Massive Interest In MMOs I'll Never Play

Along with Lego Universe, there's another upcoming MMO that's piqued my interest a few times: The Secret World. Unfortunately like the former, I probably will never get around to playing it. It's too much time I'd rather spend playing other games that actually end and whose mechanics evolve at a quicker pace. All that said, it's a promising, fresh experience in terms of MMO landscapes.

The Secret World takes place in a "What if?" realm within our own. Three mysterious factions (templars, illuminati, and the dragons) vie against each other to reclaim the fantasies and power of the underground, magical forces surrounding us all. The occult is true, Cthulhu and the Elder Ones are real, and the terrors are unimaginable. As with most MMOs, the scope seems tremendous and daunting.

And the first glimpse through the hidden doorways is being revealed in the first trailer. Enjoy.

Video Games | The Secret World

-- "Now quiet in the theater or its gonna get tragic. We're about to get taken to a dream world of magic."

The '42' of Burritos

If you haven't heard about Taco Bell's new Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, please edify and sate yourself the next time you're there. It is a delightful bazaar of bliss with the simplest of meat-cheese-tortilla combination upon which I can faithfully satisfy my gastronomical hungers. It embodies the essence of scrumtrulescence.

And it's only 89 cents!

-- "It tastes like... cheese sauce. Yum."

Gaming on my Amazon Kindle

You read the title right; I said "Gaming"! The first purchase I made for a measly $1.99 was a small collection of sudoku puzzles that use the free wireless internet access and javascript. It was okay, but I felt a bit swindled when only getting 10 puzzles to try out (5 being on the Easy setting). Compare that to websudoku which has over 1 billion puzzles.

But as I was browsing around trying to change the screensaver images that come up featuring Jane Austen and other authors, I stumbled on a list of shortcut keys telling me my Kindle had a pre-installed version of Minesweeper! Loading that up rather quickly, I was elated to also find GoMoku, a Kindle version of popular pastime Go.

It's not much of a gaming sensation in any sense, but it's a nice respite during reading doldrums.

-- "Bastian made many other wishes, and had many other amazing adventures - before he finally returned to the ordinary world. But that's... another story."

The Science of Mass Effect 2

Seeing what the scientists of today think about the science of tomorrow or other fictional 'verses is always fascinating. Will it be possible to make a lightsaber? How much of the Harry Potter world could be real? Or what about Syndrome's zero-point energy in Pixar's The Incredibles? Well now there's a short clip on Gametrailers featuring the science that goes into the Mass Effect universe.

The games, books, and comics all feature incredibly realized galaxies filled with starships, negative energy, and faster-than-light travel. But how much of this could actually come true? Give it maybe a couple of decades for an invisibility cloak and maybe a couple of centuries for something of the starship variety says the physicist in this clip featuring scenes from Mass Effect 2.

Video Games | GTTV Extended Cuts | The Science of Mass Effect 2

-- "Behold, the Underminer! I'm always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me!"

Lego My MMO

Though closed beta testers can't actually talk about their experiences within it, the Lego massively, multiplayer online game is open for an early look to some lucky masses. I'm signed up but haven't played more than a few minutes and made one character. The restrictive, available play times don't leave me much leeway, but who can really complain if they're given the option to play an unreleased game.

In the meantime enjoy this trailer for the game. Like most Lego ventures, it looks fun!



-- "I HATE coconut. Not the flavor, but the consistency."

Snort the Crackdown 2 Vidoc

This forum wasn't around for me when I played the original Crackdown, so I'll just say right now, "I loved Crackdown." It was an unexpected hit (probably only so because of the Halo 3 beta attached to it) with the ridiculous premise of being some super-cop that could throw cars, jump buildings, and juggle enemies in the air for a long time with explosives. Amazing fun I can't wait to re-live in the upcoming sequel. This video documentary is rife with new co-op destruction and Scottish accents.

Crackdown 2 looks to expand on the sandbox super-romp with everyone's favorite villains, zombies!!! ::sigh:: That aside, it's going to be more of what came before and better. So it'll be sick when I can super-jump around the streets destroying bad guys in truly fantastic ways with 3 other friends on Xbox Live.

-- "Dead or alive, you're coming with me!"

Sushi? No. Sushi Cat? Yes.

Having plenty of time to waste at a job in recent weeks, I've turned to internet gaming. Rather than enrich my mind with reading or expanding my metaphysical philosophies, I found Sushi Cat.

It's kind of like a slow Peggle where the object is to grab a fat kitty with a pair of chopsticks and drop it through a series of puzzles to vacuum in as much sushi as it can inhale. In terms of timesinks, it's not the worst thing you can do.

