November is over (alright its here for another 3 hours EST), but it couldn’t end without another round of NIGHTLY DEALS. It has been a little while, but the GameFly Nightly Deals are back and are yeah…just back. Anyways they are only here for a limited time so check them out below.
There you have it folks, your GameFly Nightly deals. Like I said before strike while the iron is hot because these deals tend to cool off quickly. Also keep in mind for value sake that all games purchased on GameFly come with new cases, manuals and online codes (if required) and sometimes have free shipping. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
Small margin of victory for such a monstrous contender
Battles 6, 7 and 8 have come to a close and brings about the conclusion of Round 1 of our Video Game Controller Deathmatch. The Xbox 360 edged out the PS3 by only 2 votes while the Dreamcast and Wii skunked their respective opponents. Round 2 will be starting tomorrow so stay tuned for the first battle and in the meantime check out the updated tournament bracket below to check out the matchups. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all that other jazz is over, but the deals keep rolling over at Amazon. Amazon is doing a running sale entitled “19 Days of Deals” so when we see something cool we will post it (can’t guarantee everyday). Today’s deals are “Action” themed, so if you are in the market for an action title you might be in luck. I have thrown up some notables below so if any of them interest you head on over to Amazon via this link.
Action Themed Notables
Dead Island (Xbox 360 and PS3) – $29.99
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Xbox 360 and PS3) – $29.99
Rage (Xbox 360 and PS3) – $39.99
Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360 and PS3) – $9.99
Bit.Trip Saga (Wii and 3DS) – $24.99
Ace Combat Assault Horizon (Xbox 360 and PS3) – $34.99
and many more
There you have it folks your Amazon Gaming deals of the day. Check back often as we post deals frequently. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
The Legend of Zelda has always been a series that has never had voice dialogue. Some folks on the internet speculate that it is tradition to not have it, that it would ruin the game, or sometimes even a combination of the two form one’s argument. Others will say that Link is a stoic hero or the strong silent type and that he need not speak because his actions speak volumes of their own (so cliché, but applicable). Granted up until Ocarina of Time voice dialogue wouldn’t have been an option anyways because of hardware/software limitations, but I have a theory as to why Link doesn’t speak and I’d like to share it with you.
"Huut, huut, waaah, wwahah, HYAAH" Using Google Translate that means "Hi I am Link, would you like a cup of tea?"
It has been over a decade since Link has entered 3D space and for over ten years you have been rewarded for somersaulting into shit. I’m about 10 hours into Skyward Sword and have probably rolled into more shit for a rupee than Wilt Chamberlain has banged chicks (THAT’S A LOT OF ROLLING FOLKS). Link can be the strong silent type that we all think he is; I just think the poor guy has some serious brain damage. His cerebral functions have been ravaged for years and the only discernible sounds we get out of him are Neanderthalic grunts and “HYAAHS”. Besides rolling into various things, the dude has been tucking and rolling off of 20 foot ledges for just as long. Why? Why does the game design force us to maim our valiant hero? Who knows, but our beloved Link is more or less a functional retard, but I still love him and boy can he wield a mean sword.
So strong, so silent, the ladies go crazy for him, one in particular, HIZAHH!!!
Tradition, Personality, or brain damage are all plausible options for the silent treatment from one of gaming’s most notable heroes, but will we truly ever know? I’m guessing not, but dialogue aside Link will continue to persevere through any obstacle that is thrown at him, unless it’s a spelling bee, then he is fucked.
The most "animated" version of Link, stil not a peep
As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
The Dealpocalypse that was last week has subsided for the most part, but moving forward there are still deals to be consumed. Xbox Live Deals this week are from the folks over at Capcom and are combat themed. So if you are in the mood to get some booty (treasure of course) or viciously uppercut someone you may be in luck. Deals are below so get at them.
