Blogcritics Author: Igniq

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

World of Warcraft Trading Card Game On The Horizon

Igniq — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 03:38:32 EDT

It has more than 6 million players, a movie in the works, and more buzz on the Internet than Jesus and George Bush. What more could the World of Warcraft possibly need to get players enticed?It seems the answer to that question is a trading card game. That’s right, a trading card game.Upperdeck Entertainment intends to launch its official World of Warcraft tabletop card game this October. According to Upperdeck, the game is based on Blizzard’s MMORPG and will enable “players to explore Azeroth as never before.”The game boasts artwork from some of the industry’s top pros and it does look pretty flashy. Each card pack will contain UDE Point Cards that have codes on them. These codes, according to the site, will let players earn TCG cards, promo items and “distinct cosmetic upgrades for your online World of Warcraft character.”There’s the hook. Players of the card game, or at least buyers of it, will have a chance for in-game rewards if the boasting is correct. While I’m not a fan of trading card games, that would make a deck or two worth the purchase price.The cards are set to debut in October. A starter pack with 33 cards built for one of the nine character classes with 2 booster packs will cost $14.99. The UDE store can be accessed here for preorders.WoW’s popularity is phenomenal in the MMORPG world and it looks like this out of game enhancement might only increase it. While it’s hard to picture the game’s 30-something players running out to buy cards, with the potential for in-game bonuses they just might.And if the cards weren't enough, WoW can now be played on Linux and cross-realm battlegrounds are in the works.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Marvel, Virgin Sign On With Planetwide

Igniq — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 02:29:50 EDT

The folks behind the wildly popular Comic Book Creator have picked up two more big names to add to the title's stable. Both Marvel Comics and Virgin Comics have signed on to have their own versions of the software made.The huge news is that Planetwide has signed a deal to create a specialized version of its software that will enable buyers to put their own spin on Marvel’s extensive lineup of super heroes. Marvel characters like the X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four, to name a few, are all part of the deal. Included in the deal are the rights to create booster packs, as well.Also announced is the upcoming release of a specialized version of the Comic Book Creator software for Virgin Comics. This deal will enable fans of comics created by the likes of Deepak Chopra to create their own stories. These comics are a little new on the American front, but they are taking off. The Planetwide release doesn't give a date for this title, but does say it's coming soon.The popular Comic Book Creator software enables comic and gaming fans to create their own personalized comics using famous characters, and not so famous ones, as well. The creator enables the drafting of actual comic books for printing, e-mailing or even use in a blog. A pretty darn cool idea that looks like it’s more than taking off.The main Comic Book Creator software costs about $29.99 retail and can be found online in a trial version also. The Marvel version is due out Aug. 25, and fans will find they will soon have a location to post their work for the world to see.Planetwide Games has multiple deals working for its creator software. Big game makers like Sony have already signed on to enable their gamers in EverQuest II to use the software. It seems there’s no end to the application and perhaps now Marvel fans will be able to make their version of the Fantastic Four a little cooler than the big screen did!Check out all of Planetwide Games’ titles at their official site.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

PSP Ads Are Beyond Idiotic

Igniq — Fri, 7 Jul 2006 22:38:34 EDT

A new line of Sony PSP ads touting the upcoming white PSP goes so far beyond reasonable decorum they defy description.The ads, which have been rolled out in Amsterdam, are so racially charged it would take a four-year-old about two seconds to realize they’re just plain wrong. In the ads, a white woman with bad hair and a mean scowl is grabbing the face of a black woman. The writing on the ad simply proclaims: “PlayStation Portable White is coming.”Makes me want to rush out and buy three or four PSPs – not!Kind of makes you wonder who got paid to create this campaign and why. What the heck was Sony thinking? OK, it would appear as if Sony isn’t thinking, at all.Per Joystiq, Sony, it seems, is claiming the ads are meant only to show the contrast of colors the PSP offers. They’re not meant to send any other message. Well, that’s just great, but it still seems rather odd that looking on the Dutch PSP site it appears as if Sony’s trying to market the white PSP to whites and the black one to blacks.Perhaps Sony really didn’t mean anything by it. Maybe they thought having ads where it appears as if one person is about to put a serious hurting on another is a great way to sell their new PSP. Maybe, just maybe, the racial issue never occurred to them.Yeah, right! Sony's been in trouble before over its PSP ads with much less offensive material. They should know better.And while there are some images shot for the campaign that have the black woman dominating the white woman, the question still remains: What the heck does this have to do with a portable gaming console?

