…as performed by the “Wiener Chorus” from the recent trilogy of South Park episodes. I dare you to watch the entire thing. More than that, though, you should definitely watch these three episodes: Black Friday, A Song of Ass and Fire, Titties and Dragons. The episodes are phenomenal, but are best experienced if you’re already familiar with Game of Thrones. They’re on Hulu Plus, and available for &*#^ing free on www.southparkstudios.com, along with the nearly every episode of the show.
I made it to the seven minute mark myself. I was subconciously grinding my teeth by that point.
Bethesda is certainly showing that money is not an object when it comes to the production of The Elder Scrolls Online. They have released a new video that interviews some of the game’s more famously known cast including Alfred Molina, Michael Gambon, John Cleese, Malcolm McDowell and Kate Beckinsale.
Mmmm…Kate Beckinsale.
I am still sticking firm to not paying $15 a month for this game but I’ll be damned if Bethesda isn’t trying my resolve the more I hear about the game.
The Elder Scrolls Online releases on April 4th on PC and in June on PS4 and Xbox One.
Artist Dan Panosian has brought members of the Justice League into the world of steampunk with these two pieces featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg.
Batman looks a little like pirate Batman from Grant Morrison’s The Return of Bruce Wayne. I do love Superman’s look as well. Cyborg’s character was custom fit for the steampunk world and is well represented in the top work looking like the Vitruvian Man.
See the other piece below and let us know what you think about the mix of styles.
Before I reveal my choice for Game of the Year 2013, I’d like to take a moment and discuss the concept of “GOTY” selections. Awards and accolades seem almost inherent to the human experience; no matter the context, we have this ingrained desire to elevate one thing over others like it. We hold award events for everything from costumes to dogs to homemade flying machines and beyond.
In the entertainment world, this has taken the form of industry-wide events; from the Oscars to the Grammys to the MTV Video Music Awards, we take entertainment and try to qualify it. Some of these events are given more credibility than others, like an Oscar being “worth more” than a Golden Globe, and everyone seems to have their favorite program. Hell, the Razzies are an “award” event for the things people think sucked!
In the gaming industry, the Spike Video Game Awards has probably become the most public event, but their winners tend to be taken with a grain of salt by the large majority of gamers, developers, and even publishers. In gaming, there’s almost a Pokémon approach to GOTY awards; since almost every major publication makes a selection, the objective “winner” seems to be the one who catches ‘em all, so to speak.
Personally, I pay a lot of attention to the Game Developers Choice Awards, because I’m interested in what the people who make games consider to be the “best” every year. The selections from GDCA tend to highlight innovation and excellence in design more than profitability, though to describe some of the picks as “pretentious” wouldn’t be too far off base.
Personally, I think that GOTY awards have lost a lot of potency, though it’s possible they hold weight with investors that I’m overlooking, much like winning an Oscar can help boost an actor or director in terms of studio interest. The biggest direct result of the awards in recent years has been the advent of “Game of the Year” editions that include extra content, although plenty of titles have come around to this idea without needing a GOTY moniker. Of course, companies can go a little overboard when touting these accolades on a new edition…
2013 was an interesting year for my gaming habit; whereas recent previous years were overflowing with titles, this year seemed light on releases. The holiday console launch saw the usual field thinned a bit, as developers and publishers pushed titles back into the next few years. This was also the Year of the PC for me, and the creation of the Stargate SG-X saw a lot of my gaming time go into PC games from recent years that I wanted to experience.
To be 100% honest, picking anything other than[amazon_link id=”B00GXHISJE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] Fallout 3[/amazon_link] as my “Game of the Year” for 2013 is a lie, since no other game pulled me in like returning to the Capitol Wasteland with mods and non-existent loading times. Picking a game from 2008 was deemed “questionable,” though, despite the fact that Matt Lees over at Video Gamer has picked Dark Souls as his GOTY three years running.
All joking aside, 2013 had standout titles, and even a few unbelievably excellent pieces of gaming scattered about. For my part, I tried to pick experiences that made me think “I’m glad I play games. It’s a shame other people miss out on this stuff.” To that end, I think I’ve been rather successful.
