Adam Sessler Out At G4

It's the end of an era really. Adam Sessler, a longtime key gaming personality, is no longer a part of G4 TV network. He has been with the network since 1998, back when it was ZDTV, and was the only member of the network to stay on from it's first incarnation, then the transition to TechTV, and then the change to G4. He has hosted the show X-Play since it was originally aired as Gamespot TV, and appeared semi-regularly on Attack of the Show as a gaming correspondent. This announcement was rumored last week, but there was no sufficient evidence to the claim. Sessler is leaving due to a contractual dispute with the G4 network, and they are not parting amicably.

A G4 representative has confirmed that Adam is no longer with G4.

It is a real shame to see this is how Sesslers tenure with G4 ends. I have been watching his shows and webcasts for a very long time. He'll move on to something much bigger and better though, and I can not wait to see where his career will go next. Good luck to you good sir!


Image Source: http://www.dailyernebraskan.com/img/photo_illustrations/Adam_SesslerRetouched_Headshot_35931.jpg

Info Source: http://kotaku.com/5905119/adam-sessler-out-at-g4

Marshmallow Fluff! Reviews: Skullgirls

These days it is very rare to see a brand new fighting game emerge onto the scene, especially when the genre is dominated by the top tier titles like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. It is even harder to try and carve out a place for a new fighting game to succeed, again because of the iron grip the major series in the genre have.

Enter Skullgirls, a 2D fighting game that blends a unique art style with a serious approach to the fighting game model. Don't let the downloadable game tag fool you: if you are a fighting game veteran you will feel right at home here. The game was developed with it's genre's community in mind. It was tested by the community and has been revised several times based on their feedback. The result is an excellent 2D fighter with a lot of potential to become something even greater.

Skullgirls story revolves around the eight playable characters in the game fighting for control over the Skull Heart, a mysterious artifact with the ability to grant a girls wish. The catch is that if the girl is impure of heart, the Skull Heart transforms the user into the Skullgirl, a monster that can unleash total devastation on the world. The world the game is set in is filled to the brim with criminal organization, strife, and conflict. At the start of the games story mode a new Skullgirl has emerged, causing the paths of a few young women to cross.

The games fights can be carried out in different matchups ranging 1v1's to 3v3's including any mix in between. The game is a little light on modes, There's a training mode, a short story mode for each of the eight characters, a randomized arcade ladder, and offline/online multiplayer. While there's not a whole lot to do, the basics are there.

The fighting mechanics themselves are excellent. The controls and set up are reminiscent of games like Marvel vs. Capcom, and the game plays fluidly with a quick pace to match. There are plenty of combos and strategies to be found, and the system really has been designed with the thought that the game can be played competitively in tournaments. Not that surprising given that long time tournament fighter Mike Zaimont served as the games project lead and lead designer. The games roster of wacky characters is incredibly diverse, covering all sorts of play styles, and each characters personality just as distinct. The options extend even further when you get into picking your team. You can pick from one to three characters to play with, and when bringing multiple characters in you will be able to perform assist attacks with the ones sitting on the sidelines. These attacks are customizable as well, which offers even more strategic options. Skullgirls will also automatically balance larger teams against stronger ones so that the fights are never one sided. The games online multiplayer is also a lot of fun, and runs really smoothly. You will certainly want to head online with this game.

The games system is not without issues though. This is not a very friendly game for newcomers. The AI unleashes relentless combos and attacks even on the lowest difficulty, and their aggression will quickly frustrate new players. There are also no move lists or references to be found anywhere (though Reverge has stated that all the characters move sets will be on their website soon.) That omission also robs new players of an aid that can help them learn, and even forces veterans to do a little learning. The games arcade ladder mode is also a bit funky, sometimes matching you with nearly identical teams back to back, something that can get a bit boring in a mode that is supposed to be about quick, fun, no nonsense, fights. There are also a few bugs that crop up once in awhile, something that will probably fixed through patches later, but still a problem as of now.

