Christmas is less than 2 months away, which means that early shoppers will already be writing up their Christmas lists. One toy that will be making it on my list is iLoveRobots’ Mechatars, although I’m still not sure if it will be for my 6 year old or by husband.
The Mechatars is iLoveRobots’ latest line of toy robots designed to “unite the best of online games with robotic toys, for play that connects the physical and virtual worlds.” The gaming experience, which is dubbed by the company as “blended reality”, is quite unique in that each Mechatar robot can be played in the real world like you would any toy, except that as you play with it its skills and powers increase so that you can use your new moves and tricks against fellow Mechatar players once you go online at Mechatars.com.
The new Mechatar line features 3 robots called Wrexx “Frenzied Fighter”, Alpha “Tactical Leader”, and Kodar “Loyal Proctector”. Each of the 3 Mechatars have their own personalities, backgrounds, and specialties, but they all share the same cool features of having 3 modes of play, the ability to communicate wirelessly with other Mechatars, remote control action, and simply being an evolving cross-dimensional robot.
Each Mechatar is currently priced at $39.99, with shipping in the US free for all orders over $65, which I think is a pretty good excuse for ordering more than one toy. You can also buy additional power packs, which are detachable weapons that is designed to boost your Mechatar’s power (both in offline and offline game mode) for $9.99 each.
Tags: Mechatar, Robotics, Robots
Zynga’s notification on the release of Mafia Wars 2 arrived in my inbox yesterday. I right away thought that it meant at least a few hours of my time “productively” spent doing research for this post. Unfortunately, less than an hour into the game and I found myself quitting, even way before I spent all of my allotted energy.
The gameplay is nothing new with nothing to distinguish it from Cityville, Farmville, Sims Social, or any of the other (beginning to be) countless social games you can play on Facebook (and Google+), except that everything looks and is named differently, from items and buildings to tasks. That does not mean though that Mafia Wars 2 is any less engaging than the above mentioned games. On the contrary, I’m sure Mafia Wars fans will end up inviting lots of friends to help them finish tasks and get more energy in the next few weeks as they build up their turfs and engage in fights.
What I did like about Mafia Wars 2 is that the artwork is truly cool; in fact I think I spent more time just looking at the task/tutorial notifications appreciating the coloring and effects than playing the game itself. The boss wars and the multi-player arena also adds another dimension to the game, especially since you can ask your friends during the fight to help you beat up a stronger character.
All in all though, this game will appeal to the same crowd its predecessor drew, and won’t grab the interest of those who’d rather not have the social aspect of gaming. Of course, you can always pay Zynga to get more energy and required items without waiting or adding friends.
Tags: Facebook, Google Plus, Mafia Wars, Mafia Wars 2, social games
The thing about being too engaged in newly purchased game consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox consoles is that time flies when you are having fun. A game console aimed for all ages, people are too glued to their television playing their favorite games such as NBA Live, Tekken or even Gran Turismo that they end up lacking sleep from playing until the wee hours of the morning.
Such produces a hypnotic type of a trance for gamers that simply want to complete a level or stage in storylines that these games have to offer. The game developers are not to be blamed since it is really their job to make the game as addicting as possible.
Self-discipline among the people who endorse and play this game should be done internally. It is their duty to ensure that they know when to stop even if they don’t want to. Besides, they can pull-it out anytime they wish to, when they have nothing else to do in real life.
[tags]playstation, xbox, games, sleep disorder[/tags]
Tags: games, PlayStation, sleep-disorder, Xbox
I have heard many PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 fanboys say this over and over. These relatively new video game consoles just keep getting better and better, and for some, you have not experienced gaming unless you have used these consoles. Indeed, I know some people who would not play on anything than their favorite gaming console.
But what about the good old personal computer? Back in the day, the PC was all I played on. From Minesweeper to Hearts to The Sims to Counterstrike – the PC also has continued to evolve as a mean gaming machine. If we were to believe some people though, it would seem as if the PC as a gaming machine is all but dead. But is it, really?
Apparently NOT. A recent study by Interpret shows that 23% of gamers use their PCs as the main means of gaming. Their reason? The computer provides a far better experience than the PS3, the Xbox 360, or even the Nintendo Wii.
This is because with the PC, you can use the keyboard and the mouse for more complex controls. These peripherals also provide better means of communication, which is quite vital for online MMOs and strategy games.
You may be wondering about the sales of PC games. It is true that PC games are selling less and less – that is why video game stores are devoting less shelf space to them. However, the sales of downloadable games continue to rise.
The bottom line? PC gaming is not dead, and I don’t think it will ever be
Tags: pc gaming
Most hardcore gamers today who are obviously after the best game play methodology would usually be left with either choosing a gun or a sword in his own role playing expedition in the usually created game worlds today. Such has been seen from the games that have been clamored to by millions such as Gunbound and Runescape. Both have their own style of game play, either medieval times or old western style shoot-around.
Depending on the theme of the developed game or the actual purpose of usual storylines that would guide the new player towards his journey, people are sure to be befuddled with what type of character they would want to create and develop. For medieval worlds, warriors and magicians would usually be the primary categories of choice. But if there is one thing that a hardcore gamer should be aware of, he must ultimately decide on one character creation first before moving on to choosing other character types with special skills. Patience in this type of game play is a rarity but can be an asset if used well.
