Ricochet Infinity Review (iPhone)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 10:21am PDT

Gamezebo Rating: If we told you that Ricochet Infinity was another Breakout clone, you might well lose a great deal of motivation to carry on reading. If we were to then tell you that the game’s a conversion of a three year old PC game, you might just shut down your web browser altogether. Don’t touch that dial – Ricochet Infinity belies its humble origins to inject the excitement back into bat ‘n’ ball games.

Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World Preview (Downloads)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 9:58am PDT

Cateia Games (Iron Roses, Hotel) have announced their newest point-and-click adventure game, Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World. The game is set in an alternate future where mankind managed to achieve space travel in the early 19th century. After two alien scientists are kidnapped by space pirates, space police officer Kaptain Brawer must embark on a journey filled with quests and conspiracies to save them.

Blockage
→ Jay is Games | Sep 8th 2010 | 8:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — We all learn as toddlers that square pegs won't fit into round holes. You can pound your tiny fist all you want on top of your Fisher-Price playset, it just isn't going to work. Now Blockage, a brain-teasing puzzlefrom Guillhermo v.S. Heldt., has come along to teach us another important lesson: red blocks won't fill green squares. Also, sometimes teleportation is necessary. Very, very important life lessons. Tagged as: browser, flash, free, game, gvsheldt, macwinlinux, puzzle, rating-g

Super KO Boxing 2, Farm Break and more! Free iPhone Games for September 8, 2010 (iPhone)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 6:45am PDT

Free games are all around us, but they may not be as easy to find as you’d think. We help you sort through the App Store to find the latest price drops and limited time offers so that you won’t have to spend a penny. Today’s free games include some online bingo, a popular boxing simulator, some sheep “on the lamb,” more!

My Sweet Shop Preview (Facebook)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 4:59am PDT

Playing Meteor Games’ My Sweet Shop in its current state is like stealing a bit of dessert before it’s been properly mixed and baked: while it’s decent enough, the absence of a few essential ingredients can quickly leave a bad taste in your mouth. As it stands, the current sugary mix of endearing art design and fast-paced candy baking is enough for a rush, but this promising beta has a long way to go before it leaves you begging for more.

Dachinko Review (Downloads)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 4:50am PDT

Gamezebo Rating: If you've got a hankering for some Pachinko fun, this new offering from Gamecask may just do the trick. Dachinko offers ball-launching gameplay with huge addictive qualities and a very distinct graphical style.

Kingdom Elemental Review (Downloads)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 8th 2010 | 4:50am PDT

	Gamezebo Rating: Kingdom Elemental Tactics is a high-fantasy strategy game from the creators of the much-revered Gish. Over the course of the game you unlock new classes and powers to use during short 2-3 minute arena battles. The concept is interesting, and the process of unlocking new abilities and characters gives you a lot of impetus to keep playing through the game.

Akarimado
→ Jay is Games | Sep 8th 2010 | 4:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — Akarimado brings nothing new to the room escape genre; you're locked in a one-view room (with an unlockable side room that's also one-view), and you have to solve many and various puzzles to get out. Although this particular dish of room escape contains few if any unfamiliar ingredients, there's not much to complain about; we enjoy these particular ingredients and we know it. It's a very satisfying journey all in all, and one that should not be missed. Tagged as: browser, escape, flash, free, game, japanese, macwinlinux, petithima, pointandclick, puzzle, rating-g, yanokimi

GabCab has FaceBook page
→ Anawiki Blog | Sep 8th 2010 | 2:32am PDT

I’d just thought I will let you know that we created FaceBook page for GabCab. You can find it here:

GabCab on Facebook

Also, I thought that you mind like it and because I like cool programming features here’s the “I like it” thing for you

I’m new to Facebook. Just learning the ropes.

Symon
→ Jay is Games | Sep 7th 2010 | 11:25am PDT
Platform: Flash — What's in a dream anyway? This experimental prototype from Gambit is an attempt at introducing replayability into the point-and-click genre with procedurally generated content, but it's also a surprisingly intriguing exploration into memory, dreams, and logic. As a bedridden hospital patient, Symon's only means of interacting with his family is through the fragmented dreams he has. Can you help him solve the perplexing riddles his subconscious offers up? Tagged as: adventure, browser, experiment, flash, free, gambit, game, macwinlinux, pointandclick, rating-g, zzzgames

How PS3 Move Could Have Become Much Cooler Than It Currently Is
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 7th 2010 | 10:08am PDT

Sony PS3′s new fancy gadget is the Move motion controllers. Those funny looking sticks with ball of light in one end. Half of the hardcore gamers in the world are laughing at their appearance, half are silent about getting one (to ensure the other half won’t laugh at them).

This is how the Move controller looks like:

I was browsing for some more info about Move (since I’m planning to get the thing) and saw some old discussion about it. Some gamers were laughing at it’s appearance and said something that the marketers could have listened.

“Sony should have made them gloves.”

