Kratos

You don’t really get manlier than the god of war himself do you? Kratos has shown gamers his brutality and visceral fighting techniques as he disembowels minotaurs and pulls other god’s heads off; but now if he only showed some class in his masculinity. While Kratos is rocking a pretty impressive goatee, a little mo would do him wonders. Not only would he look even manlier, but his enemies will see him as a more dignified and civilized opponent, rather than a blood thirsty savage (which we don’t really mind by the way).

Nathan Drake

Everyone’s favourite smooth-talking treasure hunter seems to have it all – good looks, witty lines, endless luck, globe spanning escapades and of course any girl he lays his eyes on. Well, you’re wrong. One thing Nate is oblivious to is his own facial hair. The man does not have a mo, and he should. A moustachioed Nathan Drake would add greater depth to his suave demeanour and leave the ladies chasing him, rather than the opposite. Maybe we’ll see a facial hair DLC pack for Uncharted 3.

Marcus Fenix

Similar to Kratos, Gears of War’s main protagonist seems to have the manly attitude down. Fenix takes a no-holds barred approach as he curb stomps and chainsaws his way through hordes of Locust without even blinking. His tough guy front still requires one thing though – the mo. A glorious moustache would be a perfect match for Fenix’s straight-faced grimace, and with Fenix’s right-hand man Dom showing off his beard in Gears 3, hopefully Marcus will be flashing the ‘stache sometime soon.

And a notable mention to some of gaming’s men already rocking the mo: Old Snake, Prince of Persia (on occasion), Mario, Luigi, Victor Sullivan,

Our original feature Movies That Should Be Video Games had a look at some of the more recent standout films which lend themselves to becoming great (or at least pretty good) video games. Now we continue the tradition of having wishful hopes on the conversion of cinematic projects into interactive ones – namely, playing out some awesome movie moments on our consoles and PC’s. So without further adieu, here is part 2 of Movies That Should Be Video Games.

Crank (2006)

Chev Chelios’ escapades in 2006’s Crank are practically based around a video game premise. If he stops moving, he dies. The fact that Chev needs adrenaline or an electrical shock to keep his heart going gives game developers a good reason to pump up the action and give gamers one of the most fast-paced and intense action experiences around. With time constantly slipping away from Chelios, an interesting gameplay mechanic could be integrated; ensuring players keep fighting and performing stunts in order to stay alive. A Crank game would be ideal, not to mention Jason Statham would look as badass on a game cover as he does on movie posters.

Just imagine the mini-games! (Photo from Crank 2 - we know)

Inception (2010)

This one’s actually looking more of a reality than a dream as of late, as Christopher Nolan has already expressed interest in turning his $800,000,000 blockbuster into a video game. There’s no detail or word on what the game could be like, but the heist element of the film would undoubtedly play a large role in the gameplay – kind of like Psychonauts meets Kayne & Lynch.

Casshern (2004)

Many people probably haven’t heard of Casshern, and understandably since it is based on an anime show from the 70’s. Despite this, everyone should see Casshern because it’s got everything that video game fanatics would love and a little more. The premise revolves around a young man whose who is rebuilt with an invincible body who has to save the world from an iron devil and experiments that have gone wrong. If that doesn’t intrigue you then check out the poster below. If that doesn’t scream ‘video game’, I don’t know what does.

Badass, ain't it?

]]> http://www.gamescastlive.com/2011/02/11/movies-that-should-be-games-part-ii/feed/ 0 http://www.gamescastlive.com/2010/09/24/the-gcl-insyclopedeea-camping/ http://www.gamescastlive.com/2010/09/24/the-gcl-insyclopedeea-camping/#comments Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:59:20 +0000 John Kotsiovos http://www.gamescastlive.com/?p=4619 In our gaming lifetime we will come across many words. Some words which we encounter will have the ability to inspire, offend, confuse and at times agrrevate.  This week will be looking to establish a working definition to one of the most popular competitive online gaming terms. So what exactly does “camping” mean? Lets find out.

The good ol'days

In order to understand the true meaning of “camping” one would have to discern what “camping” is not. Despite popular belief, camping is not something which involves a group of friends, a tent and the wilderness. Camping is not a term which is fuelled by emotions of peace and happiness. Lastly, it is also not an action which occurs on rare occasions. While this may be hard to swallow, you will have to remove the preconceptions of camping in order to see it for what it trully is.

