When I want to escape from reality, I like to drop down one dimension. See, I live in a very real 3D world, where every object within my grasp can be reached, grabbed or poked. Hell, even that slap that I usually get in return comes at me in all its three-dimensional glory. Four if you count the stinging sensation it leaves behind.

Despite this, the gaming industry is determined to follow Hollywood’s lead and try to get consumers to cough up more coin for yet more hardware. We’ve already seen a number of games given updates to allow them to run on the new 3D TVs, and Nintendo has recently launched its latest handheld unit, the 3DS, which provides the effect without the need for those gangly goggles.

( read more… )

True confession time.

I applauded loudly the day Nintendo made a million Zelda fans bawl with their cel-shaded Wind Waker announcement.

When I discovered that Solid Snake’s mission in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was merely prologue to Raiden’s revelation, I tipped my cap to Kojima.

And in Halo 2, when Master Chief was kicked to the curb as we followed the Arbiter down some tricky, twisty paths, I saw the series in a whole new light.

( read more… )

Tim Schafer is a gaming God.

Bow down to him. And while you’re at it, make sure you say 12 Hail Miyamotos, too.

We’re living in a pivotal time in our hobby’s existence. Video games have never been more popular. Much as the hardcore would hate to admit it, you have your Wiis and Kinect and Farmville to thank for that. The casual crowd has fully embraced gaming as a legitimate pastime, and that’s win-win for everybody. The more money tossed around out there, and the greater demand for gaming, the more we see niche genres getting some love, too. Digital distribution helps towards that end; a thought I’ll get to in a moment.

( read more… )

I never buy protection.

Now, before you go fleeing for the exits thinking you’ve wandered into a Very Special Episode of The Ed Zone – relax; this is purely gaming related.

I’ll leave the pharmacy chat for Dr. Oz. No, I’m speaking specifically about that Game Disc Protection Plan that every counter jockey at your friendly big-box game store has been coerced to offer you each and every time you look to purchase another game. I guess $3 is not that steep a charge to save you from yourself. But if you have even the tiniest bit of self-control and can be counted on to refrain from using that new copy of Dead Space 2 for skeet practice, that’s three more bones that you can place as down payment on the next round of DLC that should have been on the disc in the first place.

( read more… )

It’s that time of year again, when wishful lists are dutifully drafted before being checked and rechecked. That’s Santa’s job, you might argue, but I can’t leave anything to chance. Not in a household where, years ago, my wife quit frowning at the litany of digital bauble that dotted my list and began using common sense to appeal to my better nature. Did we really need a fifth 360 when a new dishwasher was demanding its way in? So, I stared down at my sweet little angels (my little boy Colin and daughter Aria) and realized quite quickly that these wee elves might be able to cobble the game carts I desire.

“Hey, I have no idea why Aria squeezed New Vegas in between The Littlest Pet Shop and Princess and the Frog discs, but look at that sweet little face. Do you really want to say no to that?”

( read more… )

Every year, as we close the calendar and look ahead to the next, we dream about what enchantments wait in the new year. Hell, with game developers delaying their big holiday titles with greater frequency, we have no choice but to wait, our eyes and minds teased with images of the next new “hotness,” while knowing that our thumbs will soon ache once that title finally goes gold.

Last year I took a different tack, opting to highlight a game that I was dying to play, but fearful that it wouldn’t measure up. I chose Bioshock 2, the follow-up to my favorite game of 2007 (and in my list of All Time Faves for this Decade). I knew Ken Levine wasn’t at the helm, and everything I saw simply gave me a sense of déjà vu. Been there. Done that.

( read more… )

Last week, the video game industry held its annual convention in Los Angeles. Every year, game publishers, developers and mainstream press come together to get a sneak peek at the new titles heading our way for the upcoming holiday season and beyond at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. And each year, the conference just grows larger and larger in terms of scope and exposure, if not necessarily attendance (it’s been closed to the general public for a few years). With games occupying equal entertainment real estate as some of Hollywood’s largest blockbusters, the rest of the real world stops for a spell in June to take notice of what’s coming down the pike. You can ditch the Gamepro and scope all the sites on the Today show.

( read more… )

Early this season, when the episode titles were announced, my eyes fixed on The End. A title so simple, so bold and so perfect. It told us absolutely nothing except the one unwavering fact – All Good Things Must Come to an End!

After all, we are the rare breed. The fans of a show who knew the exact end date two years ago. There would be no more aimless wandering and wondering once Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse secured the ‘all clear’ to plant their flag on a finale and then begin a 2 & 1/2 year journey toward that final destination. Fans knew that the show would never run on until the ad revenue petered out and ABC halfheartedly pulled the plug, and we wouldn’t feel the sting of an abrupt cancellation that would leave us with five billion story threads tattered and dangling.

