CES 2012: Gameloft

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - Although Gameloft did not have an official presence at the 2012 CES, we still managed to connect with Jessica Lewinstein, Gameloft Corporate PR Manager to have a sit down to foster a relationship between Gameloft and GamingNexus.  It is no secret that mobile gaming on Android, Windows and iOS devices is on fire right now, so it is only natural for GamingNexus to want to expand into this realm.    However, I was actually a bit surprised at how many titles that Gameloft has on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, DSi, Wii, PSP and Samsung connected devices in addition to the mobile world.  They also have released games from some of the most well-known brands in gaming including Assassin’s Creed, Brother in Arms, UNO and many more.   Sean, Ben and I would like to give a big thanks to Jessica for meeting with us and as Gameloft continues to develop titles in the future, we hope to bring you more coverage from the company.
 

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/CES-2012-Gameloft/Item25294.aspx

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CES 2012: Nukotoys

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - One of the great things about CES is being able to meet with someone that has a cool new product that you may not normally come across.  That started right on the first day of the show, as we met with Co-CEO and Founder Rodger Raderman of Nukotoys to get a hands on with the companies upcoming Android and iOS releases Monsterology and Animal Planet.  What Nukotoys has been able to do is blend the traditional card-based games along with iOS and eventually Android to create a seamless way to enjoy the benefits of both mediums.  Their goal was to create games that were fun first and educational second, without realizing hoe much you are learning.  They have accomplished this via their Tap technology, which introduces the physical cards into the digital realm by tapping them on the front of the device.  Although Rodger was not able to share with us how it works, it does not involve the camera and is very slick and something you will want to check out.   Monsterology is inspired and taken right from the pages of Templar Publishing’s Ology book series.  While it also has some roots in Pokémon, it is a tactile, turn-based game that uses creature from myth and folklore such as the Cyclops and Kraken.  The demo we received was on an iPad, but the game will also be playable on the iPhone and iPod touch.  The way it works is similar to other trading card games in that you use your Monsters with the best attributes to try and win the different battles.  Rodger showed us a capture-the-flag scenario in which he had to come up with the proper monster and power-ups in order to defeat his AI opponent and capture all areas of the map.  After getting the brief demo, it is clear that Nukotoys has something with Monsterology.  It should appeal to many types of gamers and is rated for those that are six years of age and up.  I particularly was impressed with the integration and the attention to detail the company put into this product.   When Rodger started the demo of Animal Planet, it immediately reminded me of the interaction you get with Kinectimals on the Xbox 360.  You can interact with them in a variety of ways, and it’s doubtful you will get bored as there will be 50 exotic animals to collect within the title.  Much attention was paid to the animals themselves to give them as realistic look and actions as possible.  Much like Monsterology, it will ship with two animals and you can add more from retail if you would like to expand.  It is also very educational, as their will be photos and videos that are accessible to players that want to learn more about the animals they are interacting with.   One cool feature within the games is that you can take your collectible cards with you and Tap in on a friend’s iOS or Android device.  While you are playing, the Animal or Monster on the card will remain, but will eventually fall off your friend’s device.  So this gives you the ability to take your stuff on the go, but alleviates the worry of having to switch it back to your own device at a later date.  Make sure you tap in the cards to your primary device first, as it is tied to the original device it is set up on. The cards will be available at Wal-Mart, Target and Toys-R-Us in a variety of packs for both titles.  Pricing is expected to be $1.99 for an intro pack of three collectible cards and $3.99 for a seven-pack.    However, if you do not want to purchase the cards, everything will also be available digitally for the same price points in the applicable digital store.  The Apps themselves will be free for both iOS and Android (when available, probably March 2012), but the cards will be need to be picked up in either digital or physical bundles.     I was very impressed with how both games work and believe this is one of the most innovative ways that a company has intertwined the physical and digital mediums into one big happy family.  The price points on the cards (both digital and physical) are well within reason and I am eager to get my kids involved to see if they will enjoy them as much as I did in my demo.  Nukotoys has promised us the ability to review the titles when they arrive in March, so expect something later this Spring.  


Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/CES-2012-Nukotoys/Item25293.aspx

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Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD set for a Q2 release

If you got excited over Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD's recent remaster and still haven't gotten enough Oddworld, you may be happy to hear that Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD has been confirmed via Just Add Water's Twitter to be coming by the end of Q2 for PS3 and PlayStation Vita.

Originally released as a launch title for the Xbox, Munch's Oddysee was the second chapter of the unfinished Oddworld pentalogy. I personally never got a chance to check it out because I was too distracted with Halo: Combat Evolved and Brute Force, so I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a shot. Just Add Water also released a comparison of Munch's old model with his new one and seeing just that improvement has me excited already. I'm a sucker for HD makeovers.

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD coming Q2, see Munch's new model [Joystiq]

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CES 2012: Polk Audio

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - Over the last several years, we have reviewed a number of high-quality products from the folks at Polk Audio that impact the gaming audio experience.  Almost all of these have been speaker bars or the Hitmaster, which were designed to give gamers and home theater enthusiasts a larger and broader audio experience than they could get just form using TV speakers.  This year, Polk Audio had a pleasant surprise waiting for us, as the Speaker Specialists are now getting into the headphone (sport and noise-canceling) business.  They had previously announced both the UltraFit and UltraFocus series last June for a Fall release, but this was the first time I was able to get a hands on with either of them.   Both the UltraFocus 6000 (ear buds) and UltraFocus 8000 (over-the-ear) have really become a necessity for Polk Audio, as consumers continue to move away from the fixed location in their homes to more mobile gaming and entertainment.   I will start with the UltraFocus 8000’s as they are just an absolute beast of a noise-canceling over-the-ear headphone from what I can tell.  They fit like a glove and the audio and noise-canceling quality was some of the best I have come across in this class.  Granted, it was in a limited test with a handful of songs, but I really liked what I heard and saw from them.  They have a great look with the Kevlar texture on the top piece and they sound exceptional.  I also liked the 4.5 foot cable and the 8 Hz – 25 kHz frequency response.  I have been using “Ain’t no rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant lately as a test song and the UF 8000’s handled it with ease, hitting the bass lines perfectly and delivering the intricate details of guitar riffs.  With the UF 8000 due out later this spring with an MSRP of $349.99, they will make people think twice about plunking down money on those other brands at that price that deliver an perceived image and status level and not the audio quality that enthusiasts crave.  Expect a full review later this year once we get a pair from Polk to put through the paces.   As for the UF6000 ear buds, they are very sleek and look impressive sporting their black finish and tangle-free Planar (flat) cable.  Although they are light, they just have this feel of a high-quality bud due to the design and all of the small details that Polk put into them.  Some of the specs include 56” cable, seven different tips and adapters for Nokia and airlines and they have active noise-canceling.  The in-line controller uses a single AAA battery and has push-to-hear tech built in.  After testing them out in Polk’s suite, you could tell that the rated frequency response of 8 Hz – 25 kHz was spot on from the songs I tested.  Like any ear bud, the bottom line is about comfort, because no one cares how good they sound if they don’t feel good in your ear.  After popping the UF6000’s in and out a few times, I can say that people wearing these may well forget they are in their ear, as they just kind of blend in and do not have any pressure points that I could tell.  We hope to take a look at these in the near future as well, as they hit retail in March 2012 with an MSRP of $149.99.   Also on display from Polk were all four of their UltraFit headphones, which are comprised of the UF500, UF1000, UF2000 and UF3000.  These are designed for the active user and although they come in a variety of size, shapes and colors, they all have the Polk quality on the inside.  We also were treated to the current trio of wireless subs and a demo of the absolutely amazing LSiM speaker package (towers and center seen in image below.)


Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/CES-2012-Polk-Audio/Item25292.aspx

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Vita RPG Ruin sees a name change; is now
Warrior's Lair

Upcoming PS3/Vita RPG Ruin has, apparently, undergone a bit of a name change. It is now being referred to as Warrior's Lair, a decidedly generic moniker of Renegade Ops proportions. 

While Ruin was definitely a more unique title, there's probably some good business sense behind this; the upside to generic RPG names is that you know exactly what you're getting. It could also be that, with the 3DS getting Heroes of Ruin sometime this Spring, they wanted to avoid brand confusion. Regardless, I want it; we just need a release date. 

PS3 / Vita RPG 'Ruin' now called 'Warrior's Lair' [Joystiq via IGN]

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CES 2012: Microsoft gaming on the floor

by: Dan Keener
NEWS - Although the 2012 CES has ended, I wanted to put up a quick post on what games Microsoft was demonstrating in the booth to general attendees at what looks to be their last CES in the foreseeable future.  There were a total of 15 gaming stations open to event attendees, as well as several more in the meeting areas above the show floor.  The first six stations were of games that have already been released.  Included in this group was Forza 4, Skyrim, Halo Anniversary, Call of Duty MW3, Batman: Arkham City and Gears of War 3.   The unreleased titles that were available to play were two stations dedicated to Microsoft Flight as well as the four titles (I mentioned them earlier) that make up the House Party release on XBLA later this year: Warp, Nexuiz, I am Alive and Alan Wake’s American Nightmare.   Finally, there were three areas dedicated to the Kinect, which seemed to feature games already released such as Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports 2.


Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/CES-2012-Microsoft-gaming-on-the-floor/Item25
291.aspx

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Tips for securing your Xbox Live account

_{[Dtoider Magnalon has some great tips to protect your Xbox account from being hacked. - Kauza]}

Lately, we've been hearing stories of an increasingly alarming Xbox Live hacking issue, and the lack of care and concern that Microsoft has exhibited in some cases. Sure, just being hacked is beyond inconvenient, but users also risk losing access to their accounts for extended periods and the horrible possibility of having to speak with Xbox support. Yikes.

In light of all of these issues, I thought it would be a good idea to share some security tips. Read on to learn the best ways to avoid having to put yourself through a Microsoft nightmare.

Choose a strong password

There are many schools of thought in regards to passwords. My philosophy is "you can never be too complex as long as you take the time to remember it". While this comic comically indicates that a longer simpler password is more secure than a shorter complex one, a longer complex password is not out of the question; provided you're willing to learn it. The comic does have a point though - passwords under ten characters, even in "l33t speak", are easily compromised. If you're not comfortable with complex passwords, let Xbox Live be your first exercise.

Make sure this password is only used for Xbox Live - a number of people are claiming that they use the same password for their EA account, which is linked to their Live account - this may be causing issues (the same can be said for Activision's Call of Duty Elite, and Ubisoft's uPlay). To avoid spillage, make sure you change this password every so often. You can change it every month, or every few months if you wish.

Additionally, it doesn't hurt to update your information and secret question/answer, so that you can recover your information from Xbox Customer Support in the instance you forget your password.

Do not link your Credit Card or PayPal to Xbox Live

As a general rule, you can buy cards at major retailers for both subscriptions and Microsoft Points (MSP). This is easily the most secure method of conducting business over Xbox Live.

However, in some cases you will need to link some method of payment - for instance, Microsoft will require you to input a method when buying the Xbox Live Gold Family pack, or any other special offer found through Xbox Live or Xbox.com exclusively. You can subvert this requirement by grabbing a Visa Credit Gift Card from pretty much anywhere. Unfortunately you'll have to pay $2-5 in fees to nab this card, but as long as it has an expiration date and CVC number on the back, you're good to go.

As a last resort, for people who are against limited payment options, linking PayPal can be acceptable as long as it's not linked to your bank account, but I'd recommend the above two options. Keep in mind that Microsoft stores all old credit card information - you can clearly see it on your Live homepage in account settings - while this is most likely encrypted (and a hacker would only be able to view the last 4 digits of the card), it's still a security issue, so link cards at your own risk.

If you're having issues with removing a card, even with auto-renewal off, it is most likely because this card is associated with your Xbox Live subscription. To get out of this, attach a pre-paid Visa card (after you link it to the account as the "second" payment method), then switch your account over to that card, then delete your primary "real" card.

Beware of Social Engineering

This goes beyond the typical "do not respond to random Xbox Live messages of people asking for your password promising Call of Duty prestige levels". Social Engineering can be as simple as someone you know finding your password written down near your computer. It can be as complex as someone stalking you over the web using your alias, Gamertag, or description in your Xbox Live Gamer Profile, to find PII to use against you in a hack attempt. People will also attempt to find information through means such as community profiles, Facebook, Twitter, Raptr, or other such gaming communities.

To be blunt, make sure you're not putting too much information out on the web. There's an old saying - "once it's on the web, it isn't coming out". Watch how much PII you put into your Xbox Live Profile. While you may think it's ok to state your exact address and full name, the wrong party can easily use this information to either steal your account by calling Xbox Live customer Service, or locate more information about you online.

I've literally seen people take pictures of their Government IDs and share them over public Facebook posts to show how proud they are of their new job. Always make sure you're thinking twice over what you put on the internet.

Beware of Software Attacks

Social Engineering is a security compromise based on human interaction and trickery, but software and machines can also compromise your account. Keyloggers are malicious programs that can detect keystrokes and passwords, and enable hackers to access your information. Internet pirates are probably familiar with "keygen" software and other such programs - these can be Trojans, and install software on your machine. Additionally, things as harmless as Windows Media Player videos and Internet Links can install software as well through loopholes in WMP and IE. As a general rule, do not use IE, and do not use WMP - when you download a video, attempt to open it in a third party program (I use VLC).

However, despite how hard you try, 99% of the computers in the world will get a virus or two in their lifetime, but there are a number of ways to combat these breaches. You can install a host based firewall/intrusion detection system (Windows comes with one for starters); Adware/Spyware removal; and Anti-Virus software.

A word of warning: be careful with Anti-Virus software - often times the software will prey on users, and will be malware itself - even reputable companies. For instance, I refuse to use Norton because of how much it can make a mess of your system. I like Malwarebytes and AVG - both have free versions that offer less protection. Ensure that your firewall is constantly running, and your software runs automatic updates and checks (at a convenient time, like when you're at work or asleep) every day. The key is to keep the software updated, to avoid zero day attacks.

