In possibly my final look at the gaming industry and culture in Wisconsin, I take on Raven Software’s new shooter and what it may mean for the studio.

Raven falls short with Wolfenstein , follows layoffs with high hopes for Singularity
Wolfenstein seems content to mimic rather than bust the genre it created, though there’s nothing wrong with that for a summer game. As an end-of-summer game with Halo and Call of Duty sequels on the horizon, though, it falls short. Then barely a week after releasing the game in late August, Raven laid off dozens of employees from its 180-person staff. This came at a time when the studio has been enjoying a higher profile thanks to its string of new releases.
Read More>

Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

In the fall of 2004, amidst a general lackluster lineup of programming on TV, my brothers pulled me aside to watch this new show everyone had been buzzing about. After watching just the first episode, I knew there was something great about this show with a simple concept about a plane crashing on a deserted island, but that obviously was up to much more. For me right off the bat the show keyed into something I’ve always been into, which is a kind of survival show idea, but then as it goes on the show kept me hooked with great drama, intriguing mysteries and original ways of tackling sci-fi and fantasy elements.

[Read the rest of this entry…]

At one time, Square’s Romancing Saga franchise was as big as Final Fantasy. Romancing Saga’s key difference from most other RPGs was its non-linearity. The plot changed dependent on which character you selected as well as what choices were made in certain dialogue situations. However, for the longest time, the series was only released in Japan, necessitating various fan translations. The most the U.S would ever see of the series were the Game Boy Romancing Saga titles, which were released under the name Final Fantasy Legend. Saga Frontier for the Playstation 1 marks the first time that the series has hit North American shores on a console. While the game is a bit on the simplistic side compared to its predecessors, it’s free scenario system made the game enjoyable.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

[Read the rest of this entry…]

Lets turn the clock back to 2006. It was one year into the Xbox 360’s life cycle, and consumers were either stabbing and shooting each other in order to get their hands on the newly released PS3, or lining up for hours to get their hands on a Wii. Meanwhile, Xbox 360 gamers were still waiting the proverbial ‘killer app’ for the system. While games like Oblivion, Fight Night Round 3, and Saints Row did a good job or keeping players tied over, many of them were just higher resolution versions of games on the original Xbox. What gamers really wanted was Halo 3. Meanwhile, Epic had something brand new up its sleeve. Making use of the brand new Unreal 3 graphics engine, a lifelike alternate world, and unique gameplay features, Gears of War was unleashed on the scene, and it redefined the rules of the shooter genre.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Just a friendly reminder to He-man/Masters of the Universe (MOTU) collectors, MOTU Classics Webstor goes on sale today on MattyCollector.com at 12:00 EST (noon)!

No, it’s not Season 2 yet, but fear not! As we march inexorably forward toward the premiere, we thought we’d share a little treat with you off the new Season 1 DVD!

Check out the Famicom Dojo Video Netcast for a peek at the extras in store with the DVD version of Episode 1 — with commentary! Just a sample, though, since this is 1/6 of all the commentaries we have to offer, but far from the majority of special features.

(Watch the episode after the jump)

[Read the rest of this entry…]