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Superman Returns Gaming Gear Abounds

Igniq — Fri, 7 Jul 2006 18:07:06 EDT

While Hollywood accountants are crying over what they categorize as disappointing receipts for Superman Returns, gaming stores are loading up on franchise-related items to celebrate the movie’s debut.According to Entertainment Weekly’s online site, the movie had grossed only $84.2 million going into Independence Day. It grossed $21 million alone on its June 28 opening day. The movie is reported to have cost $300 million to make.While it will take Warner Bros. a few more days to make back its money (makes you almost want to cry), there’s no doubt some serious cash will also be raked in by the franchise on the gaming front, too. As they say, it’s all in the merchandising, baby!And when it comes to merchandising, this franchise more than takes advantage of it.Evidence of this abounds at video game stores where everything Superman can be found. Just about every gaming console can be dressed up in Man of Steel style, and then there are the controllers, too.What’s really amazing is the fact the game isn’t due out until Oct. 31 per EB Games and the shelves are already overflowing with merchandise to help add to the franchise's coffers by what one can only guess will be a tidy bundle.When released, the Superman title will be available for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance. More information on the game, which is being put out by EA, can be viewed at their official site. In the meantime, the “Super” game items are aplenty. Per EB Game’s site, they include:Gamer Graffix Xbox 360 Superman Returns Skin, $14.99Superman Returns Wireless PS2 Controller, $29.99 Gamer Graffix PSP Superman Returns Skin, $9.99Gamer Graffix Xbox Superman Returns Skin, $9.99Gamer Graffix PS2 Superman Returns Skin, $9.99Gamer Graffix PS2 Slim Superman Returns Skin, $9.99Superman Returns PS2 Controller, $24.99Superman Returns Minicom PS2 Controller, $19.99Still to come, of course, are the games themselves, a Gamer Graffix ICON Skin for $19.99 and the official strategy guide.The game will include a full recreation of the 80-square-mile Metropolis and will allow players to travel “anywhere and do anything in Metropolis as Superman.” It’s set up with missions and mini-games.It’s sounding pretty cool and the EA site makes it look even better.If Man of Steel mania is as strong as the video game front makes it out to be, my guess is this franchise will be a major winner even if the box office receipts are cough sluggish.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Video Gamers Not Immune From Politics

Igniq — Thu, 6 Jul 2006 15:56:13 EDT

It seems the tension of real world politics extends even into the cyber world. One of last year's winners in the Electronic Sports World Cup refused to defend his title during this year's event (June 30 – July 2) due to conflict in the middle east.According to Digital Battle, Saudi Arabian gamer Badr Hakeem refused to defend his because he would have had to play against an Israeli opponent to do so."Unfortunately, the draw put me against an Israeli player and due to our stand against the Israeli aggression and occupation of Palestine, I raised my voice and said there was no way I was going to play against this guy," Hakeem said.The ESWC was created in 1999 to bring gamers from all over the world together for competition in a variety of video games. Titles played in the competition range from Counter-Strike and Quake to Gran Turismo 4. Each year, the ESWC and its partners hold qualifying competitions all over the world for teams or players to compete in the ESWC Grand Final.The event is designed, per the ESWC's site, to entertain and "present the world of new digital leisure activities to as many people as possible. Every year, the ESWC attracts a live audience of 20 to 30,000 spectators, and several tens of millions watch via all of the different media providing coverage."Hakeem's decision is clearly his prerogative, but it's kind of a sad commentary on the global situation. While I have to applaud the guy for being willing to give up something he clearly enjoys to make such a strong statement, I have to wonder how this could possibly help his cause?Is this one Israeli gamer responsible for all the problems plaguing Israel and Palestine? Can this action actually effect a change? Did Mr. Hakeem hurt anyone other than himself by withdrawing?The answer to all three is most likely a huge no.The sad fact of the matter is for all Mr. Hakeem knows, the Israeli could be a very nice guy who's more interested in gaming than politics. He might just judge books by their contents rather than their covers. It's even a possibility that the Israeli gamer doesn't even agree with his own country's politics, but Mr. Hakeem will never know because he wasn't willing to give it a chance.Perhaps when people (gamers included) finally decide to judge people based on who they are rather than where they're from and they're willing to take a leap of faith to find out, this world will be a better place. Until then, I guess we're all damned to be hated by some simply for the flags under which we were born.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Anti-Video Game Law Remains Blocked

Igniq — Thu, 6 Jul 2006 06:58:13 EDT

Although proponents thought the Louisiana anti-video game law would receive a warmer reception from the court system, it seems Federal Judge James Brady doesn’t see any real difference between the law drafted in part by Jack Thompson and all the others shot down by the courts to date.Brady has extended his suspension of allowing enforcement of the new law that seeks to ban some (just about every) video games for sale to minors. He’s even questioned the lawyers who are defending the proposed law on how exactly they think it doesn’t violate freedom of speech.At issue is a law drafted by Thompson and passed unanimously in Louisiana’s legislature. The law seeks to make it illegal to sell, rent or lease a game to a kid if it appeals to a minor’s “morbid” interest in violence, depicts violence in a manner that’s offensive to the standards of the adult community, or if a game lacks literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors. In general, the witch hunting law seeks to ban just about every video game on the market.The Entertainment Software Association and the Entertainment Merchants Association instantly dragged the state into court upon Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s signing of the bill, despite some lawyers’ feelings the law could not be challenged.During a June 30 hearing, Brady, according to the Shreveport Times, said he failed to see how the new law didn’t violate freedom of speech and he also was at a loss to say how it really differed from others that have been turned over by the federal courts in the past.Brady told those present at the hearing he thought the violence in games is “horrible, but it’s protected. Whether we like it or not, violence is protected." The judge is expected to rule sometime this coming week on whether to grant a temporary injunction against enforcing the law.Interesting to note is the fact that the state’s assistant attorney general, Burton Guidry, has vowed to fight the issue up to the Supreme Court. It seems Louisiana is willing to write a blank check for this issue, but not for hurricane recovery and future preparedness. Amazing.However, it would be nice for someone to actually bring the issue all the way to the Supreme Court and get it over with once and for all.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Aussies Won’t Get Stuck In the Middle

