Mastering the Craft: Blood of The Werewolf

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Games don't frustrate us these days. Not in the way they used to. Seldom in recent memory have I been confronted with a puzzle I just wasn't fast enough to solve, or a gauntlet of enemies I couldn't defeat through sheer respawn attrition. There have been a few exceptions (I'm hesitantly looking at you Ninja Gaiden Black) to that rule, and many of those were frustrating due to poor design. Blood of The Werewolf seeks to change that. 

World of Tanks 360 Edition: This War Has Changed

Tuesday, September 24, 2013


I've been playing World of Tanks on my PC for a number of years. I've seen the game change many times since I started playing. From the addition of larger and more powerful tanks, to the physics engine and graphical overhaul of 8.0 and beyond. The changes I've noticed in Wargamings first console port are by far, the most drastic.

From the mechanics of upgrading and purchasing new tanks, to the way the games flow, everything has been noticeably adjusted or overhauled. The game feels significantly different from top to bottom. At first blush, I was a little disappointed to see the World of Tanks I knew so altered. The more I play, however, the more convinced that most of these changes are good.

How Do We Say Goodbye?

Thursday, September 19, 2013
image credits to reddit user: edavid21


I was at my desk at work today when I heard that Hiroshi Yamauchi, the man who put Nintendo on the map, passed away. He was among the founding fathers of the video game industry. It's difficult to cope with the loss of industry pioneers like Yamauchi. We're still a very young industry, as events like this make starkly apparent.

PAX Prime Press Q&A, via Alpha Geek Radio

Wednesday, September 18, 2013


Micheal Sayre, Morgan Weir, Steven Hammond, and I attended the Press Q&A with Mike and Jerry on September 1st. We have our own audio of the session, but while I have been hemming and hawing about how best to make it available, Todd Whitehead over at Alpha Geek Radio posted their recording of it.

You should give it a look,
PAX Prime 2013 - Media Q&A with Gabe and Tycho, via Alpha Geek Radio

The Play's The Thing; Thoughts on Foul Play

Tuesday, September 17, 2013


Foul Play, by developer Mediatonic, tells the ripping tale of Baron Dashforth, the secretive and mysterious daemonologist. Using a platform of the classic vaudevillian play, you act out portions of Dashforth's autobiographical tales, along with the assistance of his ever faithful sidekick Scampwick.

The Games I Play Today

Friday, September 13, 2013


The majority of my gaming time used to be spent largely with big name titles from large developers. On any given day, I would prefer Halo, Battlefield 3, Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect to smaller titles. Consoles were my primary platforms for play, with my PC serving more as a stereo than anything else.

Times have changed lately. More and more, I've been playing independent titles over large studio games. While I still enjoy playing many major releases like Borderlands 2, the vast majority of my time has been given over to the indie games. Why? For the longest time I couldn't put my finger on it.

Give me More Papers, Please!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013


Papers, Please is the independent game that is currently absorbing the lives of every game writer and journalist, the world over. It's described as a "Dystopian Document Thriller," which is accurate, but doesn't exactly smack of intense gameplay. Trust me though, Papers, Please will make you sweat. 

First Glance: Nekro

Monday, September 9, 2013


Forgive the massive title, I am just in love with the art for this game!  How often do you get a protagonist who looks like Onimusha's Guildenstern is an actual badass?  To be honest, this poster was the first thing that attracted me to this game (shush, I can be shallow, too!)  I should also add that creature design (according to the creators, Burtonesque) is awesome, playful, and quite creepy.  Then again, that's just what makes it great, the use of cell shading as only an outline also adds to the cartoony allure of Nekro.

Bionic Dues: Mechs vs. the World

Sunday, September 8, 2013

 

Arcen Games doesn't want their games to go easy on you. Bionic Dues places you immediately into a no win situation. You're a trainee, freshly inducted into the Corps. You are able to command huge, powerful mechs, but you face hordes of machines bent on your destruction. You'll have to be crafty, and you'll be required to use every tool at your disposal. Win the day, and you'll become the front line of defense against a relentless army. Fail, and all of humanity is lost.

Interview with Erik Mona of Paizo

Friday, September 6, 2013

This last weekend at PAX we had an amazing opportunity to talk to Erik Mona, the publisher at Paizo. In addition to autographing our books, Erik took the time to sit down and and chat a bit with us about where Paizo and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game have been, where they're going, and some insights into what they've been thinking along the way. So without further ado....
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Video Games Live: Leveling Up With Tommy Tallarico

Thursday, September 5, 2013


Tommy Tallarico is no novice in the video game industry. He has been a composer of video game music for over 23 years, and has worked on over 300 video games (a Guinness World Record). His prolific catalogue of works includes titles like Earthworm Jim, Disney’s Aladdin, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and franchises like Madden, Mortal Combat, Metroid Prime, and many more (thus the Guinness Record).

11 years ago, Tallarico (and Jack Wall) began a labor of love called Video Games Live, a tremendous symphonic and visual spectacle with a focus on audience interactivity. The whole point of this undertaking for Mr. Tallarico was to “prove to the world how culturally significant video games have become.”

[UPDATE] Kerbal Space Program .22 Update Details: A PAX Prime Bonus Report

Wednesday, September 4, 2013


Kerbal Space Program has been building steam for a while now. We sat down with creator Felipe Falanghe, developer Chad Jenkins, and PR manager Bob Holtzman to talk about KSP in depth. Along the way, we were able to get a first look at some of the new features coming in update .22. So without further delay, here is what's next in KSP.

Treads and Steel: An E-Sports Evening to Remember

Tuesday, September 3, 2013



Sunday night, we had the pleasure of attending the World of Tanks Championship. Hosted by NVidia at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle, the championship hosted five teams from around the world, competing for a grand prize of $20,000. It was a very memorable night for the teams involved as well as the spectators.