Culture Archives - Page 1533 of 1557

When Pokémon and Magic Cards Went to War

They don’t seem that similar aside from the fact they’re printed on cards, and they were never really competition, either, but in October 2003 that didn’t stop the companies behind Magic Cards and Pokémon battling somewhere other than the tabletop or the schoolyard. This story begins in the late 1990s, when role-playing giants Wizards of…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 14, 2011

Culture

Living by a New Creed

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations headlines the final big blowout week of releases for video games in the pre-holiday runup. Other notable titles this week: Super Mario 3D Land, out today; the Halo: Anniversary HD re-release; new entries in the Need for Speed and Rayman franchises; Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom and the romping good-time Saints Row: The…

By Owen Good Published November 13, 2011

Culture

Sunday Comics: Everything but the Girl

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Nov. 7.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Nov. 78—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by…

By Owen Good Published November 13, 2011

Culture

The Week in the Business: ‘Nintendo May Perish in the Flames of its Burning Platform’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Nintendo may jump or perish in the flames of its own burning platform.” – Peter Farago, VP of mobile analytics firm Flurry says the numbers shows Nintendo’s and Sony’s handhelds are doomed QUOTE | “Steam has nowhere to go but down.”…

James Brightman Published November 11, 2011

Culture

The Explosive Art of Modern Warfare 3

Like its predecessor, Black Ops, don’t assume that because Modern Warfare 3 is a game starring explosions and ruined buildings that it doesn’t have gorgeous concept art. Because like its predecessor, its art is moody, vibrant and, most surprising of all, colourful. These images are all the work of concept artist Robin Chyo and are…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 11, 2011

Culture

This Skyrim Concept Art Isn’t Afraid to Fight Dragons

I know, we ran one of these only a few weeks ago, but that was but a taste. An appetiser for the main course that is today’s bumper serving of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim concept art. Which, now I’m talking about menus, even includes food And soldiers, and bears, and monsters, and wolves. And harbours,…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 10, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

Elder Scrolls, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

Later this week, the fifth game in the Elder Scrolls series will be released. Considering the franchise is seventeen years old, that’s not many Elder Scrolls games! It’s been quality over quantity, though, and over the years the series has sought to continuously evolve and improve, staying a perennial favourite while competing games come and…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 10, 2011

Culture

Halo Anniversary Edition Pizza Unboxed, Eaten, and Unappreciated

Why thank you, internet, for bridging the gap between two countries and giving those of us confined to the states a delicious look at the UK-exclusive Halo Anniversary Edition pizza from Pizza Hut. YouTube user Shadders1 spices up this pepperoni chicken monstrosity of a pizza with some appropriate music to create an unboxing far more…

By Mike Fahey Published November 9, 2011

Culture

The Beautiful Russian Game Art of Grafit

Russian concept art studio Grafit may not be an outfit you’ve heard of—and you may not have heard of many of the game’s they’ve worked on either—but that doesn’t make their work any less beautiful. While some of the art in this gallery is for games the non-Russians among you will have never played, like…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 9, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

What’s Cooler Than Sam Fisher? Lady Ninjas, Motorbikes and Pumas

In 1987, Durell Software released a game called Saboteur II: Avenging Angel. Don’t worry if you haven’t played the original Saboteur, because no prior knowledge will be required for this post. What will be required is an appreciation for awesome game settings and even awesomer box art. Both Saboteur games were designed by Clive Townsend,…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 9, 2011

Culture

The Epic Art of Epic Mickey

For all the awesome art found in video game production—so awesome we run this regular feature on it—not too many publishers go to the trouble of releasing big, fancy coffee table books showing said art off. Which is a shame! So it’s nice seeing Disney do just that with the better-late-than-never release of The Art…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 8, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

Call of Duty, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

Activision’s Call of Duty franchise occupies a fascinating place in the gaming landscape. It is the world’s biggest-selling annual series, yet each year offers only incremental improvements. It is beloved by millions, yet derided by many as well. Its production values bring out the best in video games, while its online multiplayer community often brings…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 8, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

This is When Activision Used to be Awesome

It’s fashionable these days to hate Activision. But those over the age of, say, 30-35 may be old enough to remember the time the company went above and beyond the call of duty to keep its fans happy with all kinds of touching gestures. The coolest of which, by far, was the company’s practice of…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 7, 2011

Culture

Warfare Recipients

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases on PC and all three consoles on Tuesday, (with a separate version for the DS). The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim arrives Friday for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is also out Friday. Tuesday also sees the special editions Metal Gear Solid HD Collection…

By Owen Good Published November 6, 2011

Culture

Sunday Comics: Generational Conflict

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Nov. =4.—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published Nov. 2.—Read more of Penny Arcade…

By Owen Good Published November 6, 2011

Culture

The Week in the Business: ‘GTA V to Steal Everyone’s Attention in Front of E3′

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “GTA V to steal everyone’s attention in front of E3.” – Analysts explain how GTA V, in typical Rockstar fashion, is going to take the industry by storm next year, possibly by grabbing the limelight during E3. QUOTE | “PS3 has…

James Brightman Published November 4, 2011

Culture

Dota 2’s Character Art is Like Magic Candy for the Eyes

While the game’s not out yet, Valve’s sequel to the super-popular WarCraft mod already gets a thumbs up from this feature for its gorgeous character art. It’s being used once or twice a week to accompany the reveal of new characters and/or features for the game, and seeing as it hasn’t been plastered all over…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 4, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

The Wonderful, Shady World of Knock-Off Nintendo Consoles

The Nintendo Entertainment System, and its Japanese sibling the Famicom, were two of the most successful video game consoles to ever be released. Which led to a lot of, let’s say, imitators. OK, no, let’s say complete unlicensed rip-offs. But we’re not here to tut tut and point fingers. Today, we’re going to celebrate some…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 4, 2011

Culture

Treasure Yasushi Suzuki’s Art From Games Like Ikaruga, Sin & Punishment

While not a games artist per se, seeing as he does work for everything from books to comics, Yasushi Suzuki still has his fans in the world of video games. Particularly amongst followers of Japanese developers Treasure. Popping in as a freelancer for the studio, Suzuki’s bold style can be seen in Ikaruga and Sin…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 3, 2011

Culture

Stuff Your Gamer Mouth With the Nuts of Destruction

While I’m not too fond of food marketed directly at the gaming community in general, GamerFood has come up with some rather catchy names for their new line of energy-infused nut sacks. Packed with caffeine, taurine, ginseng and lysine, this is a serious collection of nuts and seeds right here. We’ve got Seeds of Victory,…

By Mike Fahey Published November 2, 2011