Xbox Live Deals of the Week 11/29 – 12/5 – Capcom Specials
Age of Booty – 200 MSP (50% off)
Super Street Fighter II HD Remix – 600 MSP (50% off)
Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting – 200 MSP (50% off)
Also for those of you at work who want to purchase these titles take this link over to Xbox.com to put them in your download que
There you have it folks your Xbox Live Deals of the Week. Check back often for deals and as always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
The folks over at Humble Bundle have been in business for a year and half, and in that time they have amassed more than 8 million dollars towards charity and for the developers highlighted by these bundles (not to mention a nice tip for the Humble Bundle team.) Honestly, people are just throwing their money at these guys.
The idea behind the Humble Bundle is simple: pay what you want, support charity, get awesome games. Average payment for this bundle now sits at $3.78 (though this will change as more gamers contribute.) And for that measly amount of pocket change, you’ll be getting six excellent indie games. If you want to pay less, pay less, though you’ll miss out on a couple games if you don’t meet average. And if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can always give more.
The best part is that you choose where your money will be going. You can evenly split it between the indie developers, charity (Child’s Play and the Electronic Frontier Foundation), and the Humble Bundle Team, or give all/none to any of them. Feeling like the Humble Bundle guys are doing a great job? Give them more of your payment. Feel like those greedy sick kids have enough gaming equipment? Give them nothing. And then find a therapist.
This Humble Bundle comes with Uplink, Darwinia, DEFCON, and Multiwinia. And if you match or beat the current average payment, you’ll also get Aquaria and Crayon Physics Deluxe as a bonus. In the past, these bundles have come packaged with gaming hits like Braid, World of Goo, and Penumbra, so make sure you check it out. But don’t wait around! The Humble Bundles are only available for two weeks at a time, so make sure you head over and get your outrageously good deal before time’s up.
With today being Cyber Monday it would only make sense for Xbox Live to run a sale right? Well they are and while it isn’t a huge one I think it is better than what they offered on Black Friday. The discounted items are listed below and if you are interested in any of them go fire up your Xbox and get to downloading.
There you have it folks, some Cyber Monday goodness. Amazon will be running lightening deals all day on games once again, so if I see any crazy deals I will more than likely post them on Facebook and Twitter. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
During my morning coffee and internet perusing I came across an interesting article on Kotaku that speaks of a rumored Sony Smash Bros clone project called “Title Fight” from developer SuperBot Entertainment. I sometimes read things and don’t feel compelled to share, but this isn’t one of those times. The implications behind this game are huge and if done right would give Nintendo’s super popular crossover fighting franchise a run for its money. In the article on Kotaku they talked about a few characters that have been rumored to already be in the game such as Nathan Drake from Uncharted, Colonel Radec from Killzone, Kratos from God of War and a few others. One concern that was made known in the comments of this article was whether or not Sony had a large enough first party roster to properly fill out a fighting game of this magnitude? This got me thinking and when I get to thinking I like to make lists, so here is a list for you of every Sony character I could think of from their first party titles.
Possible “Title Fight” Roster
Nathan Drake – Uncharted
Victor Sullivan – Uncharted
Cole – inFamous
Sly Cooper – Sly Cooper
Jak – Jak and Daxter
Daxter – Jak and Daxter
Rachet – Rachet and Clank
Clank – Ratchet and Clank
Nathan Hale – Resistance
Sweet Tooth – Twisted Metal
Kratos – God of War
A Modder – ModNation Racers
Sackboy – Little Big Planet
Ico – Ico
Wander – Shadow of the Colossus
Colonel Radec – Killzone
A Seal – SOCOM
Parappa the Rappa – Parappa the Rappa
Fat Princess – Fat Princess
and probably many more
I made this list off the cuff and from what was on Kotaku. I also more than likely forgot a bunch, so that is where you the readers enter the equation. Sound off in the comments section below to add any additional people we have missed and what you think of this ambitious title from Sony and whether or not you think it can compete with Smash Bros. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
[Thanks to Kotaku for the article inspiration and Image above]
Sorry for the delay on the Video Game Controller Deathmatch front. Now that all this Black Friday nonsense has concluded (sans Cyber Monday, kind of different) I can get back to this display of plastic and silicon carnage. Battle 5 originally tied and then we had a rematch to decide a victor and the people have spoken; Xbox is your WINNER!!! I think we might have had a few turncoats from the original battle to the rematch, but no matter it is time to move forward. To make up for the delay I am posting the last 3 first round Battles to get caught up (Battle 6,7 and 8). Battle 6 is between Xbox 360 and PS3, Battle 7 is between the Nintendo Wii and the Playstation Move and lastly Battle 8 (our weirdest match up) is between the Sega Dreamcast and Atari 2600. Voting will go live today and end tomorrow night (November 28th) at midnight. Remember there are three ways to vote. You can vote on here, on Twitter and our most popular voting poll Facebook. After the voting is over I will post an updated bracket to showcase the round 2 battles. So let the blood flow into the proverbial internet streets and lets get it ON!!! As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content and cool shit.