Trey’s GOTY 2013: Thomas Was Alone
First and foremost, all credit goes to Beth for convincing me to play this game. We picked it up during the Steam sale this past summer, and it might have gotten lost amongst all of the other indie gems if she hadn’t played it first and insisted – on a daily basis – that I get around to playing it.
I’ve made a bad habit this year of falling into the “PC Master Race” mindset. As time goes by, however, I realize that the true power of a PC isn’t rendering individual hairs inside an enemy’s nose, but the accessibility to perfect little nuggets of gaming that can be played on even basic machines.
Rather than rehash my review, I’d like to focus on the exact reason this game tops the list: Surprise factor. Everyone I have talked to about this game has been astounded at how profoundly involving it is, at how effectively the elements come together and draw you in.
Please, please play this game. Don’t even tell me if you do; it’s not necessarily a water-cooler game. Do it because you’ll be a more content, slightly more complete person afterward.
First Runner-Up: The Swapper
I talked about The Swapper in my Halloween editorial, and my one-word reason for it is: Atmosphere. It’s amazing how threatened I constantly felt in a game where the only characters are you, your clones, and sentient rocks. There were moments when I legitimately did not want to proceed, gripped by dread of the sheer emptiness around me.
The game is also a visual marvel, as every asset is actually a real-world set, model, or miniature blended together with stop-motion and a rendering algorithm. The result is a world that in extraordinarily detailed, even down to the minutiae, without needing a $1500 rig to run it.
Photo courtesy digitaltrends.com
Second Runner-Up: [amazon_link id=”B003O6EB70″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]BioShock Infinite[/amazon_link]
There it is! I’m sure anyone who even perused my gratuitously loving review of Infinite is wondering why it’s not at the top of this list. I have an answer for you: It isn’t a surprise that Infinite is unbelievably good. Its pedigree demanded nothing else. The first BioShock changed the expectations for the most recent gaming generation, and became synonymous with what Triple-A gaming is capable of.
That being said, this game is just about flawless; it blends addictive, rewarding, challenging gameplay with storytelling that is genuinely affecting across the emotional scale. It is a masterpiece, a labor of love from Ken Levine and his team. I acquired it on PC during a recent Amazon sale, booted it up just to see how it runs, and ended up three hours into the game.
Honorable Mention: [amazon_link id=”B0050SWUTQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Space 3[/amazon_link]
Few games this year drew as much ire as Dead Space 3; between microtransactions, the increased action elements, and the inclusion of co-op, it was the focus of many poor reviews. For some, it stood for everything “wrong” with EA in recent years. I personally loved it, both in single player and in co-op, and feel it was wrongfully maligned. Also, Necromorphs are terrifying, period.
Fun. Raw, unmitigated, completely explicit and immature fun. You can read Erich’s thoughts on how much fun, or you could just go play it. Preferably in co-op, which is the best reason I’ve found in years as to why friends are a good thing. Go ahead, though, don’t play it. I won’t care, because I’ll be riding a velociraptor while listening to “Walk the Dinosaur.”
Latino Review has come across some rumors (which is what they are good at) about the Star Wars universe extending into the offices of Pixar.
There are no firm details because this is pure rumor but the rationale makes complete sense with Disney owning both Star Wars and Pixar, so a combination is likely to happen sometime down the road. The thought of it does sound exciting.
To anyone that would downplay this as a bad idea, I don’t get it. The Star Wars property is not hallowed ground that can only be touched by certain people. Pixar have made some of the best movies over the past twenty years whether they are animated or not and I, for one, want to see what they can do in a galaxy far, far away.
Now if you will excuse me, I will go watch the first twenty minutes of Up and try to hold in the hurt.
Frozen has become one of Disney’s biggest hits ever but how would things be if they were a bit more…not Disney?
Check out this video of some scenes from the movie that have some very well placed bleeps for a whole new Frozen experience. I would pay money to have a version of the entire movie like this.
If you were already on the fence about the myriad of Steam Machines releasing this fall (as I was), this may make you fall off completely, at least for one of them.
