Check out Mike Benson’s “Gnarcade”, a world where classic video game characters and obstacles interact with pro athletes. Pacman, Frogger, and baddies from Super Mario make memorable appearences. But it’s the Portal effect at 2:21 that gets me every time. Beats are provided by Ground Up. Enjoy! (I say “again” in the post title in reference to the awesome NYC pixel takeover.)
Tag Archives: Video games
Kinect for Xbox 360 priced at $149.99, bundles plus new Xbox model announced
We finally have a release date and price to marry. Kinect for Xbox 360, the advanced motion-tracking camera that aims to get games off the couch and into the game (so to speak), will release on November 4 for $149.99. That’s a bit steeper than most had anticipated, but watchagonnado? Now let’s talk bundles. When you buy Kinect standalone for $149.99, the action/adventure game Kinect Adventures! comes packaged inside. Speaking of Kinect titles, Microsoft says that all first-party Kinect-supported games will run $49.99 a pop (that’s ten bucks less than “standard” retail games). In doing this Microsoft hopes to make this pricing standard for Kinect games, but they will leave third-party Kinect games up to the discretion of the developers. Only Dance Central, the exercise disguised as a dancing game from MTV Games and Harmonix, has followed suit with a $49.99 price tag so far. Kinect will also be bundled with a brand new Xbox 360 console. This new SKU is similar to the new 250GB Xbox 360 announced at E3; it’s still “whisper quiet” and comes packed with a WiFi N-adapter. What it lacks is the large HDD and shiny aesthetics. The cheaper SKU will feature 4GB of internal flash memory and a black matte finish (as opposed to the 250GB Xbox’s glossy finish). The new console will come with an empty HDD bay, leaving the option open for Microsoft to ship to market a HDD for expandable storage. The new 4GB Xbox 360 will cost $199.99 and release on August 3. The Kinect + Kinect Adventures! w/ 4GB Xbox 360 bundle will go for $299 and release alongside the Kinect standalone sensor on November 4.
Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg shared the reasoning behind the bundle pricing scheme: “We’re currently a full $100 less than the PS Move bundle which is $400, which is a single player experience. Obviously if you add a second player to that they get well over $500 pretty quickly.” He also says that by setting the Kinect w/ console bundle price at $299 (fifty bucks cheaper than buying everything separately), this will help draw in new potential gamers and expand the market. Look after the break for the full PR.
Continue reading Kinect for Xbox 360 priced at $149.99, bundles plus new Xbox model announced
Rock Band 3 to release October 26, preorder options get detailed
Are you ready to rock!? Well don’t get too excited since we’re still a few months away from the next iteration of Rock Band. MTV Games and Harmonix announced that RB3 hits stores October 26. The game will ship for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS. Pricing details were previously reported. Besides the all-important release date, a bunch of enticing preorder options were detailed, too. If you preorder the game at Walmart you will get a $10 eGift card. Those who shop early at Amazon will receive access to an exclusive in-game guitar plus $10 off a future videogame purchase (the latter offer applies only to Xbox 360 & PS3 RB3 preorders). And last there’s the GameStop special: three free downloadable songs (“My Own Summer” by The Deftones, “Blue Monday” by New Order, and “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads). I don’t have to tell you which option is best to choose. Look after the break for the official PR.
[Via Joystiq] Continue reading Rock Band 3 to release October 26, preorder options get detailed
The Dutch break Guinness World Record by gaming for 50 hours straight
Six Dutch gamers just broke the Guinness World Record for longest period of time playing a video game. They played Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 3 for fifty hours straight. They shattered the previous record of forty hours and twenty minutes. They each used the TwistDock to keep their controllers fully charged for the duration of the outing. When they first entered a video games store in the Netherlands, the six gamers were competitors and wanted to see who could game the longest. It wasn’t long until the crazy bunch decided to set the world record together. 50 straight hours of gaming awarded them €1,000 (about $1,300), Twistdock accessories, and the greatest prize of all–recognition from the people at Guinness World Records. I was to end this post by saying “Game On”, but I think the most appropirate end tag is Dream On, am I right?
Look after the break for a shot of the winners. The kid in the middle is totally giving his best celebratory yawn.