Igniq — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:05:13 EDT

Australian gamers won’t get a chance to play Eidos’ Reservoir Dogs title when it comes out later this summer. It seems the Office of Film & Literature Classification has deemed it too violent for the folks from down under.According to APC, since the country doesn’t have a restricted title classification, the violence level makes the game unclassifiable. This means it’s going to be illegal to sell in Australia. Right now games have to fit into one of four categories to be sold there: G, PG, M, MA15+. Seems Reservoir Dogs the game doesn’t fit any, per the office, but the movie does.Fickle, huh?The game is a first-person shooter based on the popular Quentin Tarentino movie of the same name. In it, players get to negotiate their way through the aftermath of the infamous movie heist gone bad. Additional plot lines from the movie are explored, too. Players can actually find out what happened to Mr. Pink and the diamonds.I’m not going to expound too much on another country’s laws, other than to say this is precisely what Americans have to watch out for. There are plenty of people who would be perfectly happy to have America’s censoring system match that of Australia, completely taking the right of self-censoring away from the viewing public.Be warned.Reservoir Dogs is due out in August for several platforms, including the PS2 and the Xbox.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

New Xbox Controller In The Works, Maybe

Igniq — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 21:21:03 EDT

Ferrago is reporting that Xbox’s Peter Moore has said the company might just be working on a new controller for the Xbox 360. The new design would be more simplistic and intuitive to make the system less overwhelming to players — especially young children.Forget the young children, I’m intimidated with what’s out there now. Controllers, all in all, are just too darn complex for a lot of folks (me) to master. I’m not the most coordinated of individuals and while I love the 360 and its games, I stink at them. It’s not for a lack of understanding on how to play or what to do either. It’s just because my fingers won’t hit those dang buttons fast enough. I can find the letters on a keyboard, no sweat. Give me a controller with Y, X and A, B buttons and I’m lost.Moore said Microsoft is interested in "any way that we can play and make games easier and more intuitive, that takes the intimidation factor away from what is a pretty complex device now when you look at the controller."I say whew and about time!The MS role model it seems isn’t the Wii controller. Rather, it’s the Atari 2600 joystick. Regardless of inspiration, any improvement will be welcomed by those of us who can be counted as less than coordinated gamers.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Halo 3 To Launch Day Before PS3?

Igniq — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:11:39 EDT

Microsoft appears to have its battle rifle poised to fire a shot right over Sony’s bow. It seems the Halo 3 release date might just be Nov. 16, one day before Sony’s launches the Play Station 3.Kotaku came across the little tidbit about the Best Buy site. It seems other retailers, like EB Games, haven’t set the date in stone as of yet, but that doesn’t mean Best Buy’s guess isn’t correct. (EB, in fact, only has the graphic novel listed on a search for Halo 3, but hey, maybe they’re behind the times?)With the back and forth between Microsoft and Sony heating up in prep for the PS3 launch, the release date would be a huge coup for the Xbox 360. Bill Gates has been quoted as saying that kind of timing would be "...perfect. The day Sony launches, and they walk right into Halo 3."Just imagine all those gamers lining up to get their hands on the PS3 and realizing the 360 is not only cheaper, it has some major new Master Chief action, too!Add to that the speculation Microsoft intends to lower the 360’s pricing in time for the PS3 launch and the entire concept of the Halo 3 release date coinciding with the PS3 launch gets even more interesting.While Sony says the PS3 will be powerful enough to replace a PC, and it even has the not-so-highly-sought-after Blue-ray technology, can it compete effectively against a price-reduced Xbox 360 and a shiny copy of Halo 3?Looks like we might get to find out in November.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.

Xbox 360 Price Drop Coming?

Igniq — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 11:12:51 EDT

It seems the folks over at Microsoft are considering a new tactic to compete with the PlayStation 3 when it makes its debut later this year. A price drop of about $100 is being reported by several sources on the net.From Kotaku:A new version of the Xbox 360 would be cheaper to manufacture and debut about a year after launch. If they hit their targets, the Microsoft would be able to cut the costs of its console in the autumn of 2006. Microsoft would have the option of slashing the price of its console, just as rivals come out with their first consoles.If the information is correct, the price drop would make the 360’s core system cheaper than Wii when it releases and a whole lot more affordable than the PS3.While this isn’t confirmed from Microsoft as of yet, the move would be brilliant for making the 360 appeal even more to gamers and with Halo 3 on the horizon, it might just push the 360 to the No. 1 spot in the next-generation console war when it really heats up this holiday season.

Igniq.com has been online since early 2004, providing news updates, opinions and other interesting info for PC/video gaming fans.