I think that’s a brilliant statement. A brilliant idea. Sony’s marketing team took Wii’s controller, improved the tech, and are now bringing a bit funny looking cone saying that “hardcore and casual gamers will all love it”.

Well, maybe. Sony probably has a bit more experience in marketing stuff than I do, but I must say that the current solution looks bit like “we are like Wii except better and try to cater for everybody”.

What if Sony would have made a bold move instead, and play from their strengths?

What if they would have decided to:

• Make the motion controller a glove (or pair of gloves)?
• What if they would have branded it to be the hardcore gamer’s motion controller?

Now they compete with Wii (who already has all those sports games) and Kinect (which has the extra coolness factor of “you don’t need a controller – you are the controller”).

I don’t know if it would sell more this way, but I think Sony could have made a bolder move in this thing – and differentiate them from others.

You know, they could have done something like this that was done 4 years ago (“Wii power glove mod”) – but of course in black…

Move is technically superior in accuracy (from what I’ve read), but I sure would buy a pair of motion gloves more happily (and pay extra) than a stick or two with light ball in one end.

Saltsman: Canabalt has been best for our reputation, not our wallets (iPhone)
→ The Latest from Gamezebo | Sep 7th 2010 | 10:00am PDT

Time sure flies when you’re having fun – or in this case, running across rooftops. Canabalt, the endless indie darling that has since spawned a thousand imitators, has just seen its first anniversary. To celebrate this birthday, Gamasutra sat down for a lengthy discussion with the game’s developer Adam Saltsman to talk about his first year in the indie spotlight.

Crossplayer Is the Future
→ The Escapist : Featured Articles | Sep 7th 2010 | 9:04am PDT

Why choose between single and multiplayer when you can have both?

Fan of the Game
→ The Escapist : Featured Articles | Sep 7th 2010 | 9:03am PDT

Competitive videogaming has been around for a while but it wasn't until he attended a Major League Gaming tournament that Greg Tito became a fan.

A Knife to a Gun Fight
→ The Escapist : Featured Articles | Sep 7th 2010 | 9:02am PDT

It seems incongruous that so many multiplayer shooter matches can devolve into fisticuffs, but Brett Staebell proves that strong melee weapons actually make shooting more important.

The 12-Year-Old English Kid Who Carried Us to Victory
→ The Escapist : Featured Articles | Sep 7th 2010 | 9:01am PDT

Playing multiplayer shooters can be like wading through a morass of childish teabaggers. Chuck Wendig reminds us that, even though bad sportsmanship exists, a light can still shine through in the darkness.

Dynamic Systems 2
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 7th 2010 | 8:52am PDT
Dynamic Systems 2 is a new physics-based puzzle game inspired from The Incredible Machine. Developed by Lorenzo Nuvoletta, this sequel to Dynamic Systems features 30 new levels and a level editor. If you like Dynamic Systems 2, also check out games like Fantastic Contraption, Launch Ball or Blueprint. Have fun!

Sieger
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 7th 2010 | 8:41am PDT
Sieger is a physics puzzle game created by War Spark. Your goal as a siege commander is to kill all the castle defenders and save the hostages by carefully choosing what supporting blocks of the castle to smash. The game features 28 (+1 bonus) levels of increasing difficulty. Have fun!

Pixel Purge
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 7th 2010 | 8:26am PDT
Pixel Purge is a nice arcade shooter from Epic Shadow Entertainment where you have to blast a variety of different pixel enemies. The longer you survive and the larger and more dangerous they become. collect pixels dropped by dead enemies to gain experience points. Gather enough to level up your ship and spend skill points [...]

Damn (Plugin Upgrade Test #2, Ignore This)
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 7th 2010 | 3:49am PDT

When the first test fails, one gotta do what one gotta do.

That is: use profanities for ***** sake.

Update: Hey, now it works!

Testing Plugin Upgrade (Ignore This Blog Post)
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 7th 2010 | 3:26am PDT

If everything goes as planned, I should see this thing tweeted.

Epic Battle Fantasy 3
→ Jay is Games | Sep 7th 2010 | 1:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — Epic Battle Fantasy 3 has taken such a huge jump up from the first two games that it seems like a whole new series. Where the previous RPGs focused almost entirely on the turnbased "battle" portion of the title, kupo707's latest effort remembers the "epic" part--provided you're okay with a definition of epic that includes kitten slaying, shark battering rams, cow outfits, the shoop-da-woop face, and copious amounts of Comic Sans. Tagged as: action, browser, epic, flash, free, game, kupo707, macwinlinux, minigame, rating-o, rpg, turnbased

Gunbot
→ Jay is Games | Sep 6th 2010 | 11:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — Gunbot is a platformer/shooter from Berzerk Studio where you'll do the usual robot stuff, like collecting stars and shooting dinosaurs. As you take down enemies you'll get experience to level up with, and you'll gain skills like double jump or firebomb. Your foes also drop money which you'll use to buy guns. Gunbot has pretty much everything you could ask for. It's funny, the difficulty increases smoothly and the gameplay is fun. Tagged as: berzerkstudio, browser, flash, free, game, macwinlinux, platform, rating-y, shooter, upgrades, western

