game and offer plenty of footage for you to gawk at."
A nice little preview of Bioshock. The article talks about the beginning of Bioshock. How you arrived there and about the Rapture city owner named Michael Ryan, who enforces the rule that the great will not be restrained by the small. allowing scientists to practice their trade without any sort of restrictions, whether its social, financial, or moral. Your main goal in Bioshock is to escape. But how can you? You are being stalked by a scientist who wishes to use his invention on you. The i...
The box art for the normal editions of BioShock for the Xbox 360 and PC have been revealed by 2K Games on their official website. The game comes out in August of this year and is starting to look very impressive.
"According to the Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Bioshock is in development for the Sony PlayStation 3 console.
The magazine states many times that the game is in development even though the thought up until now was that the game is going to be an exclusive for the Xbox 360 console.
The magazine mentions that the exclusivity of Bioshock is only a timed-exclusive for Microsoft. This means that the game will be an exclusive on the Xbox 360 but for just a short period of time. It will th..."
2k games had a contest where the users submit their artwork and the chosen winners art would be used as the box art for the Limited Edition version of BioShock. Well, the results are in and Adam Meyer took home the prize of a Limited Edition BioShock game, his art as the cover and on top of all that an all-expense paid trip to the BioShock launch party in August. Congrats Adam! very well done as well, I can see why it was picked as number one.
About two and a half weeks ago, we learned that a limited edition of BioShock will be released. We now know that the limited edition will be available from Gamestop Corp. The Limited Edition will include a DVD that goes behind the game, along with a CD that has the soundtrack of BioShock. Also, the cover of the game will be quite different. This game is coming out in August this year for the PC and Xbox 360, and it looks like the limited edition will be great too.
"Ken is back with Eric and me to talk about the evolution of BioShock over the years, from when it was but a gleam in his eye. He talks about the different iterations of the game, and the hurdles he encountered while developing the game."
![Box shot of BioShock [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvQWN0aW9uL1Nob290ZXI=/bioshock_frontcover_small_R6EJqajgCXlawC4.jpg)