[Via Joystiq; NYTimesBlog] Continue reading The Dutch break Guinness World Record by gaming for 50 hours straight
Hulu Plus launches on PS3, exclusive to it until 2011
On July 14 Hulu Plus, the $9.99/month service that grants you access to boatloads of Hulu content on and beyond the PC, launched on the PlayStation 3. Currently only “a select group” of PlayStation Plus subscribers can gain access to Hulu Plus since it’s still in a preview phase. Remember, PlayStation Plus subscribers pay an additional $50/year for the recently launch Sony service that provides gamers with exclusive game demos, trials, and other content. If you’re a member of the PS Plus community you can download the free Hulu Plus application in the PlayStation Store and request an invitation to the preview. If you’re selected, good for you! If you’re not selected, and if you’re not a paying PS Plus subscriber, there’s no need to worry. “As Hulu Plus becomes generally available in the coming months”, all PS3 owners will have access to Hulu Plus. PlayStation 3 will be the only console-bound home for Hulu Plus through 2010. It is expected to land on Xbox 360 and Wii sometime next year. Full PR after the break.
[Via PlayStationBlog; Engadget] Continue reading Hulu Plus launches on PS3, exclusive to it until 2011
DJ Hero 2 contributing artists revealed
For about a month now we’ve known that DJ Hero 2 is releasing on all major consoles starting at $99 sometime this fall. [Update: It releases October 19.] What we’ve eagerly been waiting for is the official tracklist. Though the mashups have yet to be revealed, we now know all 108 artists that will be featured in the game. Some of the standouts include 2Pac, B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Daft Punk, David Guetta, Deadmau5, Dr. Dre, Drake, Eminem, Gorillaz, Jackson 5, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Lady Gaga, Metallica…ah who am I kidding? The list is pretty stellar so just jump after the break to check it out.
[Via Joystiq] Continue reading DJ Hero 2 contributing artists revealed
Evolution of the video game controller
Pokémon theme song gets one-man a cappella multitrack treatment
And that one man is Danny Fong. Fong used only his voice to record the Pokémon theme song you know and love. With a total of 58 different audio tracks & 16 video tracks Fong used his voice alone to bring together the drums (hi-hat, toms, kick drum, snare, cymbals), rhythm guitar, bass, piano, and vocals. My only objection? This kid owns a frightening amount of V-neck shirts.
[Thanks, @andrewseely]
A Wii-mote controls game & people in real life (a comedy sketch)
London-based comedy sketch group Idiots of Ants is here to show us just how realistic the controls are for Medieval Swordfighter 3 using a modern Wii-mote + nunchuck setup. It’s not too long before the game starts bleeding into the real world. …They’re British and funny so watch it!
[Via Gizmodo]
Concept: Game Boy condoms work just like Mario’s mushrooms
…they make you grow! These here are “Play Condoms” designed by Ben Marsh. They’re condoms packaged inside plastic Game Boy cartridges. But why?
The packaging aims create a desire to purchase the product for aesthetic reasons, rather than the necessity of condoms. Simply by owning the product, safe sex is promoted.
OK, then. But with titles like Donkey Shlong and Sextris, how could you refuse?! Look in the gallery below for additional shots of the packaging.
[Via Engadget; ilikedoodles; seekvideogames]
“Leaked” PS4 viral videos are fake, still fantastic
In early June two viral advertisements hit the web that claimed to be brand new “leaked” spots for Sony’s next video game console, the PlayStation 4. The first video dubbed “Leaked Launch Trailer” (see above) features a man inside a lab facility who is wearing what appears to be an advanced pair of 3D glasses that literally brings you into the game. In the video we watch (along with Japanese testers) the man experience the PS4’s virtual reality capabilities for the first time. At first the man is spooked by what he sees, but then a glimmer of hope (and success on Sony’s part) is revealed when the man gives a satisfying smirk at the conclusion of the test. The second video (look after the break for it) is titled “Leaked Viral Video” and plays out like a true viral video, shaky cam and all. This one follows two frantic Sony employees into a large facility; once there, they find a gamer who is frozen with excitement over the powers of the PS4 system. The employees remove glasses from his face but cannot pry the game controller out of his hand. The gamer squeals in joy.
After some investigation, the web realized they were douped when 24-year-old filmaker Han West spilled the beans. West created these fake viral videos for a school project that required him to produce “one viral ad and one more ‘polished’ commercial.” “Leaked Launch Trailer”, the polished spot above, took 12 hours to shoot and cost $500. “Leaked Viral Video” took four hours to capture and cost a mere $20. In the end, his timing was impeccible; these video “leaked” onto the web just days before E3, leading many to suspect Sony would announce the vision with the PS4 during their press conference. Job well done, Mr. West.
[Via Kotaku, here & here] Continue reading “Leaked” PS4 viral videos are fake, still fantastic
Violinist takes on Mario
Watch as Japanese violinist Teppei Okada masterfully plays the iconic soundtrack and gameplay sounds from Super Mario Bros.!