Monthly Archives: March 2015
YouTube Readying Launch of Game Streaming Service
Last year, rumors swirled of YouTube's apparent intent to purchase game streaming service Twitch for a reported $1 billion USD. But later in 2014, Amazon would eventually acquire Twitch, with some reporting the deal with YouTube fell through over "antitrust" issues.
Now, it seems YouTube is ready to forge its own path, leveraging its superpower as an online video site to begin dedicated streaming of eSports and other gaming content.
Wrestling Wrap Up: Final RAW Before WrestleMania 31
Quite the eventful (and tragic) week in the world of wrestling, so let's carve it up.
When I first heard that Snoop Dogg/Lionn/Meerkatt would be on the go-home RAW for WrestleMania, I grimaced. Because, let's face it, I think I was still waiting for something to truly grab me about the 'Mania card and was overcome with "Don't waste precious time with celebrities and jokes - it's Mania Season!" Heh. What a fool I was. Precious time. Get me. All of a sudden three plus hours isn't enough for this bozo. Oh well. Lesson learned.
The Flock is a Summer Camp Game Gone Wrong
The Flock is vicious. One moment you're a member of a pack of monsters leaping out of the darkness to tear your prey to shreds, the next you're alone – your only defense a flashlight that burns out if you don't keep moving. This king of the hill horror game has a lot in common with games like Left 4 Dead or Evolve, but it takes the hunter-and-hunted dynamic to a new level with slick asymmetric design and some of the most polished movement I've seen. It's definitely vicious, occasionally terrifying, and quite fun.
The Flock is the first commercial release from Dutch studio Vogelsap – a team of students that began the game as a second-year project – and it's already winning accolades. I got the chance to see what all the fuss was about at the Indie Megabooth at GDC in San Francisco. It's a simple enough concept: five players spawn as monsters – the titular "flock" – trying to pick up an artifact called "the orb." Whoever picks up the glowing orb becomes a humanoid character and begins racking up victory points while the other players try kill the orb carrier, grabbing the orb for themselves. The first to fill up their bar of victory points wins the match.
Why the King’s Quest Reboot Will Rekindle Your Love of Adventure Games
Tuck yourselves in and get ready for a story! Let Old Man Adventure Gamer regale you with tales of a time before 3D graphics, excessive light bloom, and VR headsets. Picture it: the year was 1983 and PC gaming was still in its infancy. IBM was launching its forgettable new personal computer to the public, the PCjr (something we will never talk of again), and contracted Sierra On-Line to create games for it. One of those was King’s Quest, the world’s first animated adventure game.
Over the years, the King’s Quest franchise would spawn seven sequels and exponentially more bad puns. Known for its playful humor, rich lore, and clever puzzles, the series came to an unfortunate end in 1998 with King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity. The golden age of adventure games was over and Sierra was in serious trouble.
The Top 25 Office Episodes
10 years ago this week, on March 24th, 2005, The Office made its debut on NBC. Originally dismissed as a weak -- and low-rated -- remake of the acclaimed UK series, the show really came into its own in Season 2 and also found its audience grow dramatically, soon becoming a beloved TV comedy. And while many wish the show hadn't gone on as long as it had, as it eventually lost steam (and its lead actor), there is still plenty of great episodes to look back on over the show's nine-year run.
With the anniversary here, we're re-featuring our Top 25 episodes list, first written as the show came to an end. Let's look back at the adventures of Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight and the many others who worked at Dunder Mifflin.
Matt Smith Up for the Lead in Harry Potter Spinoff
Former Doctor Who star Matt Smith has reportedly expressed interest in playing the lead in the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff.
According to The Sun (via MTV News), the British actor -- best known as the Eleventh Doctor in BBC's Doctor Who series -- has been "tipped for the role" of Newt Scamander, the "magizooligist" in J.K. Rowling's screen adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Additionally, Irish Examiner reports that Smith is said to be the "favorite" to play the part.
Check Out This Avengers-Themed Apartment
An apartment in Singapore offers a unique design that caters well to comic book geeks.
Interior Design company Absolook helped create the Marvel superhero-themed rooms, placing iconic characters all throughout the unit.
Hulk can be found on the wall in the kitchen, Iron Man adorns the wall of a bedroom, and even the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo serves as a living room backdrop for the TV.
Visit Absolook's official website to learn more.
In related Avengers news, director Joss Whedon recently opened up about Quicksilver's appearance in Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
This iPhone Case Includes a Breathalyzer, Driving Game
The iDrink is the latest breathalyzer iPhone case to make the rounds--there are already a few on the market--but as noted by CNET, there is one unique feature. Namely, you can play a driving game based on your blood alcohol content after you've blown your stinky beer breath into the phone.
According to the iDrink Indiegogo page, the case will read your BAC "within 5 to 10 percent" accuracy, and use the data to affect the difficulty of a driving game. As your intoxication increases, the game will make driving more difficult.
Arrow: “Suicidal Tendencies” Photo Preview
Team Arrow gets a slice of happiness in this week's episode. Of course, the episode is titled "Suicidal Tendencies" so it doesn't get too cheerful. Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) tie the knot, and photos from the episode (in the below gallery) show that practically everyone is in attendance. The honeymoon is cut short though when the Suicide Squad is given a mission in the Republic of Kasnia, joined by new member Cupid (Amy Gumenick). They must rescue Senator Joseph Cray (Steven Culp).
Things aren't looking so good for Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) either. Oliver (Stephen Amell) finds out about Ray's (Brandon Routh) Atom suit and isn't pleased.
Arrow: "Suicidal Tendencies" Photo Gallery:
Apple Granted Patent for Real-Time Location Sharing
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple a patent for "sharing location information among devices."
As detailed in the patent, the technology would allow you to track an Apple device in real time, provided it's connected to a cellular network, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. While you can currently discover a device's location using Apple's Find My Friends app, this more sophisticated program would provide a visual representation of that device's movement. The location data collected by the app would be dynamically generated as a route in a map app such as Apple Maps.