Eyes-on: Mortal Kombat

When I think Mortal Kombat now-a-days, I immediately cringe. The classic 2D fighting franchise has -- over the years -- turned into a three-dimensional mess of clunky controls and slow-moving fighting mechanics that only the truly hardcore MK fans can appreciate. With this in mind, series creator and creative director Ed Boon and his team at NetherRealm Studios are hard at work on a new entry into the franchise with a specific focus on what made the first three Mortal Kombat games so great -- lots of blood, crazy fatalities, and fun gameplay. I was lucky enough to get a look at an early build of the MK reboot and it seems that Boon and company may be onto something that fans of the original games should be excited about.

MASSIVE List of Confirmed 3DS Games

When Nintendo showcased the 3DS this past week at E3, no one would have imagined the kind of 1st and 3rd party support the new portable system has currently attracted. See the list for yourself after the read link.

Off-Screen Gameplay for Zelda: Skyward Sword

As promised, here is an off-screen recording of one of my several play sessions with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Enjoy!

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS Details

With Nintendo's official unveiling of the new Nintendo 3DS handheld system came an amazingly long list of titles in development for the 3DS -- one of those titles being a remake of the classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. As stated by veteran Zelda produced Eiji Aonuma, this 3D remake of Ocarina of Time is giving him a chance to right some of the wrongs he says that have plagued his memories since the epic title's release. With improved textures and art direction for Link himself and Hyrule, this twelve year-old masterpiece has never looked better. See for yourself via the read link.

E3 2010: Preview Nintendo 3DS

It is finally here after six successful years for the Nintendo DS family of handheld systems: the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo made it very clear with its massive booth containing over 100 test units that they wanted people to walk away impressed not only with the new glasses-free 3D effect, but also with the look, feel, and new overall technological prowess only possible on the 3DS. Were they able to pull it off? Only the brave explorers of the internets will know past the read link!

E3 2010: Preview Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

After viewing the famous Legend of Zelda Wii artwork (pictured above), it was incredibly difficult to perceive what exactly the new Zelda Wii game would end up looking like or play like going into this E3. From my thirty or so minutes with the demo for the new Skyward Sword, I can confidently say that it not only has a great art direction, but its gameplay thus far is fantastic and the new Wii Motion Plus dependent items and swordplay work very well and have the potential for a needed fresh and unique take on the franchise.

E3 2010: Preview Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds

Fans of the hectic gameplay and nerdgasm inducing cast of characters that the Marvel vs. Capcom series is known for will feel right at home with the third installment -- and then some.

E3 2010: Watch the Press Conferences Live!!

It is that time of year again. E3 is right around the corner and that means tons of new game announcements, spectacular trailers, and sexy booth babes -- yes, booth babes. As it has been traditionally, the press conferences held by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are almost always responsible for the most exciting surprises for gaming fans and press, so with that said, here is a link to GameSpot's live coverage of each press conference as they become available. Check out the major conference schedule after the break.

Pre-E3 2010: Sony

Sony has had a tough past three and a half years with the PlayStation brand. With the PlayStation 3 (or PS3) struggling for marketshare against the Wii and Xbox 360, and the PlayStation Portable (or PSP) having a hard time keeping up with the Nintendo DS, Sony really has to show up at E3 this year and give the gamers and gaming media something that will reignite the PlayStation brand flames and prove that Sony’s systems are once again prime contenders in the video game world. It is going to take amazing surprise announcements, spectacular demonstrations of their new Move motion controller, and an intriguing look into the PS3’s future as the first 3D-enabled game console to get people jumping out of their seats. As far-fetched as this seems, Sony may just be able to pull it off.

Pre-E3 2010: Nintendo

Gaming giant Nintendo is revving up for another excellent year of gaming at E3 2010. Although the Big N’s presence at the gaming convention these past few years has not been spectacular, they have positioned themselves to either blow everyone away with new software and hardware, or terribly disappoint fans and gaming press everywhere by giving another unsatisfying performance. The former is certainly more plausible than the latter, thanks to Nintendo’s own realization of previous years’ faults, and promises to right their wrongs with some great new product and breathtaking revelations.

Steps on How to Use Tethering on ANY Android Phone

I just found this really interesting (and free) way to circumvent many carriers' extra fees for tethering using an Android device. This works for both PC and Mac users, plus there is no need to root or do any modifications to the OS itself. Check out the instructions below for directions on how to accomplish this.

1. Install PDANet software (v2.11+)on your desktop and Phone. When you install it on desktop, if it doesn’t install usb driver automatically , you can use USB driver (or here) to install.
2. Make sure you have USB Debugging still enabled. Connect your Droid to the USB and on phone, launch the PDANet software. Click on “Turn PdaNet On”.
3. Once it is turned on, you can then go to your PC and “Connect” on the PDANet software on your taskbar.
4. You’re Done.