Now you may be wondering as to what camping is then. The true definition of camping is one which makes every serious gamer sad and dejected. It is the process whereby an individual or a group of people proceed to sit in a corner of the map with their gun ready to blast away all the people who run past them. This technique is usually practiced by what gamers refer to as a ‘noob’, which implies that the person lacks any sort of true skill in the game and hence they enjoy these long pauses in order to rack up some kills.

Above: Not really

While it may sound like an innocent term, camping has a number of side effects on those who are victims of campers. It has the ability to lead to all sorts of emotional responses such as: anger, sadness, and depression. This can also lead to them verbally abusing campers or ‘rage quits’ midway through a game. Clearly then this is to be deemed a serious offense as the consequences can be profound.

Gone are the days where the mention of camping inspires images of nature, the wilderness and some good times. The term has now made it to the 21st century where it is used to characterise a particular playing style in competative online gaming. For those who are guilty of commiting this crime, remember that you should attempt to move continually around the map. To the victims of campers, remember to persevere and never forget that campers will exist as long as video games do.

Have a super long weekend and avoid those camping spots.

Spider-man/Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994) – Sega Mega drive / SNES

Although Spider-man shared the title of his 1994 Mega Drive and Super NES beat-em-up, it was one of the best Spider-man games to hit the scene. Players could alternate between Venom and Spidey, in an attempt to take down one of the greatest foes of all time, Carnage. The fighting was remminicant of Final Fight and the ability to swing from building to building made Maximum Carnage one awesome entry into the Spidey video game world.

Giving some trash a taste of their own medicine... get it, get it!

Spiderman (2000) – PSX / N64

The first Spiderman game to hit the Playstation (due to Marvel’s bankruptcy in the 90’s) was a comic book fans dream. For the first time, Spidey was able to swing around in a fully-fledged 3D environment, while taking on some of the series’ greatest villains, such as Rhino, Venom and Carnage. At that time, there was no big budget movie to base it on or marketing trend to follow. It was just a great superhero game, along with the witty humor our favourite Webhead was known for.

Spidey's office parties often got heated

Spiderman 2: Enter Electro (2001) – PSX

A sequel to the impressive Spider-man on the PSX hit the platform just over a year later. While it didn’t change much in terms of gameplay, it gave players the chance to take on Electro, Hammerhead, Lizard, Sandman and Shocker. Spidey could now also drop down to the streets (in certain levels) rather than falling to hit death if a web-swing was missed. This added a new depth to the franchise and gave the Spider-man series the push it needed.

In Enter Electro, players also got taught by an Avatar... we mean... Beast

Film based games (Spiderman: The Movie / Spiderman 2 / Spiderman 3)

With the much anticipated live-action Spider-man film in 2002, tie-in videogames were a guarantee and introduced some new ideas into the franchise. Large open-world environments gave players the freedom to really experience what it felt like to be Spider-man without the constraints of a mission, and everything from web-swinging to fighting were tweaked to capture the acrobatic nature of Spider-man’s antics.

Scorpion often challenged Spidey the dance battles

Ultimate Spiderman

Within Peter Parker’s stints on the big screen, another Spidey game made its appearance, but this time took influence from the comics rather than the film counterparts. Ultimate Spider-man presented a comic-drawn visual style and introduced fans into the Ultimate universe. Players also once again had the chance to play as Venom, who instead of being a mirror of Spidey, had gameplay mechanics and characteristics of his very own.

Pete Parker really needed some Spidey snacks during his Ultimate years

Spiderman: Web of Shadows

Web of Shadows marked a new era for the Spider-man franchise as it introduced a variety of new ideas and formulas into the series. Players again had the ability to swing around New York as they pleased, but before too long, a virus originating from Venom turns the entire city into symbiote zombies.  Spidey has to once again try and save the city, but thankfully Web of Shadows allowed Spider-man to team up with a variety of Marvel heroes such as Wolverine, fight in the air with a new aerial combat system, and also give him the chance to make moral decisions, as the game had a few different endings.

Here's Spidey's alter-ego, Spaghetti-Man, showing what he's got

Web of Shadows also featured the awesomeness that is this…

Wolverine: "Does your spandex ever itch your... legs?"

Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions

Alas, we finally arrive at Spider-man’s new adventure, Shattered Dimensions. However, a few things have changed this time around: An ancient tablet is accidentally broken in half by none other than Spidey himself. Each piece of the tablet is distributed into four different dimensions, namely Amazing, Ultimate, 2099 and Noir. Each dimension’s Spider-man now has to fight in order to regain possession of the tablet and set the natural balance of things back to normal, but with enemies such as Hobgoblin, Hammerhead and Kraven holding these pieces, it’s not going to be an easy battle for ol’Webhead.

Other notable (or not-so notable) titles: Spider-man: Friend or Foe, Spider-man: Return of the Sinister Six, Marvel Nemisis: Rise of the Imperfects, Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Thanks for checking out this week’s feature, and check back for our review of Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions very soon.

Free Games are Awesome

Ok so they’re not really ‘free’ per se, as we do review and get some exposure for them, but it’s awesome to get the chance to play a wealth of titles without liquidating your house (and pets). Promotional copies help a substantial amount and we couldn’t be more happy to play, review and talk about some of the phenomenal games we’ve had the chance to experience.

Launch Parties kick ass

Every now and then, distributors, publishers or even hardware manufacturers throw party in celebration of their new title or product, and if you crack an invite, prepare for some fun. Getting to party it up with fellow gamers, colleagues and industry personnel are some of the highlights of the job, and the fact that some gaming is thrown into the mix, makes any launch parties memorable.

StarCraft 2 Launch Party Lesson #1: Things get out of hand

Be prepared to play some terrible games

Being give the chance to play the majority of the games that hit the store selves on ( or even sometimes prior to ) release is a dream come true and we don’t take any of it for granted. This isn’t a complaint, just more of a warning. If you aspire to become a game reviewer, be prepared to play some atrocious games. As gamers, we are all s fortunate to have such high quality products these days, but when the time comes ( and it will come ) to play Fashion Party on the Wii, you’ll know you’ve made it.

Knowledge is key

Anyone can essentially ‘review’ a game, but it requires an effective us of the English language to convey the correct message. More importantly than that, game reviewers need to really know past and present games inside out, and we mean really know. Reviewers also have to understand that not all games can be compared to one another. People believe if you score anything higher than Modern Warefare 2 – prepare for bloodshed. This isn’t the way forward, as reviewers must be objective and open minded about every type of game out there, and know how to review it. Saying: “Killzone 2 is teh graffix!” is not necessarily going to captivate readers.

Not exactly an ideal review. Click to enlarge, and laugh

Everyone is a critic

Well, this is more applicable to the internet (and society) in general. To put it bluntly, people are going to hate, whether they like you or not. Any writer or website owner will tell you, that the amount of negativity and stupidly pessimistic feedback is ever prevalent, and there’s only one thing you can do – take it on the chin. Because at the end of the day, every negative comment is outnumbered 100 to 1 with positive responses and participation from awesome gamers out there, and that’s what make this all worth it.

Even Kermit has an opinion

On behalf of GamesCastLive, we’d like to thank all of the distributors and awesome individuals for all your support for what we’re doing. With your help, we are, where we are. Continue being awesome and thanks for checking out the Friday Feature.

Value for Money

Now this may seem like a very common point but it’s still a valid one. It must be said that gaming is becoming a very expensive hobby and most games will get shelved after one or two playthroughs. But, should you buy a game which boasts a decent multiplayer component, you’re guaranteed to pile on ten or more days of online time alone. You do that math to get the hours.

Unless you're Richard you care about the price of games.

All the cool kids are doing it…

Have you ever joined a conversation about last night’s Modern Warfare 2 game and been unable to share in on the topic? We know how you feel and with the simple process of inserting an ethernet cable into your console, you will soon be able to fit in with all the ‘rad’ kids at school, varsity and work. (Please note that ethernet cable must be run through a router connected to the internet. Inserting the cable alone will not have any effect… duh?!)

The cool kids...

You are not alone!

Does your gaming obsession get you down somedays? Do you ever think “man, I play this way too much! It’s all I ever do!” Living with this feeling can be quite a burden for one individual to carry, however the minute you jump online you’ll discover a plethora of others who are equally obsessed as you. You will also find some who are obsessed to such extremes that you’ll even feel better about yourself.

Swearing at individuals you don’t know.

Swearing at someone who is standing directly in front of you could lead to a black eye and swearing at irritating younger kids could get you into big trouble. Welcome to the world of online: a place where you can swear at anyone big, small, old, or young and not have to worry about the repercussions.  Had a bad day? Come online and find some poor soul to take it out on. Simply fantastic.