This game is defiantly a fun fighter. However, a big part of this games appeal is it's aesthetics. The animations are absolutely stunning for 2D fighter, and the art is superb. Hand drawn characters rarely look this good. The game is extremely funny as well, with great one-liners, and it deliberately pokes fun at some of gaming's in-jokes. That said, this game can feel a little over sexualized. This game features an (as of now) all girl cast, and the designers took full advantage of this. The characters undergarments are visible quite frequently, and some of their combos and moves could give a few fan service heavy anime a run for their money. It's not a downside per-say, but it is a noticeable element that could bother some people. All that aside though, this games art style is certainly a stand out, and really catches the eye, and has a unique charm.

Skullgirls is a wonderful surprise. It's refreshing to see a western development team tackle this genre. It's a downloadable title, but it certainly could hold it's own against the big titles in the genre. Skullgirls has a lot of promise it can build on in the future, and the potential for a large community to build up around this game is possible. While it has it's faults, and it's a little content light, this is defiantly a game worth playing, and will give veteran fighting game fans something new to enjoy.


Gameplay

Skullgirls mechanics are solid, and the balanced and varied, albeit small,  character roster make this game a blast to play. It is a little harsh on newcomers.

Sound

The characters are all well voiced and varied. The music sets the mood, matching the art style well, but it doesn't really standout.

Story/Writing

Small story, but solid enough to get you at least a little interested. The hilarious lines the characters yell in combat will give you laugh or two, and the game has a great sense of humor.

Graphics and Design 

The art direction is remarkable, with a very nice art deco feel, and the setting for each battle area is wonderfully presented. The character designs are impeccable, although the amount of fan service could turn a few people off this one.

Lasting Appeal 

While the game itself is a lot of fun, the lack of modes holds this game back. The online multiplayer is great, but also suffers from a lack of choices in what to do.

Final Verdict!

Very Fluffy

Avalible on Xbox Live and PSN Network for $15.00 MSRP
Developed by Reverge Games



Image Sources:
#1. http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2011/02/xlarge_skullgirls.jpg
#2. http://shoryuken.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/skullgirls-bloodymarie.png
#3. http://www.theaveragegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/skullgirls_gamescom_parasoul_screens_02.jpg
#4. http://storage.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/skullgirls_pt_03_thumb.jpg

CISPA: A Warning

Hello readers.

I promise later today to have something nicer up for you all to read, but right now we need to talk.

If you'll recall earlier this year, two bills were put before congress, SOPA and PIPA. These two bills were supposed to help combat piracy but instead they more or less offered the US Government unheard of power over the internet, and the vague definitions would have made the internet a very scary place to be, where freedom of speech couldn't be guaranteed and an entire site could be shut down because of elements out of their control. Thankfully both bills were stopped by an outpouring of support from people across all over the world.

Unfortunately, our rights are under attack once again by a bill that could be even more intimidating.

CISPA, or The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act is a bill that would allow the US government to effectively "spy" on citizens. It has intentionally vague wording that essentially allows corporations the ability to share just about any type of information with the federal government. There are limitations on what kinds of information may be shared, but broad language makes those limitations a moot point. E-mails and private messages through social networks are fair game under this bill. And unlike other cybersecurity bills, nothing in CISPA forces the removal of personally identifiable details. To sum it up, this bill allows private companies the ability to share almost any of your information as long as it pertains to a "cyber threat" which has a broad definition under this bill. It also allows the government to use the information for something other than cyber security. Internet Service Providers could monitor private communication on the internet as well.  This bill is a huge invasion of privacy and puts too much faith in private corporations to safeguard their sensitive user data from intrusion by the government. The government has a wide array of ways to pressure these corporations into sharing large volumes of their users information. There is also no requirement for a company to alert affect users whatsoever.