( read more… )

When we turned the page to Monday, it hit me. In one week’s time, we’ll get the final three and a half hours of this epic tale, and then we’re done. A tough pill to swallow especially after receiving last week’s information download regarding the true nature of the island that almost unanimously fell like a 10-ton crocodile statue. I’ve scoured the web and aside from the blind faithful (every cult has them), you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who really, truly appreciated the episode.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to that and I think I finally hit upon the reason why. It’s not so much what the island is, but how we were told this in such exacting detail. Sure, the cave of light (as rendered on a TV series’ modest budget) looked ripped from Land of the Lost. And we all know this is a visual medium so if you’re going to express a heady sci-fi infused spiritual ideal, you’d better nail the visual as it’s going to tattoo itself to the mainstream psyche.

( read more… )

When I was in college (way back in the flannel-decked intro to the Nineties) I found that one semester, I glommed onto The Doors’ The End something fierce. As a raging Pearl Jam fan, I think I spied a kissing cousin in Morrison’s moody evocative lyricism and that song bridged worlds to PJ’s heralded disc Ten, which felt more like an anthem of my soul than Nevermind ever did. Maybe it’s because I was a year or two off from really giving off that Teen Spirit scent. Who knows?

Anyway, back then, as I chased down my Journalism degree at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, I found myself ‘hired on’ as a scribe for the University’s daily newspaper, The Collegian, where I quickly made the jump from hard news stories to the Arts & Living desk. There I could point my pen towards the world of entertainment, which really lit my fire. As a raging film buff, it was one step removed from my dream job destination – screenwriting.

( read more… )

A lot to cover today. Let’s get Lost.

You know you’re in for it when “Lost” opens without the trademark “Previously on ‘Lost’.” It’s as if the producers don’t want to waste any time, knowing they have a full docket before them and precious few moments to spill all the details. In other words, it’s time to get down to business.

( read more… )

Ever since Lost debuted back in 2004, the networks have sprinkled their Fall seasons with any number of genre fair looking to bottle that same lightning. And, for the most part, none have come close to finding their Lost, X-Files or Twin Peaks. I think these shows that instantly capture the zeitgeist before paring down to a carefully cultivated cadre of fans who would follow the show down whatever dark rabbit hole it travels, are few and far between. It’s as if mankind hasn’t the mind strength to tackle these brain benders but once a decade.

So, knowing the end was coming and that the Fall schedule would likely be chock full of another round of also-rans (Threshold, V, FlashForward, Heroes, etc.), I had the sneaking suspicion that my last Lost post would be truly bittersweet. What the hell else was I going to write about, aside from my standard nonsensical ramblings about family and whatnot? Who wants to read that, anyway?

( read more… )

Is it just me or are these weeks flying by with reckless abandon?

Seriously, with the three-hour series finale looming on May 23, we’re only four episodes away from “The End.” And it seems like it’s only just begun.

I think a lot of this might have to do with the scheduling. For the first few seasons, “Lost” ran on Wednesdays. It made for a nice Hump Day spell. You looked forward to it all week, and when the hour was up, the weekend didn’t seem that far away. Then they moved the show to Thursdays and the wait between episodes seemed interminable.

( read more… )

A lot to chew on this week. Let’s get Lost.

I mentioned last week that I had a sneaking suspicion Desmond was the “package” Widmore ordered, when he described it as a “who” and not a “what.” After all, Henry Ian Cusick has been listed prominently in the credits since the Season 6 opener, meaning the producers weren’t going to waste our intrepid time traveler on a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo conversation with Jack. So, it was just a matter of time before Dezzie popped up, and as soon as he arrived at the tail end of last week’s episode, I knew we were in for a satisfying hour. Desmond’s episodes are always in lock-step with Locke’s; they’re always heady with the mythological beats, and they always plumb the emotional depths that are so core to this tale.

( read more… )

No fancy opening this week. We’re just gonna’ get Lost!

Well, that settles it. We’ve almost exhausted the sideways trips per character, with the exception of Hugo. In two weeks, we get an episode titled Everybody Loves Hugo at which point balance will be brought to the force and my guess is that the last 7 hours will be focused on the end game. Speaking of which, the title for the two-hour finale (airing on Sunday, May 23) has just been released. Fittingly, it’s called The End.

So, here we got a twofer, showing Jin and Sun in their LA adventure – an episode that once again served the needs of the story by moving chess pieces around while also sending us a bit backwards in the sideways tale to show us how Jin ended up on ice.

( read more… )