[tags]gunbound, runescape, rpg, online games[/tags]
Tags: gunbound, online-games, RPG, runescape
Video gaming is perhaps one of the fastest paced industries today. Much like many other industries that are dependent on technology, the video game sector continuously experiences changes – for the better, hopefully.
This December, gamers have something new to look forward to: the launch of Gakai’s cloud gaming service. At the head of Gakai is David Perry, who is known for creating Earthworm Jim and is one of the most known names in the video game industry. The concept behind cloud gaming services is quite simple: gamers do not have to have their own hardware to play games. Instead, all the necessary equipment – from the games to the hardware – is stored in data service centers. In this setup, the games are streamed to the gamer’s computer instantaneously.
Given that processors and graphics cards can be quite costly (at least the ones necessary for high-end games), this setup is definitely beneficial to gamers. Even better, with Gakai’s plan, games are going to be available for a variety of platforms. When the service launches, gamers are not going to be limited to the use of the PCs. Games will also be available for iPhones and other devices.
The target date for Gakai’s launch is some time in December, when it will be open for everyone. Meanwhile, gamers who want to get a taste of what they have to offer will just have to cross their fingers and hope that they get one of the private invites that the company is giving out over the next two months.
Tags: cloud gaming, data centers, data service centers, Gakai
I like any kind of game. I play those casual games on the PC. I play flash games online. I play on PS3 and the Wii. That’s why when my sister – yeah my baby sister! – told me about Ikariam, I was keen on trying it. And I was not disappointed. To be honest, I have only been playing it for about 2 months (rough estimate this is). So far, I have been enjoying it. In fact, the longer I have been playing it, the more I have found myself enjoying the game. So what is Ikariam?
It reminds me of the old PC game Zeus – I don’t know if you remember it – except that it is online and takes place in real time. You log in to a world and create a city from scratch. You have to build buildings, harvest wood (building material) and some other prime resource. Each island has its own special resource – wine, marble, sulfur, crystal, and so on. Each resource has a special purpose which you need to develop a certain aspect of your town. There are many buildings which you can build and when you reach a certain town level and have a certain number of resources, you can go to sea and found a colony. You also have to upgrade your buildings in order to expand and be able to build more.
Ikariam’s strength lies in the ability of players to trade with other real players and to form alliances with each other. It is the part which makes you look forward to logging in several times a day and checking on your towns and colonies to see how they are faring.
You should try it. It is fun and it is free.
Photo courtesy of http://www.thatvideogameblog.com
Tags: Ikariam, strategy, web-based games
Half-life, Doom, Wolfenstein and Tomb Raider have all made various impacts on the gamer today that they have become the benchmark with regards to new games that have been developed today. Ironically, they have been sought after by most people since the various wars by different nations have all the more enticed people to take on doing target practice in different levels and stages of game play.
Each providing a 3-D type of game setting, people use reflex as well as tactical maneuvers to see how they would go on defensive and offensive strategies with regards to taking on different enemies that the game caters to. As with other games, the objective is to be able to get to the next level with an allocation of lives, usually 3 to 5, depending on the programming and methodology. For what its worth, the expertise of people with regards to the game can be tested through seeing how he or she can be able to take on all comers by avoiding injuries or worse, being killed by stray bullets or grenades.
[tags]wolfenstein, doom, half-life, war games[/tags]
Tags: doom, half-life, war-games, wolfenstein
The type of game a player would want to follow can be foretold in his initial affiliation with online games. Much of todays successful online games such as Runescape, offers a balance for both crafts and combat. Unlike the standard objectives of a medieval or futuristic game setup, it is not purely about armed combat, utilizing high-powered artillery and casting spells.
Today, it is also about being wise and finding ways to survive. RPG caters towards virtual reality worlds, something that speaks well about the overall concept of a game. Adhering towards both sides similar to that of actual life is not easy to understand. While this is not to connote that RPG are truly good, it indirectly provides a good understanding on how to approach personal endeavors of survival in a different manner.
The success of such online games would depend a lot on how well they can be towards players. Just consider how long they have been in existence. Runescape and Ultima Online, among others are still up and about. Just check out the overall game play and you will find out the secret to their success.
[tags]rpg, online games, runescape, ultima online, strategy games[/tags]
Tags: online-games, RPG, runescape, strategy-games, ultima-online
Game controllers for most game consoles of PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo have become another aspect of needing to satisfy the demand for possible damages or worn out game pads today. The wearing out process is only normal considering that with the rising addiction that most gamers employ on their time in playing, they tend to wear out the buttons and the joysticks from excessive use.
It is a good thing that such game controller pads are available anywhere today. Depending on the wear and tear of such controllers, people end up trying to purchase a new one once their old ones start to loose their purpose, like delayed reactions of commands once pushed and also no response coming from moving the stick pad controllers.
While some may not be inclined to buy new ones and have their old controllers fixed, it will still come to a point where the controller would evidently have to be replaced, meaning beyond repair states. For some people, it would be best to replace now rather than wait until the time comes when controllers would become a rarity.
Tags: game-controllers, Nintendo, PS2, PS3, Xbox
