Bitmob.com

Does anyone who's playing the Starcraft 2 beta feel like it deserves an Adults-Only rating?

News Blips:

1

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

Best Crackdown 2 developer quote to take out of context (at 1:42): "There's nothing more satisfying than seeing bodies piling over the car and exploding into particle fireworks." 

Video Blips:

2

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

In this episode, the Internet's ubiquitous funnyman/former Super Friend Seanbaby joins Bitmob's own Dan Hsu, Demian Linn, and Brett Bates to celebrate the Mobcast's 50th episode. The group discusses their favorite and least favorite games, frustrating experiences, great moments in video game history, gaming-related birthday memories, and which titles from the past and present will the crew still be enjoying in 2060. 

Have a community topic you want to hear the crew discuss? E-mail your suggestions to letters@bitmob.com, subject: Mobcast.

Zune Link (must use Internet Explorer)

Direct Download (right click save as)

Subscribe via RSS

7

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

Editor's note: A nerdy twist on a classic set up: Who would you want to make your perfect game? I like Chase's approach here, because I feel that the industry -- and games journalism -- needs to spotlight the talent behind the keyboards much more so than they do currently. -Rob

Since the dawn of time, humanity has entertained a little conversation starter. In it, you name three individuals you would like to invite to dinner. Some people restrict it to the living only and others allow anyone; really, it’s up to you what rules you want to follow.

My list has always consisted of Benjamin Franklin, Paul McCartney, and Conan O’Brien. But since this is Bitmob, let’s tweak the game a little.

8

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

Okay, so not really. But according this commercial from the '80s, he might as well be. Chef Boyardee had a line of Pac-Man-themed pastas that came with meatballs, without meatballs, and in chicken flavor. Just see for yourself [via The Retroist]:

I recently had a can of Chef Boyardee pasta. Man, I used to be able to eat that stuff without a problem. I gagged on its contents due to the cloy sauce. I can only imagine what this tie-in food product was like. 

2

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

If you thought April is a historically light month for video games, you would be wrong. There are some major anniversaries coming up this week. This installment of This Week in Video Game History gives us an opportunity to celebrate a classic game that is still very relevant, curse gamers for avoiding two fantastic titles, and confirm that arcade cabinets are perfect for a show about nothing.

April 18

1994 -- Super Metroid is released in North America. Usually, I will list the first worldwide appearance of a game, but the Metroid series has had a very unique relationship with North American audiences. Of the many noted Nintendo franchises, Metroid seems to be one of the few that is more popular in North America than Japan. This game, however, stands on its own, and has become one of the highest regarded games of all time. The heart of Super Metroid is still beating strong, inspiring modern releases like Shadow Complex. For more, head over to Area 5 to see a great discussion about the game by notable journalists (including Hsu).

2006 -- Final Fantasy 11 makes the leap to the next-gen with its Xbox 360 release. Two days later, it hits store shelves in Japan, but no one noticed.

2006 -- HD-DVD makes its North American debut. Again, no one noticed.

9

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

This week's Reviews Spotlight pokes fun at Japanese blondes, examines the charm of a talking meatball, and starts feuds in the name of White Knight Chronicles.

For What it's Worth: ATHF Zombie Ninja Pro-Am
By Ryan Conway
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is, without question, the strangest show on television. The surreal, sometimes morbid antics of Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad require a particular sense of humor to enjoy. But because I happen to be an admitted fan of this off-color show, I assumed that a video game based on the property seemed like a good idea. Fortunately for me, Ryan remedies that assumption. Hailing it as "one of the worst games" he's ever played, this Bitmobber takes readers on a hilarious ride, explaining why Zombie Ninja Pro-Am is worth less than a cup of coffee. If you're curious about the show, watch this.

One of the Best Games You Never Played...Startopia
By Tony White
For a game that lampoons sci-fi legends like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Startopia has gone relatively unnoticed by the mainstream gaming media. Tony explains that this BAFTA (basically, the British Oscars) nominee deserves a close look. From sly pop culture references to a challenging metagame, Startopia seems to have covered all possible bases. One question though -- what's a Turrakken?

1

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

If the pollen level doesn't die down soon I might not be around to write the next Community Spotlight....Treasure this one as I attempt to pull through the haze of allergies and an insidious cold.

Pour One Out For Halo 2
By S. Robert Delk
This week marks the end of original Xbox Live support. Live radically changed online gaming and Robert remembers it best through the multiplayer experience of Halo 2. I never played the game with other people, but I feel for those who are losing their favorite online pastime.

Red Dead Redemption – Sandbox for Western Fans
By Michael Bradley
Michael’s anticipation for Red Dead Redemption manifests in an imagery-laden glance at the life of a merciless wild-west bounty hunter. I felt myself reel from the description of spitting through cracked lips. This is an absolute must read.