Lost Head
→ Jay is Games | Sep 6th 2010 | 9:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — Sometimes a game so weird and charming comes along that, despite its flaws, you have to enjoy it. Lost Head by Garbuz Games is one of those games. This short and simple physics puzzler won't change the world, but it might make you smile with its absurd characters and presentation. It seems that our titular hero has become detached from his friends by an evil hand. Luckily a glove waits for him in each level, ready to be his new body. The trick is getting there. Tagged as: browser, flash, free, game, garbuzgames, losthead, macwinlinux, physics, puzzle, rating-g

Obama Crazy Tale
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 6th 2010 | 8:16am PDT
After World Cup Rescue, here is Obama Crazy Tale, the latest Point’n'Click adventure game from inkagames. “The Fairy of Tales has been kidnapped by the evil witch Maratuja, who is holding her prisoner in some place in Land of Tales. Help Obama rescue her before it’s too late! Have fun!

Sieger
→ Jay is Games | Sep 6th 2010 | 6:00am PDT
Platform: Flash — Ah, destruction. Who doesn't love it and the multitudes of games devoted to it. But, you know what they say about too much of a good thing and moderation. My point is that sometimes you need to destroy with a little restraint. That's the take-away lesson in Warspark's latest, the demolition physics puzzler, Sieger. Tagged as: browser, flash, free, game, leveleditor, macwinlinux, physics, puzzle, rating-y, skill, warspark

Good Tool For Recording Screen?
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 5th 2010 | 10:26am PDT

I’m using Fraps to record game movies (it’s good for that, totally recommend) and then I have used Screenr to record screen. Screenr is cheap (read: free) to use, can record up to 5 minutes of video (you can record mic too), simple but the video quality could be somewhat better (smoother and sharper).

Any recommendations?

Doooors
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 4th 2010 | 10:24pm PDT
Doooors is a challenging platform puzzler created by Arvi Teikari where your goal is to “reach a mysterious blue jewel by means of picking up / throwing various items, ranging from non-goombas and springboards to doors.” Be warned: some levels are very difficult! Have fun!

Lost Head
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 4th 2010 | 9:35pm PDT
Lost Head is another physics-based puzzle game from Garbuz Studio. Your goal is to put the body and the head together. Roll a head to ita body. Click the elements to increase, reduce or remove them and don’t forget about 12 buttons for your friends! 25 levels of various difficulty. Have fun! Have fun!

The Deeplight Expedition
→ FreeGamesNews | Sep 4th 2010 | 9:19pm PDT
In the platformer The Deeplight Expedition, your goal is to search for the lost Deeplight stone to restore the light of the sun to the land. Avoid devious traps, spikes, lava, and acid along the way. Find and collect the 10 keys and 4 runes to open the path to the Deeplight stone, activate the [...]

You’ve Tried PS3 Move Or Xbox Kinect? Share Your Findings
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 4th 2010 | 1:06pm PDT

Discussion is taking place here. As a PS3 owner, I’d be really interested to hear from you guys how you liked that. (And of course Kinect info too)

In the Future, All Gamers Are Athletes (PS3 Move/Xbox Kinect Stuff)
→ Game Producer Blog | Sep 3rd 2010 | 9:50am PDT

Several years ago, Nintendo Wii changed the way how families play games. Yes they did. A chap told me that he was never interested in games… but bought Wii and was hooked. So, this proves my statement.

Now, few years later, Sony brings Move for Playstation 3. Move is a odd looking stick with a light ball in the end. Bit like those yedi lightsabers, with a ball instead of blade in the end.

Today I watched some Move game trailers and it sort of hit me that these Wii & Move (and Kinect for Xbox) are helping change the whole nations. I think these things can really have impact on our health. I remember trying Wii at my bro’s house and after a few minutes of boxing I was sweating. It wasn’t “just a video game”, it was bloody exercise. With fun games coming out, I can imagine how these games can help get gamers in better shape.

I still think that nothing beats going out and getting some fresh air… but at least if our kids (and we) play a bit more of these games that get their asses off the sofa, we are heading to somewhere better place.

Here’s a video aobut a game called The Fight: Lights Out (reminded me about the Fight Club movie for some reason). I don’t know how much you can “cheat” nor how accurate the move stick – or two – are, but looks pretty slick to me.

I guess much depends how accurate the system really is.

I’m becoming more of a console man. (Yaiks.)

→ GameDevBlog | Sep 3rd 2010 | 9:16am PDT

Industry Broadcast Redux

Looking for podcasts to listen to with your new iphone? Ryan Wiancko and Industry Broadcast have just rebooted and are putting some of my old Manager In A Strange Land articles up in easy-listening-format...and I agree with at least 80% of the stuff the old me says.

http://www.industrybroadcast.com/