If you need Bluetooth Tethering, follow the additional steps below:

1. Pair your phone with your PC via bluetooth connection.
2. Create a Dial-up Networking Connection (DUN).
3. Select Bluetooth Modem Driver for the modem to use.
4. Leave the user/password blank.
5. Use “123″ as the phone number.
6. Dial the DUN and you should be good.

Note: Free PdaNet is trial version. Once trial expires, you can continue using PdaNet for free with limitations to http connections only or purchase the full version.

Source Link

Pre-E3 2010: Microsoft Conference Preview

Another E3 approaches, and Microsoft is preparing for one of their biggest shows yet. E3, for those not in the know, stands for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, and is one of the largest video game conventions in the world. Every year, the big game console manufacturers of the current generation – Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony – hold grand and explosive media events to hype up their future plans on their respective game systems. This year is the year of motion control, and Microsoft hopes to impress with their controller-less video capture device known as Project Natal. The question on everyone’s mind, however, is what will it take for Microsoft to amaze the media and those fans watching their press conference at home? Let’s take a look at what we know to date about their plans at this year’s show.

Still Gotta Catch ‘em All

To think that September 8^th, 1998 marked the beginning of the hugely successful Pokémon franchise in America; almost twelve years later, the phenomenon once thought fad, hasn’t gone anywhere but up in popularity. With the Pokémon video games taking the 2^nd spot in the top selling game franchises of all time, the trading card game having sold over fourteen billion cards worldwide, and the animé continuing to attract new and old audiences alike, Pokémon has never been healthier. What truly sets this franchise apart from any other “fad” like Pogs in the 1990s, or similar properties like Digimon, is the quality control put in place by both Nintendo (franchise owner) and The Pokémon Company (marketing branch) to ensure that each major component of the intellectual property keeps fans happy, and newcomers intrigued – starting with the games.

The iPhone Effect

Since Apple’s release of the first iPod a little more than eight years ago, their series of “iProducts” have slowly evolved and revolutionized the mobile device market. It has helped to establish Apple as one of the largest manufacturers of MP3 players and one of the most popular online distributors of digital music, movies, and TV shows. What makes Apple’s products so appealing is their focus on easy-to-use graphical interfaces, sleek and striking device designs, and extraordinary ad campaigns that have helped to persuade the mainstream entertainment buff and casual users alike that “iProducts” are the best choice for experiencing visual and audible distractions.

The Emergence of 3D Entertainment

If there is one movie that comes to mind as one of the most visually impressive and immersive films in recent time it is Avatar. It is in part due to its director James Cameron, and his vision to establish 3D film in the mainstream space. Not that 3D film is a relatively new phenomenon – motion pictures were produced in 3D as early as the 1890’s – but Avatar’s ability to draw the audience into its sci-fi world using advanced 3D effects is uncanny. Where most 3D films up to Avatar’s December ’09 debut normally used 3D visual tricks to scare viewers with “pop out” images and left much to be desired, Avatar proved to the overwhelming amount of skeptics that when 3D film is done well, it can greatly increase the entertainment value of a movie. And thanks to the successes of recent 3D films like Avatar and various Disney/Pixar films, 3D will soon be invading the homes of millions of Americans, with several tech giants like Sharp, Nintendo, and Sony bringing stereoscopic entertainment to the masses. Film will not be the only medium investing heavily in three dimensions: video games and even standard television programming are racing to produce enticing 3D content to further spur interest in the technology.

FarmVille: A Social Gaming Revolution

By now, you have almost certainly heard from your friend, cousin, or maybe even your mom that FarmVille, a free to play farming simulator, is a fun and addictive experience. There’s a good chance you play it too! In fact, as of March 2010, less than one year after its inception, FarmVille has attracted over 82.4 million Facebook users – that’s nearly 20% of all the Facebook members in the world – and continues to gain new players each day. Guys play it, girls play it, and even a few college professors get some farming done between midterms. It is by far the largest and arguably, the most diverse community of gamers ever amassed by a single game in history. Zynga, the developer behind FarmVille, has the social and simplistic nature of the game to thank for that.

Nintendo Creates Buzz with Summer 2010 Line-up

Today Nintendo called for a Media Summit, pretty typical for them. What wasn't so typical is that they announced the release dates for two huge titles and a few other great looking 3rd party games. Here's a look at the first half of Nintendo's line-up for the year:

Ouch...I need to blog more...

So, I haven't said ANYTHING on this blog since last year...pretty bad stuff. I think I'm going to try and post more often from now on.

We shall see!