If you are not familiar with Skylanders you should be because it has the potential to change the landscape of gaming and how we acquire DLC. Skylanders is the latest Spyro game from Activision, but that really isn’t important, what is important is how you play and consume Skylanders. Skylanders’s approach to gameplay isn’t completely original, but is something that will surely spawn many clones of its own (if not direct sequels). It’s the concept of “Physical DLC” that at first glance looked really insignificant to me, but then after further contemplation floored me. Skylanders exhibits a fusion between digital and tangible products that is pioneering a new way to consume and use DLC. Excuse me for my ambiguity; let me explain to you how Skylanders works (it is not terribly complicated).
Skylanders is just like most other E-rated adventure games, but you have a series of “Skylanders” (the heroes if you will) at your disposal to play with. The Skylanders you play with are actual mini action figures with a code on the bottom of them and each has unique powers and attributes. Then through a USB device or “portal” (which is included in the Starter Pack) you place your Skylander on it and the game processes the data on the bottom of the figure (then your adventure begins). This is done for new adventures and quests as well (I believe they have a Pirate Adventure and some others available for purchase). Your character data and progress is saved on your Skylander figure, which brings about the major caveat of this game; if you lose your Skylander you lose your progress, but hopefully that will not be a major issue for most. This is all well and dandy, but my major fascination with this game lies more on the business side of things and if Skylanders is really successful (which it is looking like it will be) it has the potential to shake things up. Just bear with me a little longer I am going to make a point.
Skylanders uses a proprietary form of DLC that must be purchased just like any other form of DLC, but it is the physical part that obviously differentiates it from its digital brethren. Activision has effectively cut out the middleman for DLC. Xbox Live and PSN which usually see a cut of DLC from publishers is getting axed via this business model. Some will think “Leave it to Activision to screw more people”, but this is probably the most original thing they have done in quite some time and they should be applauded for it. Besides having a very aggressive business model behind it, Skylanders also explores a nostalgic realm for me that most games are incapable of doing.
Skylanders is so refreshing to me because albeit being a huge gamer I still find it very important for kids to play with action figures and other toys. I truly believe that imagination is something that is dying amongst many of today’s youth. Too many kids jump right into video games and completely abandon the breadth of experiences that are offered through toys. Legos, G.I. Joe, Batman, Star Wars and Power Rangers toys were just as important to me as my NES was. I was able to experience so much more through my own imagination and I believe that I am who I am because of it. In conjunction with playing sports and gaming I dedicated time to building massive structures with Legos and playing out stories that I created for use with my action figures [Batman and G.I. Joe crossovers were pretty epic]. I am not saying that Skylanders goes to these levels of imagination, but it is moving in the right direction and I fully support further exploration of this game’s design.
Activision has something special on their hands with Skylanders and I hope they treat it well. It is creating a proper bridge between action figures and video games and I think that it could illicit some stimulation in today’s younger crowd and maybe get them to explore other things besides video games. Maybe I am reaching too far, but I remain hopeful.
What do you think about the concept behind Skylanders? To you think it is a good idea or just another gimmick from Activision? Sound off in the comments section and let us know what you think. As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.
November is over (alright its here for another 3 hours EST), but it couldn’t end without another round of NIGHTLY DEALS. It has been a little while, but the GameFly Nightly Deals are back and are yeah…just back. Anyways they are only here for a limited time so check them out below.
The Gamer's Abstract 