Sometimes it's hard to distill a game to one sentence that will capture someone's attention. The again, if that sentence includes the phrase "like Q*bert on a Rubik's Cube in space," that'd probably do the trick.I'd love to take credit for making that one up, but it's actually the words of Crescent Moon Games' Josh Presseisen. And it's the best way to summarize Twisty Planets, an upcoming puzzle game for iOS and Android from FirstSight Games and Crescent Moon Games. While Q*bert certainly had some slick moves hopping around pyramids back in the day, he's got nothing on Qub, who sort of resembles a tiny tube TV with legs and a single antenna.Your job is to help Qub hop around each little planetoid to find three stars and escape to the next one. The planets can be rotated along all three axes -- hence the game's title -- which could be a help or hindrance depending on how you twist. Qub will also have to contend with moving platforms, springboards and teleportation portals as he does his thing.
eSports is so very in right now. Clearly all the Dota 2 kids are into it. This year's International (the game's largest annual tournament) has raised nearly $6.5 million for the prize pool from in-game player purchases. That makes it the biggest eSports prize pool of all-time by a wide margin, and with months of fundraising left before the finals.The Hearthstone World Championship's $250,000 seems like small potatoes by comparison, but remember that whoever wins the $100,000 first place prize doesn't have to split it five ways.That winner will be one of 16 finalists selected from four qualifier hubs around the world. 130 players each from the Americas, Europe, China, and Taiwan/Korea will be whittled down to just 16 finalists.
Wish you could take World of Warcraft in your pocket? It sounds impossible, but Gameloft managed to pull off a really close copy back in 2011 with Order & Chaos Online. And from now until June 2nd, you can explore this mobile MMO with no strings attached.Normally a $6.99 download, iOS gamers can get in on the action free of charge to see if it's everything they're hoping (SPOILER: it is). Android gamers will be getting a price break as well, where the game has dropped to 99 cents.This one was our pick for the best iPhone game of 2011, and they've been adding new content ever since. Seriously, I can't recommend checking this one out enough.Be sure to grab Order & Chaos Online from the App Store or Google Play before the price goes back up after June 2nd.
Head-mounted displays are the future of gaming! Maybe. I don't know. Anyway, the Oculus Rift is $350 which, last I checked, is more than $65.That's about how much De JET Work's Vrizzmo harness (what a name) will cost. Basically, it's a rubber strap you place your phone in and wear around your head. Specially designed games will show two slightly different images to each of your eyes and provide a stereoscopic 3D effect. Your phone's gyroscope handles the head-tracking.The devs at Oculus Rift have been very outspoken about how miniaturized, low-cost computer parts made their product a reality. The Rift itself is made primarily out of smartphone components, so it's not a massive stretch to think a phone could handle the processing load.It's a cool idea, in theory, but there are some problems.
Zenimax Media, the massive company that owns id Software and Bethesda Softworks, has finally made their dispute against Oculus Rift official.The company is suing the virtual reality manufacturer for... Well, a lot of things, really. The gist of the situation is that Zenimax claims Oculus stole technology pertaining to virtual reality that make the Oculus Rift headset possible. This was allegedly done with the help of John Carmack, co-creator of id and franchises like Doom and Quake, and a half-dozen other Zenimax employees.According to Zenimax, Carmack and the other employees developed VR technology under Zenimax contract. After passing off this technology to Oculus they joined the tech start-up (Carmack is Oculus' Chief Technology Officer) and continued to support the technology they had already developed.
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, if they know what's good for them.If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're missing out on one of the coolest interactive narratives we've played in recent years. Don't worry though, you still have time to catch up. Telltale has announced the release date of The Wolf Among Us Episode 4: In Sheep's Clothing.The Wolf Among Us tells an original tale set in the world of Bill Willingham's award-winning DC/Vertigo series Fables. Players take up the investigative nose of Sherriff Bigby Wolf (Big B. Wolf - GET IT??) tries to solve a gruesome series of murders in the Fabletown community.Armchair detectives will be able to continue their adventure on May 27th.
Did you just check your calendar to see if it was April Fool's Day? Me too, but this is no joke. Epic Games has just launched their latest title, Tappy Chicken, to the App Store and Google Play.And yes. It's a Flappy Bird clone.Unlike other Flappy Bird clones, this one is powered by Unreal Engine 4. It was also created by one artist on the Epic Games team with zero programming skills. In other words, this is a showcase for what anybody can do using the latest version of Unreal Engine.That's some clever marketing, Epic. I know you can't hear it over the internet, but I'm giving you a slow golf clap right now.It's nothing groundbreaking, but I'll be damned if Tappy Chicken doesn't have me curious about trying the "Blueprint Visual Scripting" in UE4 that created this. Tappy Chicken is a free download on the App Store and Google Play.You can try to make your own games with a $19/month subscription at unrealengine.com.
Going to school takes time and money, neither of which anyone has enough of. But what if I told you that you could do one year of school on your own schedule, and for less than the cost of a pair of controllers? The latest Gamezebo Deal has arrived, and it's here to help you get educated.You can sign up for one year of mobile game design training from The School of Interactive Design and complete the coursework from the comfort of your own home. The cost? Thanks to Gamezebo Deals, it's just $79. That's quite a bit lower than the $1200 this program would normally set you back.If you've been itching to explore the world of game design, now's the time to get your hands dirty. Click here to sign up now.