Wow, what a way to start off the year on a high note! We're only a month into 2014 right now, and we've already seen a number of wonderful game releases that put a big ol' smile on our faces. And not only were these games all great in their own right, but we even went as far as to call some of them early contenders for our next Game of the Year. Think I'm kidding? Well let's not forget that Gamezebo's Game of the Year 2013 was released at the tail-end of January last year, so anything is possible at this point!There's no question that January 2014 has been a month for long-awaited games to finally come to fruition: games that have been in development for so long that their names were starting to become something of a legend in of themselves. But boy are we glad that we actually got to play them now, because when it comes to an epic Viking-themed quest across the frozen tundra and a frantic multiplayer sword fight, I think it would be an understatement to say that it was more than worth the wait."So do you feel the same way as we do about January's shining stars in gaming? Were there any other strong contenders you think deserved a spot on our list? Don't be shy - we want to hear about them! And at least we can all agree on one thing for certain: if this past month was any indication, then we have an unbelievable year of games to look forward to.
I'm terrible at Flappy Bird. That's ok, you are too. That's probably why you're reading this. As of this writing, my high score is a paltry 18. My teenage nephew, on the other hand, has managed to break the 40 mark without a sweat. So I did what any self-respecting 33 year old man with a Flappy Bird addiction would do: I asked a child for help.His advice delivers a heaping helping of common sense - and like all common sense, it seems applicable well beyond the context in which it was given. So I ask you: will these tips improve your Flappy Bird game, or your day-to-day life?I say it's both.
Zynga is spending $527 million, to purchase NaturalMotion, developers of the hit CSR Racing franchise and the critically acclaimed Clumsy Ninja (well, we liked it).NaturalMotion was founded by Torsten Reil, who utilized his PhD work at Oxford's zoology department to create incredibly realistic and highly well-animated and lifelike mobile games, whether it be for horses, cars, or ninjas.NaturalMotion brings pretty highly-coveted, high quality mobile franchises, filling a huge hole in Zynga's current mobile roster (which a cynic would criticize as being derivative). It's a good, but very expensive buy.
When scouring the globe for the latest in gaming gossip, it's not often that a story comes out of my local paper - but hey, it had to happen sometime.On Tuesday, January 28th, a 12 year old boy from St. Catharines, Ontario decided to take his grandmother's Nissan Altima for a joyride. Unlike most kids who do such silly things and crash before the end of the block, this kid got pretty far. All the way to the Canada/US border, in fact.The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge acts as one of several gateways in Niagara between Canada and the United States, and it's a good 20 minutes from St. Catharines (possibly more depending on where in the city he started from). Not only that, but it requires some serious highway driving - including a trek over the monstrously tall Garden City Skyway that still terrifies me on every trip I take.
It faced down long-established booksellers in 1994, expanded that fight to big box retailers a few years later - and, in 2011, it took on Apple and Google with the launch of the Kindle Fire tablet. Now it has its eye on the mobile gaming market - and to win this fight, it will need to take its gloves off.The Kindle Fire is already a decent gaming device. 70% of all users play games on it - with ARPU's that are higher than Google Play and neck-to-neck with Apple. But there's room to grow. And while Amazon might be behind to the gaming world, Microsoft was also a latecomer in the console space - and it went on to be a leader.In fact, Amazon appears to be following a trail similar to the one Microsoft blazed, using a three-pronged strategy: Implement a top-down approach; invest in the necessary talent; and create a developer friendly ecosystem and platform.
When Disney bought LucasFilm (and, as a result, the Star Wars license), there was a little part of me that got excited at the prospect of great mobile games. You see, there was a time when the App Store was littered with Star Wars games like The Battle for Hoth, Falcon Gunner, and Star Wars Cantina - but like a certain galaxy far away, that was a long long time ago.Expired licensing deals killed of the past generation of mobile Star Wars games, but if today's announcement is any indication, we might be in line for a renaissance. Hot off the heels of their first Star Wars mobile game, Tiny Death Star, Disney has just announced Star Wars: Assault Team.While they're remaining mum on details, what little has been revealed makes it look like another entry in the crowded card battle space - the one dominated by games like Marvel War of Heroes and… well, another Star Wars game: Star Wars Force Collection. How terribly awkward.
Whoever said that a kitten and a dragon couldn't be best friends? Well I guess if you really think about it, one is a cuddly and fragile ball of fluff, while the other is a fire-breathing death machine with talons and scales, so maybe I can understand all you naysayers out there. But either way, that hasn't stopped GungHo Online Entertainment from announcing their latest Puzzle & Dragons collaboration today: this time with the adorable Hello Kitty World!Starting now and running until February 9th, Puzzle & Dragons players will be able to download an exclusive Technical Dungeon that features a colorful amusement park theme, four difficulty levels, and a slew of awesome "mash-up" characters taken from the two games, like Kitty Flamie and Kitty Bubblie, which can be earned by using a new Rare Egg Machine."On the flipside, Hello Kitty World players can also take advantage of the new crossover event by adding special Puzzle & Dragons-themed attractions into their Hello Kitty theme parks. See? And you thought that kittens and dragons would never get along!
Does anyone else feel like The History Channel confuses the word "history" with "fan fiction" an awful lot nowadays? But while that's aggravating as crap for an amateur historian such as myself, it's also downright riveting for a video game nerd who loves the idea of trench warfare against aliens. With that in mind, allow me to introduce you to a new concept: The Great Martian War.Set in an alternate World War I period (and based on a made-for-TV movie of the same name that aired last fall, because WHY WOULDN'T THE HISTORY CHANNEL MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT MARTIANS), The Great Martian War is an endless runner destined for the App Store and Google Play on February 5.If you're getting a little tired of endless runners, we get it - but don't judge until you've seen the trailer above. There's just something about World War I soldiering pitted against an HG Wells-style terror that's just has video games written all over it.Watch the skies for our full review next month.