While, like SOPA, this is a bill with good intentions at it's heart, it is ultimately much more harmful than helpful, the two bills have almost nothing in common, save that they affect the internet.

The problem we face is that this bill has gone largely unopposed up to this point, and it will be going to vote on Thursday, with a decision no later than Friday afternoon. If we don't act quick, CISPA WILL pass. Here's what you can do to stop this harmful legislation from passing:

• Contact your congressman. Call them and let them know what you think. If you don't know how to contact your states congress members by going here:  http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
• Sign the Avaaz petition.  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_cispa/?slideshow
• Signup for this service that will ship postcards with a message to congress on it. It may be a bit late but you never know.  http://sincerely.com/cause/cispa
• Spread the word immediately, and get as many people as you can to help protest as well.  
• Even if you don't live in the US, this bill will hurt you too. You can help every bit as much as I can. 

We are short on time with this one. But we on the internet could move a mountain if we wanted to. Get on this quickly, and we can stop CISPA from passing. 

Image Sources: 

#1. http://peoplealliance.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/CISPA.png

#2. http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17j92b2rmyov3jpg/medium.jpg

Mid Week News: Leaking All Over The Place

...We're going to need a plumber.

It's Wednesday, and that means we've still got two days until the weekend. However, given what we've seen happen already this week, this could be a busy weekend. Quite a few of games are getting teased and leaked right now, so here's a few of the big ones.

Black Ops 2 Info Coming May?

Kotaku obtained a picture of a poster today that hints at the first details of the next Call of Duty title possibly coming on May 2nd. While the next Call of Duty title hasn't been confirmed to be a follow up to Black Ops, Activision recently acquired the blackops2.com domain name, and an Amazon listing in France had the game listed. The poster also looks somewhat similar to the cover art from Black Ops, though it's too blurry to be sure.


Turns Out Bethesda Doesn't Just Make Elder Scrolls

A few days ago, a screenshot surfaced from Bethesda surfaced with the caption "Tomorrow." Many immediately thought the screenshot was referring to upcoming DLC for Elder Scrolls V. Turns out, as Bethesda public relations man Pete Hines put it, "We (Bethesda) do make other games." Instead we got our first trailer of Dishonored. Make no mistake though, this game is shaping up to be one of the premier titles of 2012. The game is set in a massive steampunk-style city called Dunwall, and the gameplay is stealth-based action goodness. Defiantly have this game on your radar.


Halo 4 Dropping on Election Day/ First Gameplay Footage On Conan

343 Studious has announced that Halo 4 will be releasing on November 6th, 2012. For those of us in the US, that is better known as election day. I have a feeling quite a few votes will be left uncast because of this decision. Also yesterday evening, the first look at gameplay from Halo 4 was on Conan O'Brian. It lasted all of nine seconds and didn't really show off the game in any significant way, but still it's something. Am I the only one that wouldn't want Conan's voice as my Spartan's?


Crysis 3 Announced

After being accidentally leaked by EA's Origin service last week, EA has now officially announced Crysis 3. The game will once again be set in New York City, although you might not recognize it. Through the power of the Cell Corporation Nanodrome, New York City has been transformed into a city covered in rainforest, swamp, and other various types of environments that are segmented into seven distinct areas. Oh, and you'll also be able to use a bow. The game is set for release sometime in 2013, but you can already preorder the game through Origin. EA even has preorder bonuses lined up! Oh joy!


Thats all the news I've got for now. I'd also like to say whoever made that Best Buy photoshop picture about Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is incurring a lot of wrath around the web right now. What did you think was going to happen? Silly troll...


Image sources:
#1. http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17jzkqos96mw2jpg/original.jpg
#2. http://attackofthefanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dishonored.jpg
#3. http://cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/halo-4.jpg
#4. http://img.tgdaily.com/sites/default/files/stock/450teaser/crysis3.jpg

Dust 514 - More Than Your Average Shooter

...Could use a good dusting.

