Gears Of War 3 Sound track *SPOILER*

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

So thanks to Gametrailers.com I learned that the Gears of War 3 sound track is coming out!  Who gives a flying Corpser except *SPOILIER ALERT* it gives the names of the tracks, everything from the beginning of the game to the end.  I can tell just from the titles of the tracks that (1) Marcus' dad shows up, (2) Someone important dies... Carmine is not important, and (3) the human race survives.  So now that you've had the story ruined for you it really doesn't matter because playing GOW for the story is like eating sandpaper for the texture... it gets the job done but there just isn't enough consistency. 

By the way it's composed by Steve Jablonsky, composer of GOW 2 and the arguably more popular and epic-sounding Transformer movies.

1 Million Gamerscore: 600,000 Gamerscore Across The Web

Raymond "Stallion83" Cox... the 600,000 point man. Earlier today he maintained his title for highest Xbox 360 Gamerscore ever by asserting his dominance and achieving 600,000 points playing Earth Defense Force: IA. True dedication indeed. You know what's most surprising though... this guy can can jack some steel! Guys like him give the gamer community a good image and I respect his ability to stay in shape as well as ruin peoples' days with a pair of sticks. Check out his blog below!

1 Million Gamerscore: 600,000 Gamerscore Across The Web: "Joystiq - Top Gamerscore(r) crosses 600,000 'You know, the word hero gets thrown around a lot, and in the process it's lost some of its me..."

Borderlands 2 finally!

Yeah it's been awhile... I know.  However, via PSU.com, I just found out that Borderlands 2 has been officially announced by 2k!  Also, www.borderlands2.com has surfaced on the web. Their official blog states that's it's not coming until after April 1st, 2012 (sad panda) but we can expect to see it in action at GamesCom and PAXPrime later this month.  You can at least go check out the new cover art at gameinformer.com featuring what looks like a vagrant Zeus double-wielding weapons... hopefully a new gameplay mechanic??

A kick to the groin for Sony...

Image via CrunchBase

I bet Sony wishes they can make believe the last week and a half.  Although they recently just announced a new PlayStation tablet, that news is being eclipsed by their latest brush with virtual subterfuge.

At this point I'm merely echoing the rest of the internet, but here's the rundown:
- On April 20th the PlayStation Network shutdown without so much as a hint as to why
- On April 26th, they announced on their official blog (after days of vague updates) that the "external intrusion" into Sony's network may have compromised OUR (being the collective gamer) personal data.
- Credit card numbers and expiration dates might have been stolen
- There is no definite timeframe for when the PSN will be fully operational but some services will be returning within a week
- This issue has been escalating to the point where a US Senator has sent a letter of admonishment to the CEO of Sony

So not only can I not play Borderlands with my buddy's (yep, I still play that) I now may be the subject of credit card fraud by no fault of my own.  Good thing all those hackers will get is a nice hunk of debt to deal with, muahaha.

Zombie Apocalypse Sim

So once again I'm breaking my silence with an awesome time-killing flash game humbly entitled, "Rebuild".  You're the leader, you have some land, you have some peeps, and you have a whole mess of zombies outside trying to disembowel your attempt to reestablish civilization.  I found this gem once again being distracted by the awesome that is Newgrounds. Created by Sarah Northway, and sponsored by Two Towers Games, this is surely to completely defeat your motivation to work out... but only for a little bit right?

It looks kinda weird but you can play the game right after the jump so click and Rebuild away!

A Common Name... With Uncommon Virtue

Generic look... with ambitious goals

Zero Point Software is an independent game developer based out of Denmark who wants to "Make You Believe." 

Interstellar Marines Video Game, Exclusive Will You Believe? Trailer HD | Video Clip | Game Trailers & Videos | GameTrailers.com

This valiant team of cyber-warriors is undertaking the ineffable responsibility of creating a current generation game without the funding of a traditional developer.  Their only supply line is us... the consumer!  They need all the help they can get since they seem to be fighting SHARK DOGS in the future... no but for reelz they are.

Sony wants you to hack the PS3, they'll even give you money!

The title isn't true, flat out, but hopefully it grabbed your attention.  A couple days ago I posted about how the PS3 has been cracked by GeoHot (and I forgot to mention the hacker group fail0verflow who did something similar) and vented a little bit about how piracy and hacking kills my buzz about the gaming industry.  Well it still does, but just recently its been purported that "Sony tried to send Geohot $1 to prove that the hacker was taking donations" (Maxconsole.net via N4G.com).  So once again, I am abhorrently opposed to piracy and hacking... but c'mon Sony, really?  If you're going to allegedly send someone a donation to strengthen your court case, make it a donation that they will take! 

After my house gets robbed by Sony super-soldiers I'm going to give them a dollar just for the sake of irony.

Three Cheers for Notch (Minecraft Overlord)

Notch, the sole developer of the indie sleeper sensation Minecraft, has just passed one million sales... and it's still in beta.  Say what!?

Head on over to Notch's Blog and check out his feedback about the game and the status of his new business.

P.S. - Notch, whatever you do, please don't make the torches extinguish themselves... I'd be thrust into a relentless world of blocky hell.

P.P.S - Has anyone noticed my fondness (and probably incorrect use) of the wonderful ellipsis punctuation?

Time Suck + Doing Science = EteRNA

What a noob...

    Noticed this article on GamesRadar yesterday and I thought I'd bring a little more attention.  What do you get when you cross a Carnegie Mellon University and a Stanford University development collaboration and mix it with the support of the National Science Foundation... that's right, a video game!  EteRNA is a game that teaches you about the fundamental building blocks of RNA, real world application, and how you can help science simply by playing! 

PS3 cracked... and what pain can it cause?

Image via Wikipedia

I feel this is a big enough issue to get inspired to write a little something again.

Recently, the PS3 has been hijacked by said digital tinkerer GeoHot and he decided to post the PS3 master root key on the interwebs...

GamesRadar.com
Hacker Claims To Have The PS3's Front Door Keys [Hacking] (kotaku.com)

Enter hacker-heaven!

Sure, most every single console has been cracked before but it's not about the downfall of the industry or sales that I'm worried about, those never have a problem, it's where developers and publishers time is being spent making people like me happy.

The Ultimate Gamer Work-Out Machine that's Dirt Cheap!

I've taken a bit of a hiatus from posting and that's due to some events in life that finally happened (don't worry nothing bad at all) and all that means is that I have a little less time now to write.

In reference to an earlier article I wrote about how to stay fit and 733T, I mentioned that raising your heart rate a bit and doing it for long periods of time is a great way to burn calories.  I also said that an eliptical or stationary bike is a great way to put that theory into practice.  Then I realized that not everyone can just go pickup an exercise machine on a whim.  I did a little bit of research and this is a solution that I came up with.

Dig, Explore, Create... Survive [Minecraft]

I've hit this kick with discovering indie games lately.  One that has rocked the independent community as of late, and one that has caused bags under my eyes already, is called Minecraft.

The game is currently still under heavy development but you can purchase it now for a discounted price (9.99 euros to be exact... don't know how to make a euro symbol) and you get a lifetime of free updates and access to the most interesting "Alpha" mode.  The premise of the alpha game is literally this: you spawn in a random place, ready go.  With no tutorial or warning the day/night cycle begins immediately and you are free to do as you wish.  You can explore the world, begin harvesting materials, climb some mountains, whatever you want.  However, once the sun sets on the first day you suddenly realize that this adorable, blocky, pixelated world is downright deadly.  Zombies, skeletons, spiders, and creepers will begin hunting you as soon as the sun fades away.  Hopefully by now you've at least discovered how to craft a pick-axe and a sword otherwise you'll be holding the "W" for a full night of running away.

Minecraft is one of those rarities that still give me hope for eventually having a high-production, truly sandbox experience.  This game blew up once it was released and made its developer quite happy with the revenue it generated so hopefully this idea will catch on.

Pictures and video of my own experience with the game to follow.

Final Fantasy Dissidia 012: Duodecim

Warm up those gamer muscles because Dissidia's big brother is coming down the pipe.  Check out the trailer from Gamesradar.com!  Why did they name it in order to give us a counting lesson, what does dudecim mean... I don't know, ask Microsoft how the hell they name their products and you'll probably find the answer.  Looks like "assist" attacks can happen in this game, a la Marvel vs. Capcom.  Prepare for epicness...

The challenge of being a fit gamer

This article is meant to motivate you a little bit.  Here are some work-out ideas for gamers who may not know where/how to get started for healthier living while still playing their favorite titles.

The source of this information I'm using for this entry I'm mainly pulling off of this Marine Corps Times article but also from my experience from various PE classes, nutritionalists, and guys who know a lot more about fitness than I do.  Definitely give the article a read through.

Vindictus Preview

Thanks to the charitable nature of Youtube user MySuckyLife (a pleathora of thanks be shone apon you), I was able to obtain an early access beta key for Nexon's new submission in North America's free-to-play realm... Vindictus.  Known in other parts of the world as Mabinogi: Heroes, this game takes place in the Mabinogi universe although it is a prequil to the original Mabinogi game.

Now typically when you hear "free to play" or "Nexon" or "Aunt Gertrude is only staying for a little while," you think "....meh."  However, I'm here to say, I was absolutely blown away by the game's introduction and... wait for it... graphics!  Being a free to play game, you aren't expecting great production values but Vindictus is different.  It is driven by the Steam engine and easily played on low spec systems but it is absolutely gorgeous on higher spec rigs.

New DMC by Ninja Theory

So you remember when Dante was a quip-spurting badass with an attitude, a monstruous sword, and grey hair?  Me too, but aparently Ninja Theory (makers of Heavenly Sword and the upcoming Enslaved) have put a new spin on the demonic anti-hero.  They are attempting to "westernize" the series for us over here in the states... resulting in a Dante that looks like an insane methhead version of Hayden Christensen from Life as a House (good film, check it out).

I'm not an aggressor towards change, in fact I feel that change is the only thing keeping the human race alive... and video games interesting.  However, that doesn't mean that you should take a formula that works and "westernize" it.  In the meantime, go check out the trailer and see what I mean for yourself.

The new title will simply be deemed DMC *crosses fingers and hopes it's not as bad as DMC:2*

A Game of Survival

Literally, we need one.  I'm talking the walking dead, MMO style play with APB mechanics... just not as terrible, skills, the need for water, food, and shelter, rival human beings that you can either team up with or fight to the death to grab their gear.

I'd love to see Fallout 3 depth of exploration (and loot system with a little bit of random Borderland-ness) with an area the size of ARMA II (as well as shooting mechanics) with a personal upkeep system akin to the Sims with skill systems from Ultima Online (or Mortal Online if they ever get that straight) with a colony (i.e. guild) based system that mimics the team-work of Love (actually an MMO) and the fun but complex system of Harvest Moon. 

This is just a thought and it needs expounding upon, please help because I would love to pitch this idea to a company (so maybe I shouldn't be blabbing about it on the internet.... oh well!).  I'd buy it in a pico-second.

Title Change - Being a Fit Gamer

So I recently realized that my blog was attempting to steal the name of another, called "Ineffablog" but I stamped out that revolution before it got out of hand, Bay of Pigs style.  I initially spelled it wrong which is why the domain was available, since then I've had to change it.

Explanation:  The Gamer Muscle (as far as I know I've coined this phrase) refers to the slab of meat in between your thumb and pointer finger.  If you make a fist and wrap your thumb over your finger and flex (as if your making a hand puppet talk), and only if you are a true gamer, this fine cut of controller-mashing sirloin should stand out as a pinnacle of trained perfection... one to be truly proud of.  But something else to be proud of is being healthy and fit (if only to live longer to play more games!!!!!%@!), which our kind sometimes has an issue with.

Now let's be honest, there is a gamer stereotype out there that permeates our culture that we are all fat slobs who have no life and tend to have awkward social skills.  It may be true, but it's also a stigma that I would love to erase from the face of mass-media and social norms alike.  Although it is a challenge, it's not incredibly hard to maintain a healthy social relationship with others, keep your self trim, have a 40 hour week work schedule, and still quench the thirst to slay that damn Fatalis that's haunted you for months (for all you Monster Hunter's out there) or watch Hideo Kojima's latest 45-minute cutscene without being interrupted, or conquer the entire Swadian nation (Mount and Blade for those not in the know... damn Swads).

I'm not claiming to be a work-out guru, (I'm not the most ship-shape individual but I can climb a tree if there's a flesh eating ghoul at my heels) however, I know there are fellow virtual-conquistadors out there that may want to work on their image and if I can help you with that I certainly will.  Drop me a line, comment, whatever, and let me know what you are interested in doing.

J. L. Bourne is a zombie artistic genious!

Within the past 72 hours I've been unable to do anything but read J. L. Bourne's books and sweat nervously at night for fear of getting devoured alive.  Day by Day Armageddon and Beyond Exile:  Day by Day Armageddon are honestly the most compelling pieces of zombie literature that I have ever read.  The former came out last year but the later arrived in book stores at the beginning of July. 

It spins a tale about a Naval Aviator who begins keeping a journal as his New Year's resolution just as the epidemic begins to rear its ugly head.  The books are written from the perspective of the narrator and the books are his journal entries that he diligently keeps while fighting for his life.  If you are even remotely interested in science-fiction this book will feed your appetite... if you are a zombie-apocalypse-can't-wait-for-it-to-actually-happen type of fan, then you'll get a stiffie reading these adventures.  Check them out, it's worth your time.

However, a bit of criticism.  Although an expertly spun tale, it does jump the shark towards the end.  Not nearly enough to exacerbate the novels' enchanting story, but enough to slightly jar the euphoria you've been in since the title page.

How will you prepare for the zombie apocalypse?

Forewarning:  This will be a popular topic on the blog

If you're anything like me you have bought into the zombie craze that plagues pop culture today.  And why wouldn't you?  Imagining yourself in a burnt out, transformed society where Wal-mart will no longer be your means of sustenance with rampant lawlessness and constantly being on the lookout for flesh-eating ghouls is nothing short of exhilarating.  Oh yeah, not to mention running into lunatics that haven't been infected yet that will, no doubt, already be in places you're looking to shack up for the night.  Sweet dreams

So picture yourself, at home, work, gym, 7-11, Best Buy, Quizno's, Piercing Pagoda, Ralph's Adult Super Store, I don't care (sicko) but would you be prepared to defend yourself from the living dead?  If you haven't composed a zombie-escape plan for your house yet then your behind the power curve.

Write about getting out of your hometown alive, how you would move your loved ones, what your weapon of choice would be, where would you go?  Are there different zombie types you've come in contact with?  Let me know because I'm genuinely interested.

REFERENCES (ZOMG!#$)
If I've motivated your inner survivor, there are plenty of fountains of knowledge to slake your thirst:
-- Max Brooks:  Author of "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "World War Z", which are both books nothing short of epic
-- Left 4 Dead (1 and 2) - made by Valve, downloadable (word?) on Steam, the closest you'll probably ever come to caving in some maggot infested craniums (unless your a sadistic grave robber, in which case go eat a Glock you freak)
-- The Walking Dead - Fantastic comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn
--  The Zombie Hunters - An online comic I discovered and actually enjoy, check it out