I spent part of my work day today reading a beginner's guide to Eve Online (when you work at a game company, these activities are called "research"). Even after a couple hours of reading it, I'm still overwhelmed with the level of content that is within that game. 

It took less time to learn how to shoot an M16 in the militray, and that can kill someone. no comments

Coming exclusively to the Playstation Store this week, is Hello Games' Joe Danger. What is it, you ask? Well, the game looks to play a lot like the brilliant Trials HD, albeit a slightly less serious, more feature-packed version.

As you can see from the video after the break, the game looks straight-up awesome, and features a split-screen multiplayer mode, in addition to an extremely neat looking on-the-fly level editor. Go check it out!

If you think the game looks awesome, and just can't wait for it to come out, then you're in luck; the game released in North America on June 8th, (thanks for the heads up, Sony!) for the price of $14.99. The game is also set to release in Europe and Australia on June 9th, and will retail for €14.99 EU or £9.99 UK -- there doesn't seem to be any confirmation on the Australian price yet.

As previously stated, Joe Danger is a PSN exclusive; sorry Xbox owners. Check out the video after the break.

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via Joystiq

I just saw these new guitars for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock today, and all of their gasp-inducing ugliness. Seriously, do they really expect anyone over the age of 12 to want to have these guitars sitting in any living room across America? Poo poo, Activision, poo poo. Not only is the title of your new game ridiculous, but these instruments are ghastly. no comments

This week's downloadable title is a treat for 16-bit era gamers, as the HD remake of Earthworm Jim is set to release on XBLA on June 9th, for the price of 800MSP.

For the uninitiated, Earthworm Jim was originally developed by Shiny Entertainment, and was based around the premise of an earthworm who accidentally stumbled across a bionic suit, and became a superhero. As well as being quite literally insane, the game (and the resulting cartoon show) was a lot of fun, and introduced some of the 16-bit era's most quirky characters, such as Peter Puppy, Psy-crow, Evil the Cat, and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head (really!), as well as some pretty unforgettable moments in gaming history, like, say for example, launching a cow into space using a fridge and a see-saw (yes, really!). Let's just hope that Gameloft do a good job with the remake.

As a special treat, I have not only included a trailer for the game after the break, but have also included the Youtube videos for one full episode of the cartoon, so hit the link for much old-school goodness. Seriously, why are you still reading this? just click the link already!

All TV show footage is property of NBC


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As some of you may already be aware, we are one of two gaming websites here on the Bloguin network; the other being The BBPS. Anyone who listened to the their now defunct podcast, The Bitcast, will know that the guys behind The BBPS have decided to start up a new site, called Perpetual Geek Machine, and with it, have started a new podcast too.

As I understand it, the new site will have a much broader focus, and will feature anything and everything geek related, and not just games, so expect to hear much talk about movies, tech, and a whole bunch of other stuff too.

Episode 1 of the PGM cast is available to download here (iTunes link), or can be streamed from the site. The site is still in its infancy, so there's not much content up for now, but be sure to check back over the next couple of weeks to see how things are shaping up. no comments

So what you see here is my Rockstar Social club detail page for Red Dead Redemption. As you can tell from the way-long picture above (sorry but you had to see it in all it's glory) I've  completed almost half of the game, collected 3 of the outfits and discovered most of the map. You can compare your stats with those of your friends like I did here with Mark. 

Is this not some of the best online stat-tracking you've ever seen? I really like the way this looks and how easy it is to see what has and has not been done. Only problem? You have to sign in to Rockstar, set up another miscellaneous online profile for a game company and actually use the Internet to access it.

As awesome as this feature is... couldn't they put this in the game? I know the info is in the game, but the menu interface is so clunky and "D-pad dependant" that I only wish the image you see above would be displayed on my game screen if I hit the back button twice. How nice would that be? no comments

I just found my next Halloween and/or Cosplay costume. I already have pretty much that exact outfit! Now if I could only grow a hunky 5 o'clock shadow. Hmmm...*strokes smooth, stubble-less chin*. no comments

My childhood fave board game, and what ultimately led to me joining the Navy, Battleship, is available now on the iPhone for $.99, and I strongly suggest you buy it, shipmate.

Slick graphics, short-enough-to-not-be-annoying battle animations, multiplayer, ranking system, and some fresh new game modes that are surprisingly fun (including an awesome "Super Weapons" mode), and you've just spent the best 12.9261 pesos of the last three months of your life, buddy. no comments

Sounds about right to me.

full Game Informer article no comments

As an arcade racer, the premise for which sees you driving at break-neck speeds around racing circuits rigged with explosive charges, all whilst being filmed for a TV show, Split/Second Velocity is every bit as exhilarating as you'd expect it to be. It's difficult to describe just how frantic things become when a building in the foreground suddenly collapses in front of you; the camera is showered with dust and dirt, while the track itself is littered with sparks and debris. The resulting shock-waves cause your steering to become loose, whilst your rivals start to slide out, and wreck all around you; all while you're getting ever closer to the thick cloud of opaque black smoke which has obscured a large section of the track. It's in these moments that you know that, for a fraction of a second at least, you'll be racing blind, and that your only option is to pick a line, floor the accelerator, and hope for the best. To say that it's intense, doesn't do the game any justice whatsoever.

These are the moments you'll remember most after playing Split/Second Velocity, and thankfully, these moments are what the game does best. However, the game also has a laundry list of things which it doesn't do quite so well, and while none of them ruin the experience (far from it, in fact), they certainly detract from it.

Probably the first thing you'll notice, is that the handling of the vehicles doesn't seem quite right. Generally speaking, the handling of the vehicles often feels just a little too stiff and heavy, and understeer tends to be a real problem. That is, until you start drifting, in which case oversteer then becomes a problem; the cars in Split/Second Velocity need very little convincing to go sideways when drifting, and you'll likely find yourself wrestling with the games controls when trying to control your drifts. However, this is alleviated somewhat when you start to unlock better cars, which thankfully happens both quickly, and steadily, throughout the game.

Another problem you'll likely encounter, is the acutely aggressive enemy AI, or more specifically, the overly-aggressive catch-up system the game employs to try and keep things competitive. In an attempt to try and minimise the impact of wrecking – which happens extensively – the game employs a catch-up system to try and keep races both interesting and fair. Ironically though, this system often causes the enemy AI to catch up too easily, and it becomes nearly impossible to break away from the rest of the pack. When the shoe is on the other foot though, you'll find it difficult to break away from the back of the pack, and it can be almost impossible to catch up to the leaders once they've been given a chance to build up a substantial lead. It's a system which owes more to Mario Kart than any other racer, and it times it can be incredibly unfair.

Despite its faults though, there's something about Split/Second Velocity that makes it extremely difficult to put down, and when you do, you usually find yourself itching to play it again an hour later. This is because the game is, at it's best, thrilling, and genuinely a lot of fun. There's no mistaking that the game has its fair share of faults, but the gameplay itself will cause your heart to beat so furiously in your chest, that you'll be willing to overlook many of them. no comments