Since 2008, CCP Games has been showing brief flashes of it's upcoming MMOFPS, Dust 514. For those unfamiliar, CCP Games is the developer behind the MMO EVE Online, one of the most ridiculously in depth games around. EVE Online was first released in 2003, and through a lot of hard work, CCP has been able to keep the game around through the past decade or so. Dust 514 will be only the second game ever developed by the Iceland based company. That in and of itself is noteworthy. However, Dust 514 is on the precipice of doing something groundbreaking. You see, Dust 514 is set in the EVE universe. The battles you fight in the game will be waged on the same planets that you can find in EVE Online.

That's only the half of it though.

The events that occur in Dust 514 will have direct and far reaching consequences to the players of EVE Online. Control over planets can be determined from the battles waged in Dust 514. The players in the game are treated as mercenaries, though nothing as of now is stopping you from fighting for your corporation or alliance if you play EVE Online. This opens up the possibility of alliances or corporations putting out a call for help if they think they are about to lose a planet. The groups that control worlds through Dust 514 can even build infrastructures on the planets they, or their corporations, control though it isn't really clear what purpose this will serve yet.

The first brilliant thing about this is that you don't have to be an EVE Online player, to play Dust 514 and vice versa. The second, and much more impressive, is that the players of these two different games will essentially be able to coexist, despite not playing the same game. For the first time ever, two radically different games players can have an effect on each others experience. The relationship between these two games and their players could set the stage for a radically different approach to bringing players together. It goes beyond just multiplayer between two different gaming platforms. It bridges two entirely different genres of gaming, which is arguably a much bigger challenge.

One of the biggest problems facing player connectivity is the fact that we don't all play the same games and systems. A few games have tangled the idea of bridging the players of one game on multiple systems, but none have done so with a whole lot of success, and given the way the big three console developers handle business with each other I doubt that we'll be seeing any real solid games with such a feature for a while. A few games have started toying with social networks which can introduce you to other players and services like Call of Duty ELITE and Battlelog offer lots of extra features for the people subscribed to their services. The problem with the game-specific social networks is that they are more or less devoted to a single game franchise. Breaking down the walls surrounding certain parts of the gaming community so that it's players can share an experience is a bold move towards creating a game world where players can all experience the same world from radically different perspectives and situations. I myself, am not a big MMO person. Never have been. I just don't like them and the way they are presented to me and the way some of them feels more like a chore than something to be enjoyed. One of my friends loves MMOs. He plays at least three of them at any one given time. While he doesn't have a dislike for first person shooters. they are defiantly not his favourite genre. The relationship between EVE Online and Dust 514 offers the opportunity for two players with different likes and dislikes to share the same world.

But it's deeper than that.

In response to the obvious question: How could I not? 

This could be the very model that can finally end the debate of casual versus hardcore gaming, by bringing us all together. What if a casual game could be used to give hardcore gamers support in their games? Would you turn down the extra help? Of course not, and it could be the perfect way to introduce someone to a gaming universe, without forcing it to be from one perspective. Instead of forcing your girlfriend to sit there and play World of Warcraft, she could instead play a casual game that could produce equipment for your character.

It might take years to nail down exactly how this could work, I mean the mechanics behind this sort of thing are just now being explored as possibilities. However, Dust 514 may very well be the revolutionary first title to explore the idea of bringing players together, even if they aren't playing the same game.
_________________________________________________________________________________

It's been awhile since my last post. The real world catches up to you fast when your not paying attention to it. That said, I'm going to be taking a bit of a different approach to things here over the next month or so. We'll see how that goes (as usual.)

As always, please share this as much as possible, keep reading, and thanks for reading.

Until next time.


Idea Came From Here: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/transgaming
Image References:
#1. http://download.gamezone.com/uploads/image/data/1010573/Dust-514-concept-art-characters.jpg
#2. http://canv.as/ugc/processed/b3f647e34b467e29597997f025ad8d59b9869f3c.jpeg