Grey hairs, depression and potential hair loss.

Once you have become an online veteran, you will pride yourself at all the skills that you have acquired over time in online multiplayer games. As you will soon find out, people have off days, and so will you. You will die over and over again, miss easy shots, witness laggers and many other annoyances. The result?  Frustration, anger, and sorrow which will lead you down a path of grey hair, depression and hair loss.  It’s great fun.

You in the next few months..

Diablo 3

The infamous third instalment of Blizzard’s dungeon RPG has been a long time coming. Since Diablo 2’s release in 2000, fans have been sharpening their weapons in anticipation, waiting for the fateful day that they get to continue looting chests and hacking skeletons in dark corners. Well, since being announced in 2008, Diablo 3 has been through a bunch of delays, design choices and changes, giving this threequel an unconfirmed 2011 release date. Will it ever happen?

So preetttyyy

Splinter Cell Conviction

Earlier this year, Splinter Cell: Conviction hit our shelves and although it wasn’t the SC experience fans were expecting, it was one of the most action-packed and innovative third-person stealth shooters to come out for ages. But what many don’t know is how drastically the concept and release dates changed for Ubisoft’s title. The original Conviction design saw Sam Fisher as a washed-out hobo-like street brawler. The game was announced in 2007, but after a lot of delays and overhauls with the look and feel of the game, April 2010 saw the new and improved Splinter Cell: Conviction hit the street, and with its streamlined action sequences and interesting mechanics, it was worth the wait.

Originally titled: 'Hobo Beatdown 3' - Ok, that was a lie.

Max Payne 3

Everyone cries and whines when Mario or Sonic are absent for a year or two. Sure they’re iconic characters in the industry, but what about Max Payne!? The guy brought bullet-time into mainstream gaming and has changed the way developers look at third-person shooters for crying out loud. We’ve been missing Mr. Payne for a while now and Max Payne 3 (originally scheduled for a late 2009 release) is taking way too long. The game should be in slow-motion, not the development – just a thought.

Delays are a Payne in the ass (Pun overly intended)

Duke Nukem Forever

And now onto the bad boy of the video game world, who’s latest ironically titled game will probably never be seen or heard of ever again. Duke Nukem: Forever was announced in 1997 and thanks to multiple re-writes and developmental changes, Duke’s first outing in over 10 years still didn’t make it into our PC’s and consoles. After the whole project was recently shutdown, all we have is a few screenshots 3D Realms left behind – enjoy.

It looked cool at the time

Too Human

Too Human was originally announced in 1999 for the original Playstation. Then it was rumoured to release on the GameCube after Nintendo and Silicon Knights partnered up. Then… it kinda disappeared. Too Human was then revealed to be released exclusively to Xbox 360 and in August 2008, over 9 years of development hell finally ended. Unfortunately the game was met with sub-mediocre reviews and faded away faster than vacant memory.

Too Human? More like Too Late! heehee! We crack ourselves up

Xbox 360 Controller:

The 360 controller firstly benefits from some great trigger buttons which not only allow you to press them in at different sensitivities but due to their shape, your fingers are guaranteed to stay put without sliding off. The ultimate remote should include the Xbox analogue sticks, however their placement will have to be different.

Slowly getting better...

PS3 Controller:

Yes, it has been the same since PS1 with minor changes here and there but while it may look aged, it still carries some useful characteristics for the ultimate gaming remote. First off it has a responsive and easy to use d-pad which simply has to be used for the ultimate remote. It also has correctly placed analogue sticks and most importantly has six-axis.

Look familiar?

Wii-Remote:

There’s something weirdly wonderful about the Wii-remote.  Yes, its split in two but its shape and design seem to work quite well. Perhaps one could take the creativity and uniqueness of the Wii-remote and use it to brighten up the character of the ultimate remote. This also bring s us to the fact that the ultimate remote should possess the responsiveness of the Wii Motion Plus in order to get the most out of your gaming.

Beware of too much innovation.

Keyboard and Mouse:

For PC gamers, these above mentioned controllers are completely subordinate to a keyboard and mouse. Perhaps the ultimate gaming remote should include a mouse peripheral in order to give the players the ability to play FPS’s and strategy games with ease and that way keep all the gamers happy. PC guys will like this as playing adventure games, or FIFA sucks with a keyboard and mouse.