Alienware, whose Steam Machine has certainly been the most talked about because of its design, has delivered the facepalm of the day by announcing that their box will release every year in new iterations. Not only that, but the existing box you purchased will not be customizable like with a PC.
“Lifecycle wise, consoles update every five, six, seven years, we will be updating our Steam Machines every year. There will be no customisation options – you can’t really update it. The platform will continue to evolve as the games become more resource intensive.”
It seems like Alienware has lost what little sense Valve was trying to instill in these boxes. Some other variations come equipped with extra video card slots for future expansion. I can not perceive why Alienware would try to annualize a game machine like this. This isn’t a $100 Ouya. It is a machine that will, most likely, come in at $500 or more. Now you are asking potential buyers to play with a non-upgradable PC for one year before charging them again.
Has this hurt the Steam Machine’s already murky future? Will it make consumers look harder at the other brands offering them or turn them off to the concept completely?
The Eyes of Kenneth Mars seduce you into watching Raw. You will do anything the eyes say. You will watch a large, muscular man fit into clothes that were made for a 18 year old anorexic GAP model. You will cheer him for his name is….Bautista!
I mean Batista!
Almost four years after leaving, Batista returned to the ring and did…stuff. In the realms of big WWE returns it felt a little meh. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited as anyone that Drax decided to come back for one final run, but it seemed like there was nothing for him to do. He came out during HHH’s bitchfit at Orton and rode the bus on the ramp while pyro went off and flexed for the people then told Randy he was coming for the WWE World Heavyweight Intercontinental European Championship.
Join the overcrowded party of superstars that want to get their hands on the title including: Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, everyone else on the roster because that is what everyone on the roster is going to say even though it will not happen. You think Zack Ryder will ever Woo Woo Woo himself to a world title? Nope, but that is what guys are supposed to say.
The biggest thing about Batista’s return, besides him delivering a Batista Bomb to The Million Peso Man?
What the hell was Batista wearing?
Imagine this:
And put it on this:
Mental picture obtained? OK, now store it away with the things you should never think of again including puppy euthanasia and your grandmother naked.
The Shield were back doing what they do best last night which is winning six-man tag matches. No sense of a breakup even though we all know it is coming and the more I think about it, the more I want to not think about it like the trio of things I just mentioned above.
They spread the wealth this week and let someone other than Roman Reigns get the pin. Rollins hit his finisher on Big E. and props to the big man for selling it like it was truly devastating. With the rumors that the WWE will be unifying the IC and U.S. titles at Mania this plays into many scenarios. A Big E./Ambrose match to unify the belts. Rollins could beat Big E. and have two of The Shield members go at it or, my most wonderfulest of matches on my Mania wish list, a triple threat match between Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose for the IC/U.S. belt.
Technically, if they combine the United States and Intercontinental belts isn’t that kind of like the whole world? I see your mind games WWE! You think Total Divas was a mindfuck? We haven’t seen anything yet!
Of course I suck at geography. And math. And grammar. And comma usage.
WWE also celebrated the life of MLK with a couple of video packages and having both African-American superstars that wrestled lose their matches. Xavier Woods, who is a great talent but needs gimmick help right (stat) now, lost in quick order to Fandango. Yes, Fandango is still a thing.
Kofi had a rematch against Randy Orton but John Cena ran down to get revenge on the bag shitter for attacking his father. So Kofi stood there and cheered on the white man as he took out his aggression. Thanks a lot Cena. I am sure Kofi had a dream…of winning.
The saga of CM Punk vs. The Authority continued with Punk taking on the blonde member of the Voodoo Kin Mafia. Don’t get me wrong, I love when the Outlaws are on Raw. I still think they have one more tag title reign in them but the whole Punk/ Authority thing is boring me. We all know where it is headed. A boring match with Kane at Elimination Chamber and then a date with the Cerebral COO at Mania. Of all the people on the roster for Punk to face at Wrestlemania 30, HHH is on the bottom end of the list. I mean bottom. Like Khali bottom. Why not have a Summerslam rematch with Brock Lesnar? Bryan? Stephanie? DDP? A broomstick to see who is truly the best between him and HBK?
I will give you one guess who Alberto Del Rio had a match with? The master of the 619 (and knee injuries) Rey Mysterio!
The Usos beat The Wyatt Family again with a little help from the newly freed Daniel Bryan. The WWE took almost 40 minutes to even talk about the insane crowd reaction to Bryan’s attack on Bray Wyatt last week which still kind of reeks of neglecting the fact that Bryan is the biggest thing in the company to come along in the past ten years.
I am surprised that they are letting Bryan have a one-on-one match at the Rumble considering the concussion he got on last week’s Raw. Apparently he didn’t remember a lot from his cage match and the ensuing crowd riot afterwards. He was taken out of house shows this week and given all the concussion tests and was cleared on Sunday. With Ziggler still out, scarier and scarier every day, with his concussion from Skip Sheffield I thought the WWE would be a bit more careful with Bryan. That is, unless, they have big plans for him Sunday. Like winning the Rumble match big. If they are having him wrestle against Wyatt only, that is a waste when he could be clearing the cobwebs for another week.
This may sound so 2002 but besides the Rumble match itself I am most looking forward to the Brock/Big Show match on Sunday. We all know Brock will be winning but this is a good first match back for Lesnar leading into Mania. Him and Show work well together and it is not exactly expected to be a MOTY so we may be surprised on Sunday.
If anyone doubted Brock’s ability to lose himself in the madness they saw it last night as he went one on one with the announce table. Jesus, did he beat the holy hell out of that table with a chair and then, not content to just pull monitors from the table, launched one at Show in the ring. He almost went full Steiner.
I actually watched an entire Divas match and had to watch A.J. lose…to a Funkadactyl!
The longest reigning Divas Champion ever lost to Brodus Clay’s former spirit squad. But on the upside, she was African-American.
EQUALITY! It’s what the E in WWE stands for.
Since this was the go home Raw before the Royal Rumble how did things end? If you were thinking a big melee in the ring involving a lot of superstars in the Rumble match to get everyone ready for the WWE’s most entertaining match of the year, you would be so, so wrong.
That would just make sense.
Instead we got Cena chasing Orton up into the crowd and through a skybox.
Keep hope alive! It could still get good! Will Cena give him an AA in the skybox? Maybe Orton gets the upper hand and RKO’s Cena on the t-shirt table!
Orton ran outside and jumped in the passenger seat of a car and got away leaving Cena and his glass-cutting nipples to high-five fans in the frigid cold. No mention from anyone about who was driving. No Rikishi. No “I did it for The Rock”
Nothing.
Just Cena standing there with what I am sure was serious shrinkage to contemplate that he has to wait alllllll the way till Sunday to hulk up in his new neon green attire.
In case you missed it they debuted new Cena crap last night including a shirt, hat, wrist bands and towel. All retina burning neon green and all worn at the same time by the world’s brightest gorilla, and I mean the color of his clothing, not his intelligence. Good God was this shit bright. If you reached for the volume button on your remote, I would not have blamed you for the mistake.
Get ready for the Royal Rumble on Sunday. It should be fun…or severely disappointing. Kind of like the year Del Rio won.
NBC has released a trailer for the upcoming second season of Hannibal and…..damn. Just…damn.
The first season was a cornucopia of weird killings perpetrated by Hannibal Lector while he implicated Will Graham as the killer. Now, as Will tries to plead his case from behind bars, Jack Crawford and company try and discover the truth. By the looks of things at the very end of the trailer he finds out just that.
Hannibal returns on February 28th. It was, by far, my favorite new show of last year.
The first trailer for Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, was creepy, moody and got me excited to see the movie.
This one…not so much.
It has taken away any aspect of this being a movie solely about Sleeping Beauty’s villain and looks like a live-action telling of the children’s novel. I have seen Alice in Wonderland. I have seen Oz: The Great and Powerful. This new trailer makes it look like this will be more of the same instead of something unique.
If you were already on the fence about the myriad of Steam Machines releasing this fall (as I was), this may make you fall off completely, at least for one of them.