While this may seem like it's the ramblings of a paranoid android, keep in mind that you can never be too secure.

Feel free to follow as little or as much of this as you're comfortable with.

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Yep: Origin required for all PC versions of Mass
Effect 3

Physical and digital PC versions of Mass Effect 3 alike will require Electronic Arts' Origin, according to developer BioWare. In slightly less annoying news, unlimited game installs are allowed and access to the single-player campaign requires a one-time authorization rather than a constant Internet connection.

But what about Steam? It is conceivable that ME3 could eventually make an appearance, but for now, the plan is to hit "Origin and a number of other 3rd party digital retailers" during initial release.

The reasoning behind this decision, once again, comes to: "Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content." I'm feeling pretty good about my save data for this series being tied to an Xbox 360.

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Mass Effect 3 Gives Steam a Miss at Launch

EA blames Valve for Mass Effect 3 not appearing on Steam.

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I Shoot Many Robots (and you can too)

We've been watching the progress on Shoot Many Robots pretty closely since its reveal last year at GDC and it's come a long way in that time. P. Walter Tugnuts' quest to save the world from killer machines struck a chord with me early on with a down-and-dirty approach to the side-scrolling shooter and an emphasis on character customization.

As it continues to edge its way to release, Demiurge offered me an opportunity to check in on that progress with a preview build of the game featuring the first three stages. I can confirm that there is still a seemingly endless supply of robots to shoot and to do so is to know joy.

Shoot Many Robots (Xbox Live Arcade [Previewed], PlayStation Network, PC)
Developer: Demiurge
Publisher: Ubisoft
Releases: 2012 

Shoot Many Robots feels built to be a cooperative experience even at the beginning. The challenge level feels just high enough in these initial stages that while playing solo you're likely to wish you had an extra pair of hands to help you out. Since the difficulty scales up with more and tougher robots as you add more players, that comfort level (or lack thereof) persists even when they come along for the ride.

Demiurge wisely allows players to join a friend's match regardless of whether their own progression has reached the selected stage but it's a double-edged sword. In an effort to familiarize myself a bit and not feel totally humiliated in my playthrough with the developers, I had deceitfully snuck in a few runs of the first stage ahead of our scheduled time to play together. As a result, when the time came for us to begin, I had them at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of abilities which translated into my soundly beating them out for high scores at the end of each stage we played. Meanwhile they put me at considerable risk by adding more enemies to the mix and not being able to kill as effectively, so I had to adjust my strategy to make sure I could keep them alive if necessary.

This problem (if you can even call it that in a game where the competitive aspect is such a secondary element and a skilled player appears capable of carrying another through a stage) is both caused and solved by the character customization system. As you destroy robots, they leave behind nuts which are then exchanged back at Walter's RV for new weapons and equipment. Killing consistently to maintain a combo streak earns multipliers for these nuts, so racking them up starts to happen in fairly swift order and anybody who's lagging behind in terms of experience should be able to outfit themselves with more advanced gear without much pain and suffering. Nonetheless, this could turn off some players early on, particularly if they hop on the bandwagon a fair bit later than their friends who'll make short work of enemies while the newcomer struggles to kill anything.

But once that customization starts to open up, it goes swiftly into a full bloom. Walter can be equipped with primary and secondary weapons, headwear, backpack and pants. These items confer all manner of bonuses from increased health and damage to granting abilities such as sliding or hangtime which lets you drift in the air and avoid all those filthy robots on the ground.

There are a ton of these unlocks available and they become very pricey the higher you go, so the completionist is likely to have a lengthy road ahead of them. The range of benefits they offer provides considerable options for the player who wants to specialize or even just goof around attempting less beneficial combinations based solely on their visual appearance.

Stage design also lends itself well to this equipment system, particularly in the way Demiurge creates replay value. Some stages consist of traveling from one end to the other, while others require you to kill waves of enemies in a survival situation. This latter type offers victory in two forms, as bonus waves extend the length of the stage beyond the point necessary to unlock the next level. These bonus rounds are significantly more difficult and it's expected that you'll probably have to come back to the stage to successfully finish them once you've improved your gear and gained more experience. But they're also a fantastic way to accrue nuts quickly, as the steady stream of enemies in a confined space makes it easy to keep kill combos going.

So, to sum up, we have an endless supply of robots which need shooting, hundreds of weapon and equipment unlocks which facilitate said shooting of robots and an accessible multiplayer formula whereby your friends can help you shoot even more robots. Now, if only Demiurge would just tell me when I get to do all this stuff, I'd be a happy camper. All we know is that it's coming "soon" and "soon" can't come soon enough.

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