With the triggers and analogue sticks of the Xbox, the D-pad, and six-axis of the PS3, the innovation and motion control of the Wii-remote and the mouse attachment from the PC, the ultimate gaming remote would completely eradicate the existence of any other controller and move toward world domination in the controller arena. Now, we’ll need to find someone to build it. Any ideas?

• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The Sands of Time introduced a new wise-cracking Prince to the world renowned PoP series and instilled itself as the king of platformers once again. Another innovation the game brought was time manipulation, as Dastan’s Dagger of Time could turn back the clock to give players another chance at leaping for a ledge or dodging an attack. The dagger was so powerful it erased the entire events that took place throughout the game. Players may have felt slightly defeated as all their hard work seemed to have never existed, but it was all for the greater good as gamers were exposed to a mechanic that would be exploited for many years to come. Now that’s rewriting history.

Slow-motion breakdancing FTW!

• TimeShift

Creating a time-jumping suit could cause quite a stir. Think about it, you could go back in time and change the course of history. This is exactly what happened in 2007’s TimeShift, as the sadistic Dr Krone uses his invention to go back in time and make himself ruler of the world. The only way to fix this is to go back in time yourself and rectify history by stopping Krone. A lot of time-manipulation puzzles and slow-mo shootouts ensue, and although TimeShift didn’t impress the critics, it was one hell of a ride.

• Darkest of Days

If you’re looking for a little history lesson while you rack up some headshots, look no further than Darkest of Days. The game throws you into some of the most historic battles in history, including The Battle of Little Big Horn alongside General Custer and 79AD Pompeii during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, in order to save key personal that are vital for the future. Seeing all the different locales and characters is a real treat, but the real highlight, is being able to put your futuristic assault rifle to the test against muskets in 1876.

This is not Sparta...

• Singularity

Singularity is definitely one of 2010’s surprise hits with its solid shooting, intriguing setting and unique weapons. But it’s the game’s interesting story that roped us in, and it’s all thanks to some awesome time jumping. Set initially in 2010, players are thrown back to the 1950’s where you inadvertently save a Russian scientist who should’ve died. Jump back to 2010 and this man is now a fascist ruler of the World Government – not cool. So you head back in time to correct your actions and set things right with help from the TMD (Time Manipulation Device), which has some really cool tricks up it’s sleeve.

• TimeSplitters

Free Radical’s shooter in 2000 was a smash-hit due to its super-fast gameplay and tongue-in-cheek approach. But more importantly, it offered players the chance to travel to the past and future in order to kill the notorious race known as the ‘TimeSplitters’, who were destined to destroy humanity. If that’s not a good enough reason to head back to 1935 and all the way through to 2035, then we don’t know what is!

Contrary to what many believe, time travel is serious business

Thanks for checking out the Friday Feature everyone, and remember to honour the past, embrace the future and love the present! Have a good weekend.

Why on earth would we do this?

For those who play video games, there is no denying how cool gaming can be. Clubs also have the capacity to be fun and ensure a good time too. Breeding these two pass times could result in an offspring which is filled with all new forms of awesomeness. It will firstly get the gamers out of the house, and secondly it will introduce the snobby club goers to realise that games are not simply for “kids”. Gaming in clubs will give video gaming in South Africa more exposure and expand the community. Plus peoples mouths tend to be smaller in person as opposed to online.

How would this work?

Venue design and layout is key here and could make or break this great idea. The Gaming Nightclub® will consist of four floors. Yes you’re reading correctly. The first two floors will be strictly dedicated to adhering to the club scene vibe, while the next two floors will be a mixture of clubbing as well as competitive console and PC gaming. Clubbers will be able to get a well needed fix of gaming and gamers will get the needed social dosage. All large scale, small scale and casual gaming tournaments could be held at the Gaming Nightclub® as well as game launches.

There will be a lot of this too

The Result:

Music, beautiful people, gamers and an awesome atmosphere will come together in The Gaming Nightclub® and join all these different personalities. Picture yourself playing a Modern Warfare 2 tournament, listening to deep house while having a beer and a beautiful woman staring over your shoulder.

What a Pimp

Gone are the days where you’ll play against your buddy in PES or FIFA at home, or sitting in a small hall with only gamers. The future is The Gaming Nightclub®: a place where craziness and intoxication meet skill and technology.

The Gaming Nightclub® is a registered trademark of Gamescastlive.com

Have a super weekend.