There must be some demand for ports of these arcade cabinet games from the 80s, right? Otherwise, Capcom wouldn’t be selling them in bundles of three on Xbox Live and the Playstation Store, carefully arranging the familiar with the “what the heck is that one?”. And now you can buy all fifteen games for $30. That’s got to be a good deal for someone, somewhere.
I’ve tried a few of these ports, and I appreciate the retro atmosphere around the edges of the screen. But in 2013, I just don’t understand the appeal of the actual games. Knowing what I know now, having played great modern games, I break out in a cold sweat imagining what sheer hell it would be to have only these to play. Can you imagine whiling away the hours with Ghosts n’ Goblins or 1943 or Contra, with those tinny electronic squakings reverberating in your head, jerking a stubby joystick left and right and left, slapping one or two buttons, seeing the game over screen after losing three lives with a nary a checkpoint to be seen. I’m in hell. I can’t take it anymore! Make it stop!
Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will soon have official community moderation via the Overwatch program. Overwatch Investigators will be presented with a randomly selected eight-round segment of in-game action showing an accused player after enough complaints have been lodged by other CS:GO players or if there is a sudden spike in complaints. The Overwatch Investigators will then vote on an outcome and the tally determines the action taken.
If the system determines that the investigators’ collective judgment converges on an overwhelming verdict, then the case will be closed and all decisions rendered on the case will determine the final verdict. If the verdicts are overwhelmingly “Insufficient Evidence” or are inconclusive, the case will be thrown out.
Players with few or no negative reports can wind up submitted to the review process by appearing in a previously judged gameplay segment. These cases are randomly inserted into the case load to help evaluate the investigators. In these test cases, the voting outcome will not result in any actions.
Investigators are subject to grading based on their voting habits. Accurate votes, determined by siding with the majority, result in a higher score for the investigator. Higher scoring investigators will have more weight in the voting process. Overwatch Investigators will be drawn from the community of players based on their experience and other factors.
Every once in a while a game concept comes along that makes you pause and say, “Well, that’s different!” Shelter is one of those games. The player takes on the role of a mother badger protecting her litter from all manner of dangers while foraging for food and trying to survive. I’d say that’s a concept that seems pretty far removed from the endless parade of games with military men shooting at each other.
As the mother of a litter of cubs you are forced out from familiar and safe surroundings to find new shelter in a beautiful, but dangerous world. The harsh reality of nature plays a pivotal role in the game whilst at the same time Shelter aims to pay a homage to the great outdoors and all its imposing beauty.
Might and Delight, makers of Pid and Bionic Commando: Rearmed, say that Shelter “focuses heavily on creating attachment” to the spunky band of badgers. It is currently on Steam Greenlight gathering votes for approval.
Codemasters has revealed the GRID 2 Mono Edition that comes with a real BAC Mono supercar with an exclusive GRID 2 livery. The purchaser of the Mono Edition will get a tour of the BAC factory, so the car can be customized to their size and specifications. A helmet and racing suit (including gloves) are thoughtfully included. All for only $188,700.
The BAC Mono is a British manufactured, road-legal, ultra-high performance supercar which stars in the game. Created from high-strength carbon fibre, the BAC Mono is an unrivalled example of light-weight performance engineering and its 2.3 litre, 280 bhp four cylinder power plant will propel its driver from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. It looks incredible, the acceleration is ridiculous and we absolutely love it.
You’ll also get a copy of the game as well as a PS3 to play it on.