0

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

This is just a shot in the dark, but people who buy a Kindle are looking to read, not play Super Mario Bros. That didn't stop KLab, a Tokyo-based company, from creating a clone of the Kindle Developer’s Kit (KDK) and a Nintendo emulator. The game is clunky, in black and white, and doesn't have sound, but it's a start for those who crave more out of their digital-reading machine.

The company didn't stop there -- they also made working versions of Tetris and Load Runner. Obviously, I wouldn't expect to see this on the market anytime soon. What's next? Hacking a GPS unit to play Mario Kart Wii? Wait, that would actually be awesome. Start working on that, KLab, will you please?

3

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

It's always good to see a guy who pretty much works exclusively on big, tough, manly-man war games can get a little dorky, too.

Robert Bowling, creative strategist at Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward, has an unexpected, geekier pick for best war movie (though it's a lot more obvious now that he points it out). He has a great guy in mind for his real-life Spec Ops partner that will make some of you giggle. And his favorite video game of all time doesn't even have any guns in it.

Let's see what Bowling has to say in our latest installment of 21 Random Qs.

1. Favorite game gun from outside of the Call of Duty universe?

Robert Bowling: The Lincoln Repeater from Fallout 3. Something about one shot popping the heads off some Super Mutants with freedom bullets from Abraham Lincoln gets me giddy.

12

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

So you want to write about video games? You love playing video games, you love writing -- and everyone told you that you should do what you love, right?

If you truly want to break into the business, it's going to take some work. The Tutorial is a series of articles about video game writing that will better prepare you for what's ahead -- or help you figure out if it's even for you.

In the first installment, we'll take a look at freelancing, which will probably be your first step. Recently I've begun freelancing in addition to working as Bitmob's Community Manager. (See, it works!) I thought I had it made: free games that I could write about! Sure there was no pay, but, free games!

Within an hour of playing my first game for review, I realized that this wasn't going to be everything it was cracked up to be. Nothing shows how much work freelancing can be than forcing yourself through a terrible game. And this is in your future, Aspiring Games Writer.

But don't take it from me. I touched base with Bitmob's own Demian Linn, who has sent many freelancers right to the bottom of the review pile. Demian pokes holes in some assumptions I had (and you may share), while providing a dash of optimism for those willing to put the work in.

Andrew Hiscock: How did you find freelancers?

Demian Linn: When I was at EGM, I would hear about possible freelancers in a few different ways -- from my editor-in-chief, Dan Hsu, from other editors at our parent company Ziff Davis, and occasionally freelancers would email me directly. The conversion rate on that last one was very low, though; I found most of my reliable freelancers through my coworkers' word of mouth.

20

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody:

Just wait until you find out what you signed up for with Bitmob's terms of service....

News Blips:

British retailer Gamestation claims to legally own the souls of thousands of its customers. The company updated their terms of service on April 1 so that people who placed an order online that day granted them "a non-transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul." Gamestation pulled this prank/experiment to show that customers rarely read terms and conditions -- since the now-soulless people could have simply clicked on a box to opt out -- and retailers, in theory, could take advantage of them. They plan to notify customers via email that they will nullify claims to the acquired souls. Would you ever give up your soul for a video game? [Fox News]

The folks over at Penny Arcade are now accepting applications for their fourth annual Penny Arcade Scholarship program. They're looking for a college student who "will have a positive impact on the game industry" to give $10,000 to. If you think you got what it takes, make sure you're a full-time student and have at least a 3.3. GPA -- your field of study doesn't matter. So if you're studying law and want to be just like Phoenix Wright (or Miles Edgeworth), but for gamers' rights, go apply! 

No Doubt makes gains in their legal dispute with Activision over alleged Band Hero avatar exploitation. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kenji Machida ruled against the publisher's claim that their use of No Doubt's avatars is protected under the First Amendment as freedom of speech. The rock band is suing the music-game maker for a breach of contract after they discovered that their likeness was used in the Band Hero game to perform non-No-Doubt songs, against their permission. An Activision spokesman says that they plan to appeal the ruling. As to why anyone would want to play as No Doubt in a video game is still unclear. [LA Times]

Sony's planned 3D-enabling firmware for the PlayStation 3 is not to include support for Blu-ray movies when it comes out this June. TechRadar reports that the update is primarily for 3D games, such as Wipeout HD and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, which are set to come out at the same time. We can expect Sony to add 3D Blu-ray support to the PS3 sometime later this year. This should come as disappointing news for baller gamers who were looking to drop $10,000 on a new TV but didn't want to splurge on a new Blu-ray player.

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

1

Tweet

Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell everybody: