Former GTA Developer Explains Why He’ll Never Make Violent Games Again
Video game violence and its potential link to actual violence has become one of the hottest topics in our culture. Any time a tragic incident like the Sandy Hook shooting occurs, we see many politicians pointing a finger at the entertainment industry. For an interesting change of pace, today we have the issue discussed from the point of view of someone who used to make violent video games for a living, but has now turned his back on that style.
Nintendo Clarifies Official Stance on Player-Created Video Content
There’s a sense among game companies that Let’s Play videos represent a threat to their business. In a day and age where story-driven content is everywhere, being able to just click into YouTube and actually watch a game’s story without actually buying or playing it could potentially cut off sales. And it’s true – I’ve seen plenty of people avoid buying a game and instead defer to watching the core story on the Internet.
Nintendo’s been taking YouTube a lot more seriously lately, which made a lot of LPers nervous that they’d start cracking down on Let’s Play videos – which are technically derivative works of copyrighted material and could be blocked outright in conformity with the law if Nintendo wished. However, Nintendo’s stance is a bit different.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf – A Day in the Life of a Mayor #1
Last night, I arrived in the quaint little seaside town of Saria. I was hoping to start a new life, but it looks like I got a bit more than I bargained for. You see, once I arrived, the townsfolk mistook me for the fellow who was supposed to become their new mayor! It seems like a blur already – all I remember is checking in at the town hall, planting a commemorative tree in the plaza, and getting approved for a loan from this strange character named Tom Nook…
Since then, I’ve been stumbling along, trying to figure out this whole mayor thing. It’s hard work, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it!
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against SEGA and Gearbox Over Aliens: Colonial Marines
The uproar over Aliens: Colonial Marines continues. Thousands of excited gamers experienced a severe case of buyer’s remorse when they purchased the long-awaited video game sequel to the Aliens movie franchise. As it turned out, the fantastic trailers and demos that were advertised as “actual gameplay” were a far cry from the finished product, and many felt that Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford had lied to them. One such dissatisfied customer has taken his complaints to the next level. Damion Perrine and the law firm of Edelson LLC have opted to file a class action lawsuit against Gearbox Softworks and producer SEGA.
Ratchet & Clank Movie Revealed, Hits Theaters in 2015
Move over, Wreck-It Ralph; there’s a new video game movie in town. Insomniac’s beloved Ratchet & Clank series is getting its own theatrical movie. Insomniac will play a hands-on role with the film’s production, screenplay, character development, and animation consulting. Additionally, T.J. Fixman, who has written all of the recent Ratchet & Clank games, is writing the script for the film. Unfortunately for fans of the series, you’ll have to wait until 2015 to see it, but the first trailer is available after the jump!
Mother 3 Fan Translator Offers Script to Nintendo Free of Charge
With Nintendo’s surprise revelation that Earthbound/Mother 2 is coming to the Wii U Virtual Console, many Mother fans are wondering if the other two games in the series could see their first ever US release. A group of dedicated fans translated Mother 3 in its entirety into English, and should Nintendo ever decide to bring the game stateside, they have made a rather interesting offer.
What Do You Think of the New Legend of Zelda for 3DS?
Well, Zelda fans – it’s finally happened: a new The Legend of Zelda game has been announced for Nintendo 3DS. The game melds the pseudo-3D top-down style of the DS games with the old-school artwork of A Link to the Past to create a new adventure on that timeless and beloved world. It also introduces new mechanics that take advantage of the 3D effect on Nintendo 3DS: seamless travel between multiple floors in dungeons and Link’s ability to fuse with walls as a hieroglyph to traverse dungeons in ways that wasn’t possible in the classic perspective.
I’ll deliver my impressions of the game soon, but for now: what do you guys think of the new game so far? Do you like the presentation and gameplay that’s been shown, or would you have preferred a game more like Ocarina of Time 3D? Are you excited to return to the world of A Link to the Past, or would you rather have explored a new world?
Share your thoughts in our community poll!
Community Poll: What Do You Think of Mewtwo’s New Form?
Last week, a new Mewtwo form was unveiled, and the response from Pokémon fans has been pretty diverse. Some love that Game Freak’s tapping into the original Pokémon lore; others hate that they’re infringing on the purity of the classics. Even among our staff, there’s a pretty wide palette of opinions.
We’d love to know what you guys think, so we’ve set up a community poll that covers most of the more prominent positions on the subject. Click below to submit your thoughts!
CoroCoro: Recently Revealed Mewtwo-Esque Pokémon is Mewtwo’s New Form
Pokémon Smash recently revealed a new Pokémon with a striking resemblance to the first generation Legendary Mewtwo, but so far the official Pokémon website has only acknowledged that the new creature appears to have a connection to Mewtwo. However, the latest issue of Japanese publication CoroCoro has confirmed that this is Mewtwo’s new form.
Cliffy B Shows Support for Adam Orth, Always Online Xbox
Following rumors that the next Xbox will feature an always online structure, Adam Orth found himself in the center of an angry internet mob when he expressed little concern for those without a steady internet connection, suggesting that they get with the times and tagging his post “#dealwithit.”
Shortly afterwards, it was discovered that Orth, previously listed as a Creative Director at Microsoft, had found himself unemployed. Whether his job status is directly related to the Twitter tirade (which the company distanced itself from) or not is unknown, but it wasn’t long before the internet was flooded with jokes at his expense.
This whole incident didn’t sit well with Cliff Bleszinski. Following the reports that Orth is no longer working at Microsoft, the former Epic Games developer took to his blog to show his support for both Orth and the idea of an always online console.
Download Two Brothers Soundtrack EP Free For a Limited Time
A while back we got our hands on the Two Brothers soundtrack teaser, dubbed Two Brothers: For Science!, and soon after it was available for all the supporters of the Two Brothers Kickstarter. If you missed out on the opportunity, developer AckkStudios is giving you a second chance! For a limited time only, you can download Two Brothers: For Science! free of charge, courtesy of the AckkStudios twitter page.
‘Clockwork Empire’ Makes Zelda the Hero, and Link the Royal
Fan-artist Aaron Diaz of Dresdan Codak, inspired by Anita Sarkeesian’s discussion of women in video games, decided to imagine a Zelda world where the princess is the hero and Link is the damsel-man in distress. The result? “Clockwork Empire” – and a set of impressive fan-art and conceptual work.
The idea pulls in some under-used elements of the Zelda universe, including the once-mentioned land of Calatia, as well as a number of stuff that’s only been mentioned in the accursed CD-i games. You can see some of the concept artwork by clicking below.
