Press Start: Buddhist Multiplayer Shooter
I’m not playing around with silly accents, half-assed attempts at comedy and protracted self-deprecation this week. Hell no: I’m injecting this fact-stream straight into your cerebral cortex, just like you were Motoko Kusanagi. We’re all in the machine now and you need a games news hyperderm. I’m gonna give it to ya.
Gareth Huw Evans loves Street Fighter II
My man, Gareth Huw Evans is a bit of a hero to me at the moment. Not only has this fellow Welshman made a name for himself worldwide by writing and directing the undeniably brutal (and fantastic) The Raid, but he is also quick to acknowledge the lasting effects of Street Fighter II. No game has had more of a profound effect on me and I can’t think of another with such long-lasting cultural significance. Simply put: if you’re down with the world warriors, then we’re going to get along just fine. Speaking in this month’s EDGE magazine, Evans named Street Fighter II as his favourite game of all time.
“Street Fighter II on the SNES….I was a huge fan of the game in the arcades, so to have that experience at home was special. It ties into my early fascination with martial arts films, and games really tied into that, then anime reinforced it.”
What a cool guy. Evans, if you’re reading: more flash kicks and psycho crushers in your next outing, please.
Bioshock Infinite is getting its own board game
As video games move further and further into interactive entertainment territory, I find myself becoming increasingly fascinated with board games. This isn’t just because they have strict rules and systems, but also because they usually tend to feature cool miniatures. Case in point: this upcoming board game to tie-in with the release of Bioshock Infinite.
“Plaid Hat Games is making a board game based on the upcoming video game Bioshock Infinite. The board game is going to be called Bioshock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia. The game is going to come packed with 52 miniatures, featuring 11 different unique sculpts.”
It doesn’t have a release date yet, but its creators are aiming to coincide with the video game release. Here’s hoping that there are no more high-profile exits from Infinite’s team (as seen this week) and that everything will be fine. It’s going to be fine. Everything will be fine; Bioshock Infinite will be released on time, it will be incredible and I can buy this board game to go along with it. (repeat this incantation until true)
Hotline Miami is a blood-splattered neon nightmare
Hotline Miami is a game that’s been on my radar for a good while now. So far it’s promised me thoughtful, methodical gameplay, 80’s neon and Brian De Palma-infused ultra-violence. At first glance, it seems to be promising to carry on the legacy of the original two Grand Theft Auto games. I’m more than OK with this, even more so after this slightly disturbing live-action trailer. The game is released next week on PC and MAC. Player discretion is advised.
XBOX 360 putting ‘social apps’ out to pasture
XBOX have revealed that the Facebook and Twitter apps will both be dropped in the new, up-coming dashboard update. This news has prompted many to question just why on earth they existed in the first place and to all discuss how infuriatingly bad they were.
Whilst I too am glad to see these pointless wastes of data being aborted sooner rather than later, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed. After all, it would have been so much better and I may have actually used them both if Microsoft just bothered to address the issues that made them so unusable. Hey XBOX, how about pulling your digital finger out of your ass and integrating the apps so that they can be used within games? And maybe allow us to share screenshots and achievements? I’m fairly sure that they’re reading this, so expect the issue to be resolved within a few weeks.
Hidetaka ‘Swery’ Suehiro considers the implications of a Buddhist monk developing games
Where my Deadly Premonition fans at? If you’ve yet to indulge in the Lynchian B-movie madness of Swery’s Deadly Premonition, then you should do yourself a huge favor and track it down, or better still, grab it right now from XBOX 360 games on demand. In fact, there are increasingly fewer excuses for having not played it, seeing as the PS3-bound Director’s Cut has just been announced.
If my passive-aggressive bullyboy tactics haven’t convinced you to step into Swery’s world, then perhaps a sampling of madness from the man himself will persuade you otherwise. Being raised in a Buddhist temple makes Swery’s chosen career path somewhat rebellious. He still, however, entertains the notion that he may one day return to his Buddhist roots and considers the change it would have on his games:
“…it would be interesting to make games as a monk. My current style is to have lots of people dying, sad things, but I wouldn’t be able to do that. I’d have to come up with something different. So maybe as a monk developer, you’d shoot someone, they’d die, but turn into butterflies and fly away.”
I need to see that happen. I propose a multiplayer arena combat game based around the concept of re-incarnation. Respawns are the past, man.
Damn, we’re finished already. Time to unplug. Disconnect that info tube and wind down. This week’s relaxation tip: honey in warm milk. It will change your Sunday.