-- "Ohh, the anger sharks are swimming in my head!"

Rock Band the Thirde

Harmonix casually let slip Rock Band 3 would be shipping this coming holiday season without a press release, a video, or any teaser tracks. The only thing noted: it will "innovate and revolutionize the music genre once again."

As long as it includes my Rock Band 1, Rock Band 2, Lego Rock Band, and all of my downloaded tracks, I'll be on board. The added expectation of updated interface functionality (Beatles: Rock Band already improved on #2's a ton) will have me planning a launch party, no question.

-- "Gimme a powerslide. Full throttle!"

PS3's Heavy Rain via YouTube

Picture an interactive movie about a some slick sleuths in a perpetually rainy town and you have what the PS3 hopes is a great, exclusive new title, Heavy Rain.

I can't personally tell you if it has lived up to the hype, but thanks to a YouTube demonstration, I can play a bit of the film game without the console. If only they could put the whole game up there now...



-- "You haven't been around lately. I thought maybe you were an amnesia victim or something."

Blur Beta Battles! Better than Burnout?

Okay, so Blur is a much different game style than the open-world structure of Burnout: Paradise, but the intense, edge-of-your-seat feel seems quite familiar. Take those feelings and mix in some Mario Kart mechanics; that's Blur (sans Song 2, of course). And it is a thrilling multiplayer, action racer.

I'd hesitate to call it innovative only because it uses familiar tropes of yesteryear games, but the style and design focus makes it stand out to me as another unlikely must-buy. Partying up with up to 10 friends and racing a few tracks is easy (though a private Xbox Live party can only hold 8?). The layout for modifying your experience (choosing cars/colors and modifications for the way you race) all seem well-refined for the beta.

My only hope is that a limited amount of track variation and gameplay types don't wear out fast. Thankfully, the experience-based system (like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) makes losing even a little fun. Which is good when a simple crash on the last lap can drop you from 3rd to near 20th in a matter of seconds.

-- "That was very good, Bishop. Remind me to make you an honorary blind person."

More Gushing Over Just Cause 2

I've written before on how much I plan on loving the soon-to-be-mine Just Cause 2, and yet another video recently released for my viewing pleasure. Sure, I won't be getting the PC version on March 23rd, but I still want to gush a little more over the rippling waves, dynamic shadows, and accurately hazed-out landscapes.

Just be sure to wear a bib before hitting play.



-- "I always feel rejuvenated by a touch of adventure. For heaven's sake, don't you get any younger or I'll have to find a wet nurse."

20 Questions with Akinator

Ever tried to stump one of the Internet's 20-questions robots? I remember these things from a long while ago but was recently introduced to Akinator, a web-djinn who knows everything!

The database seems pretty stout with many-an-obscure characters and people. A friend even tried to stump it with Thomas Pynchon; I'd never heard of him. But Akinator picked him out of a lineup of thousands with a few simple questions.

Thanks, Internet, for another waste of time!

-- "Oi! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!"

DICE Awards

Joystiq recently posted about the DICE Awards going down near Las Vegas. I checked out the Jay Mohr opening monologue and decided to watch the rest while I was at it. Best video game award show I've seen.

It was all about the developers with a lot of humor and homage to gaming greats. Crude though it may be, it had a lot of great moments. The categories seemed aptly filled and well-adapted for gaming today. Social Game of the Year with winner Farmville? You may not like the game, but it definitely holds some clout with 83 million monthly players. And the Action Game of the Year category was especially nice because it didn't allow Uncharted 2 in, AND it recognized some lesser-nominated games like Red Faction: Guerrilla and Prototype (both stupid-fun games).



-- "Yeah, well, uh, just keep your Power Gloves off her, pal, huh?"

Dragon Age & Amazon: Or Why I Didn't Get Mass Effect 2 on Day One

I've pronounced my love for Amazon on more than one occasion. It helps to not pay full price, and no shipping fee/tax is always a plus. But in the waiting time for my next true love (Mass Effect 2), Bioware's other step-child came on sale and slipped into my gaming collection.

Dragon Age: Origins has been tempting me for awhile, and Amazon always finds a way into my wallet and makes me succumb to the temptation of low prices. The week before the most anticipated game of my life comes out, lightning deals strike and overthrow my willpower. At least the game isn't a disappointment. The graphics and combat mechanics aren't that enticing, but the stories are enthralling with your choices affecting the outcomes of huge events just enough to make you wonder "What if?"

Amazon, I hate you. (Don't believe the master; we loves you, Mistress!)

-- "You have the voice of an angel. Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus."