Features

I’ve never used Kickstarter before, but the temptation of the new Ouya got me to start weighing in the pros versus the cons of jumping into this foreign land.

I told myself it was out of some journalistic moral conflict, but the truth is that I’ve never really seen something that really piqued my interest. I couldn’t even justify jumping on the Double Fine bandwagon. Perhaps the price wasn’t right. But apparently, a $99 developer-friendly console is just what it took to become a crowd funder.

• News: Ouya Kickstarter Campaign Earns More than $400,000 in Two Days

Will the Ouya fulfill promises and shake up the traditional business model for consoles? Let’s take a look.

The good – a world of possibilities…and a cool controller

At its core, the main draw to the Ouya is probably the price. Starting off at $99, the Ouya is cheaper by far than any of the current generation of consoles, including handhelds. From college students to families on a budget, the Ouya has already guaranteed itself a niche in the console market by principle of its cost alone. Ideally, it will become ubiquitous—not unlike the Wii, which used this same marketing technique to gain dominance over the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3—and developers won’t be able to ignore it.

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Attendees at the Activision panel at Comic-Con 2012 this Saturday will get to learn about a new game based on a Marvel franchise, the publisher has announced.

The gents over at Game Informer are speculating that the game will be based on Hit-Monkey. Those not familiar with the comic, it follows the exploits of a Japanese Macaque that learns the assassin trade by watching humans. Other than a single graphic, we know very little of the title, other than it is being developed by Transformers: Fall of Cybertron creators High Moon Studios.

Activision teased that the reveal is "sure to be a hit," so we'd be shocked, shocked I say, if it's not for Hit-Monkey, but crazier things have happened. Like a monkey becoming an assassin for instance.

Make sure you check back in Saturday for all the official details, and stay tuned all week long for plenty of other announcements coming out Comic-Con 2012.

Even outside the halls of the San Diego convention center, you can take part in all the fun and festivities with only half the waiting. Comic-Con 2012 is turning out to be one of the biggest events around, and all the nerdry and swag can still be yours even without a ticket to the big show.

With this in mind, here’s a list of some of the bigger event happening in and around Comic-Con 2012.

The Walking Dead Escape: Live The Apocalypse

Time: July 12. 6pm-9pm, Fri. 1pm-9pm, Sat. 11am-6pm (every 20 minutes)

Place: Petco Park

You’ve been training for this moment all your life. It’s about time to see what will happen when you’re facing down a horde of zombies in front of a conveniently placed obstacle course. From the Herd Highway to the EVAC Zone, a group of brain-hungry zombies will chase you down in this event inspired by The Walking Dead.

DC Comics’ Darkness & Light Exhibition

Time: July 9-15

Location: Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts 363 5^th Ave.

There are few places were you can check out artwork from some of the biggest names in the industry while doing a little good for others. DC comics combines the two in one location with their Darkness & Light Exhibit.Check out some of the best art inspired by heroes and villains while donating a couple of bucks to their charity, the We Can Be Heroes campaign.

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Fans of Marvel’s The Avengers will be able to watch the group as never before with the new “Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One” Blue-ray collection. All of your favorite Avengers from the first Iron Man to the newest Avengers flick will hit the shelves in one of the most unique packages around.

As reported by MTV News, the package comes in a metal case housing the Tesseract, the glowing blue cube of ultimate power and destruction. Along with your own piece of the movie, you get The Avengers, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and both Iron Man movies in Blue-ray. Not to stop there, the case also includes secret files on the characters, never-before seen material, and art from the motion picture.

Phase One hits the shelves on September 25, 2012.

But for fans of the movies heading out to Comic-Con 2012, there’s an important mission that you need to jump on right now.

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After hearing about Neal Stephenson’s amazing-sounding Kickstarter project for Clang – a realistic, peripheral-based sword fighting game – we got to thinking. Videogame history is absolutely littered with “non-traditional” peripherals.

From the more logical takes on racing wheels, flight sticks and even dancing pads to the more outrageous fishing rods and “sensor” devices, a great number of them have been, well, not so great.

Remember the U-Force? What about the “rocker” chairs of the 90s? Let’s not even talk about the “peripherals” involved in Boong-Ga Boong-Ga, a Japanese arcade game that tasked players with shoving a finger into an arcade… behind. The history of gaming is littered with wacky, unwieldy devices that are now taking up space in basements across the world.

But that’s certainly not true of all of the weirder and wilder input devices we’ve used over the years. Each of the following peripherals proves that sometimes, if they’re done right, outlandish and expensive pieces of plastic can truly enhance a game experience.

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A fourth Super Smash Bros. game was just announced, but it wasn’t until this month that lead developer Masahiro Sakurai told us the game was officially in the first stages of development. It’s time to start daydreaming about which characters we’d like to see added to the series.

Super Smash Bros. loves to draw from first-party characters before anything else, and we can still think of a few proper Nintendo stars we’d like to see in the lineup, but the well is beginning to run a little dry. We actually considered adding Starman from the old NES Pro Wrestling game to the list for a while.

Namco Bandai is co-developing the game. Other third-party studios have worked on Smash Bros. games before, but Namco Bandai has its own stable of recognizable characters, and we hope that by bringing them into the project Nintendo is signaling even more openness to third-party characters in Smash Bros. than ever before.

We’d therefore like to offer two lists of characters we would love to see in the next Smash Bros. game, beginning with the first-party characters.

Little Mac from Punch-Out!!!

Little Mac made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy, but has never been a playable character himself. Adding a championship boxer to the lineup in a fighting game is a no-brainer. A souped-up uppercut would make for a great Final Smash.

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Don’t round up Xbox 720 to an even-numbered Xbox 8 just yet.

Sure, Microsoft won two Xbox 8-related domains today, Xbox8.us and Xbox8.org, as part of an IP dispute with a registrant hoarding domains in China. However, the company is probably just flexing its trademark muscle and has no intention of unifying its video game products under the Windows 8 banner. To back up our theory that Xbox 8 won’t be the new name, we made a list of five reasons why the default rumored Xbox 720 name will remain the favorite.

1. Microsoft Will Update To Windows 9 And Possibly Windows 10 In That Time
This supposed Xbox 8 console will seem old when Microsoft updates its operating system to Windows 9 and, yes, Windows 10 during the console’s lifespan. Imagine if Xbox 360 had been named Xbox Vista. That much-maligned OS launched a year after Xbox 360 came out and since then, we’ve moved on to Windows 7 and are already enjoying Windows 8 Release Preview. The final version of Windows 8 is expected to be released this fall. Xbox 720, on the other hand, is rumored to have a fall 2013 release date at the earliest. Name a new system after an OS that’s already a year old and is likely to be replaced twice over? We don’t think so.

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Nerdsourcing finds you the best crowd sourcing projects from Kickstater, Indiegogo, and other such sites and brings them straight to your wallet. Give, help spread the word, or just find out what’s going to be the hot new thing in the future; nerdsourcing is there to help support the dreamers out there looking to make the impossible a reality, or those looking for the next big thing an edge on the competition. Time is limited to fund these projects, so don’t wait too long.

Skyjacker

It isn’t often that new releases are able to remind us of the old school flight sim days, but Skyjacker does just that. This wild trip through space reminds me of my X-Wing experience that had me pining to find a flight stick and fly aimlessly through the dark void. Described as a first-person free-roaming space combat game, you can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia come rushing back as you watch the ship tear through space, firing lasers and rockets as it goes.

The $200,000 goal may seem a bit hefty, but the game looks great. They’re also constantly adding new modes and upgrading the current backer rewards to be even better, without asking for a bigger contributing. Skyjacker is nearly half way to their goal, but time is running out.

Reward: Only $15 will net you DRM-free digital copies of the game and soundtrack.

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This summer, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 added a new way to play online for smaller groups and individuals: Face-Off. This new mode adds in three different ways to play: 1V1, 2V2, or 3V3. You're not limited to simply Team Deathmatch in these lobbies either; Kill Confirmed is built into the playlist online, Search and Destroy was tested in it, and Domination will appear sometime in the future.

To compensate for the smaller play numbers, Infinity Ward has released a total of seven maps specific to this game mode, however, all seven are currently only available on the Xbox 360 Elite members; PS3 players have four maps, and PC players only have the two free maps.

These new maps may be a little bit smaller than the normal maps, but there's still plenty going on in them to allow for a number of different playstyles. I'll be sure to point out a few of the important parts throughout the course of this guide.

Basics:

Face-Off strips Call of Duty down to the bare essentials. It's just you and a teammate or two versus the enemy. Killstreaks are still in play, but with a smaller source of kills, getting the higher streaks becomes unlikely. Build your classes around short fights; it's likely you will die relatively quick. Snipers and LMG's aren't as super effective as the Assault Rifles and Sub Machine Guns will be in these situations.

Assassin is a key perk for the second slot to protect you from UAV's and Counter UAV's. Build your streaks around quickness and keep them short. UAV, Counter, Care Package, and Sentry will be your best bets in the perk department.

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Welcome to G4's Knuckle Up, where we bring you a byte-sized view of our five favorite mobile games every week. The phone and tablet space is filled with incredible games that will keep you busy for minutes, hours, or even days -- we'll let you know what we're playing and why we're playing it. Here are our top five games this week:

GAME OF THE WEEK

NIHILUMBRA

iOS

We see a lot of apps come through here, and we can honestly say we’re floored by Nihilumbra right now. This game is something to behold: an achingly beautiful, bittersweet, wonderful puzzle platformer that’s sure to delight just about anyone who’s a fan of mobile gaming. As the story goes, you’re Born, a bit of the dark Void who decides one day to leave it in search of something meaningful. Unfortunately, the Void isn’t going to just let you go, and you’ll need to traverse levels across different areas to escape it. The good news is, you’ll have some pretty nifty magic at your disposal to assist you on your journey.

Each area has a special “color” power in it that allows you to progress and solve increasingly complex puzzles as the game goes on via “painting” a color for a specific effect. The first color you come across is blue, which puts an icy path on the ground that helps push heavier objects or speed you (or your enemies) up. Unlocking each color also unlocks new and creative ways to continue in the game, and while Nihilumbra starts off fairly easy, the game’s difficulty ramps up significantly toward the end, giving even serious gamers a challenge.

Nihilumbra is pure, unadulterated imagination splashed onto the screen of the iPad. There’s nothing quite like it in the App Store, at least not that we’ve seen. It’s a perfect storm of melancholy that somehow feels poignant and genuine, and that’s pretty special if you ask us.

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Augmented reality in video games, much like 3D or motion gaming, has yet to shed itself of the label as just another gimmick. Indeed, in the decades since the first home console, almost nothing has changed. We still sit on the couch with a controller in our hands playing a box that’s plugged into the TV. I can say with confidence now that the hype surrounding the Wii has worn off, and the Kinect/Move failed to enact any serious change within the industry.

If there is one element of gaming that is in a constant state of flux, it’s mobile gaming. The 3DS is almost alien technology compared to the original Gameboy. And don’t get me started on the technological marvel that is the PS Vita. So while new tech struggles to take root in console gaming, it may find a happy home in mobile games. That is if it can ever get off the ground.

• News: Google Glass Price and Release Window Revealed

What I’ve noticed about all augmented reality technology is that it makes for one hell of a YouTube video. We all drooled over Google’s Project Glass video. Vita’s November trailer demonstrating a number of augmented reality games in development raised more than a few eyebrows. I vaguely remember a video wherein an iPhone was used to shoot space invaders attacking an augmented city skyline. But when push comes to shove, either these technologies were never realized, or the realization just wasn’t what people expected or wanted.

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Google Glass video games don’t exist just yet, but these futuristic glasses and similar head-mounted displays have us thinking about a potential games list. It turns out that there are more than a few of our favorite franchises that would look good in the cutting-edge specs that make our heads look anything but. We already found a bunch of ways that Google Glass could change video games thanks to its personalized viewing experience and sensors like accelerometers, a gyroscope, and compass.

Now let’s meet the first IP we’d want to see in a game-focused iteration of Google’s HMDs.

Battlefield 5

Battlefield for Google Glass was one of the first franchises we thought would work well as an augmented reality FPS game. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with EA’s Call of Duty-rival on the mind when we saw the Google Glass demo. “There is aCanal,” an Israeli pair of YouTube parody producers, went a step further by simulating what Battlefield would look like through the lens of Google Glass in this Battlefield 5 video.

The Google Glass wearer in this Battlefield 5 parody uses an abandoned warehouse lot to “load Battlefield,” arm himself to the teeth with invisible guns, and shoot imaginary enemy soldiers as if they were right there in front of him. After sneaking up on an enemy with a knife, the video is capped off with an airstrike in the distance.

The Battlefield 5 video is clever and well made, even if its gameplay mechanics remain as realistic as the enemy soldiers. But clearly, gamers armed with nothing more than video cameras and Final Cut are thinking, and hopefully developers are getting just as inspired.

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We’ve taken you through the new lands of Dawnguard as well as shown you the best weapons to find in the new Skyrim DLC along with some of the new enemies looking to take you down. You can side with the once great warriors to take on the evil that’s taken root upon the land or become the monster that men fear by blotting out the sun. This is your game after all. How you want to take on the world of Skyrim is entirely up to you.

Below are the collective guides for the new Dawnguard DLC as well as some of the other collective works of Skyrim knowledge. When you have a whole world breathing down your neck, you might as well cheat to survive.

FAQ: Everything You Need To Know – Before you head out into the new lands of Dawnguard, make sure that you check out this guide to everything you need to know.

Werewolf Perk Guide – Things can get a little hairy when the werewolf receives a new perk tree. Don’t worry about it. We have you covered in this guide.

Weapons and Armor Guide – With new DLC comes new loot for you to steal or craft on your own. Want a shield that can toss a giant? Find that here.

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Our Fourth of July celebrations are almost universally upbeat. Military fly-bys and thankfulness for our armed forces and our freedom precede fireworks displays accompanied by orchestras playing patriotic music by John Philip Sousa. We can see much of this spirit in the way video games have depicted America and our culture historically, but as video games have matured and begun to delve into serious subject matter; they’ve also begun featuring criticism of our ideals and our culture ranging from oblique commentary to blunt sarcasm.

One of the most common depictions of an American in the earliest video games was as a soldier. Konami’s arcade game Rush’n Attack was originally released as Green Beret in Japan and Europe. Other arcade games like Commando and Operation Wolf took advantage of the Cold War pro-military popular culture in the United States. The only American character in Street Fighter II was a soldier named Guile, and his stage was set next to a runway on an Air Force base. Americans love to identify with the tough guy and bad-ass. 

In the 1990’s, Steven Spielberg created the Medal of Honor series on the Sony PlayStation as a celebration of the highest military decoration the United States can award a soldier. Medal of Honor recipients put themselves at risk “above and beyond the call of duty” under fire and represent the best of what an American soldier aspires to be. The franchise has stayed true to this ethos as a celebration of the individual bravery of our men and women in uniform. Electronic Arts and Danger Close studios always hammer home that the current incarnation of the franchise is based in large part on consultation with American Tier 1 operatives, who are drawn from the various elite fighting forces like the Navy SEALS and US Army Rangers.

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Playing video games with family on the 4th of July is safe, legal and condoned by your housing authority.

The same can’t be said about the fireworks that are probably banned in your city and the charcoal grill that will get you hassled by your landlord bright and early on Thursday morning. You could trade that M-80 in for lame sparklers or bring the BBQ party indoors, but we think that sharing with your family and friends your video game dependence is the best way to celebrate this day of independence.

Turns out we have a list, nay a signed document, of ten family-friendly video games for freedom-loving families.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Disneyland is especially magical during the 4th of July thanks to the theme park’s elaborate parades and brilliant fireworks -- Mickey Mouse has a permit to set them off right above Cinderella's Castle. Not as magical? With the holiday crowds and long wait-times. Kinect Disneyland Adventures for Xbox 360 is a great alternative for the entire family; it’s faster than Fast Pass and has a fireworks mini-game to boot. The rest of its 18 mini-games are based off of the attractions, new and old, from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters to Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Best of all, it’s all located in your living room. No chance of a live-action National Lampoon’s Family Vacation sequel in your future.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures is the latest game in a long line of video games with fireworks that you should check out.

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