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"Gaming journalism from the hearts and minds of gamers for gamers."

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Foxhound Favorites - Episode 08 - 2014 Greatest Hits

Thank you so much for tuning in for this week’s episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below.

[08] Foxhound Favorites // 2015 · 01 · 01 : 2015 GREATEST HITS

Download 

Playlist:

· LONELYR~.BAT (Katamari Damacy) - Carnivortex - LONELYROLLINGSTARS // Available on bandcamp

· Sounds of Liberty (Metal Gear Solid 2) – CarboHydroM // Available on OCRemix

· Seven Maidens + Advent (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) – Advent – Descendants of Erdrick // Available on bandcamp

· The Red Song + I’m Not the Breakman (Mega Man 3) – History Repeating: Red – The Megas // Available on bandcamp

· Greenwaves (Shovel Knight) – Strike the Earth! – Monomirror // Available on bandcamp

· You Are My Hope – Bravely Default OST – Revo // Available on Amazon

· Lust SIN II – BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma OST – Daisuke Ishiwatari // Unavailable

· Schala Bread (Chrono Trigger) – Stay Awhile and Listen – The World is Square // Available on bandcamp

· Time Flies Like a Dream (Chrono Trigger) – Ivan Hakstok // Available on Dwelling of Duels

· Bending Light Part 1 (Chrono Trigger) – Freshman Year – OverClocked University // Available on bandcamp

· Our Last Ray of Hope (Final Fantasy VI) – Immune to Silence – The Returners // Available to bandcamp

· Edge of Despair (Final Fantasy VII) – Edge of Despair – The X-Hunters // Available to bandcamp

· Blood-splattered Rose (Shatterhand) – Songs for the Recently Deceased – The OneUps // Available on Loudr

· Neonature (Deus Ex) – nervous_testpilot // Available on OCRemix

· Full Paragon (Mass Effect) – Psycho Crusher // Available on OCRemix

· Sector 4 (Metroid Fusion) – Other Album – Metroid Metal // Available on bandcamp

· The Apes Made Banana Splits in the Crocodile’s Skull (Donkey Kong Country) – DKC Mix’t Ape ’94 – Mega Beardo // Available on bandcamp

· Lost Ship Battle – FTL: Advanced Edition Soundtrack – Ben Prunty // Available on bandcamp

· Diptera Sonata – The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Soundtrack – Ridiculon // Available on bandcamp

· Rock the Plank (TMNT4) – TMNT: Shell Shocked – Stemage feat. Viking Guitar // Available on OCRemix

· From the Earth to the Moon (Cave Story) – Legion – Viking Guitar Live // Available on bandcamp

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 08 – 2014 Greatest Hits was originally published on Gamefixt

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Foxhound Favorites - Episode 07 - HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Thank you so much for tuning in for this week’s episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below. MERRRRRRY CHRIMBO

We’re off next week (December 24th – Christmas Evening, y’all!!) but tune in the week after on DECEMBER 31 for a very special SUPER LONG episode of FOXHOUND’s 2014 FAVORITES! I’ll be sharing some of my absolute favorite tracks from the past year in a super-sized show on New Year’s Eve! Tune in on Wednesday, December 31st, at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST!

[07] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 12 · 17 : HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Download 

Playlist:

· White Crossing (Earthbound) - Super VG Christmas Party - Super Guitar Bros // Available on bandcamp

· Troian Beauty (Final Fantasy IV) - Scarlet Moon Christmas EP - Jayson Napolitano // Available on Loudr

· Cold Howl (Okami) - Super VG Christmas Party - Dr Manhattan // Available on bandcamp

· Christmas in the Village (Lufia 2) - Dale North // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Snow Dancing in the Schoolyard (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance) - Super VG Christmas Party - The World is Square // Available on bandcamp

· Chaxin (Metroid) – Bad Dudes: Jingle All the Way - The Guy (mg) // Available on bandcamp

· Another Winter (Seiken Densetsu 3) – Super VG Christmas Party - The Amazing BrandO // Available on bandcamp

· Village of Melting Snow (Soma Bringer) - Super VG Christmas Party - Chris Porter // Available on bandcamp

· Cry From the Forest (Secret of Mana) – Kassi, Mustin // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Holiday Hare (Jazz JackRabbit) - Super VG Christmas Party - The Returners // Available on bandcamp

· Winter in Iwatodai (Persona 3) - Super VG Christmas Party - Ailsean, Nikolai // Available on bandcamp

· Super Mario’s Sleigh Ride (Super Mario World) - The OneUps // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Snow on Fallen Leaves (Final Fantasy X) - Super VG Christmas Party - Jeff Ball // Available on bandcamp

· Melodies of Christmas (Final Fantasy IX) - Scarlet Moon Christmas EP – Dale North // Available on Loudr

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 07 – HOME FOR CHRISTMAS was originally published on Gamefixt

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Foxhound Favorites - Episode 06 - COLD DAY IN HELL

Thank you so much for tuning in for this week’s episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below. Brrrr!!

Next week is the Christmas show! I don’t have a clever name for it yet! Tune in on Wednesday, December 17th, at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST!

[06] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 12 · 10 : COLD DAY IN HELL

Hark! Horrible heralds host a harangue of hot hits!

Download 

Playlist:

· Demon con Gusto (Doom) – Doom: Dark Side of Phobos – analoq // Available on homepage

· The End of Hell (Doom 2) – Doom 2 Delta-Q-Delta – Ailsean and Mazedude // Available on homepage

· Turn Around Immediately (Silent Hill) – Danse Macabre 2 – Tim Yarborough // Available on bandcamp

· Demonic Conception (Castlevania III) – Joshua Morse // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· That Burning Sensation (Killer Instinct) – Blademode – Kroth // Available on bandcamp

· Dirge of the Damned (Demon’s Crest) – The Akkadian // Available on Dwelling of Duels

· Of Futility and Hope (Diablo, Diablo II) – zykO // Unavailable on VGMix

· The Almighty (Persona 4) – P4 Velvetroom LIVE – Shoji Meguro // Unavailable

· Devils Never Cry (Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening) – Tetsuya Shibata //  Unavailable

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 06 – COLD DAY IN HELL was originally published on Gamefixt

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Foxhound Favorites - Episode 05 - WINTER IS COMING

Thank you so much for tuning in for this week’s episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below. I GUESS.

Next week’s pre-recorded episode will continue the winter of our discontent in decadently evil fashion as we celebrate a COLD NIGHT IN HELL! A full hour of fiendish, furious songs from ancient devils and unspeakable horrors to help ring in the holiday season. Tune in on Wednesday, December 3rd, at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST! See you in hell!

[05] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 12 · 03 : WINTER IS COMING

IT’S COLD

Download 

Playlist:

· Ice Ice Monkey (Donkey Koing Country) – DKC Mix’t Ape ’94 – Cory Johnson // Listen on bandcamp

· 1-UP (Scott Pilgrim vs The World) – Brandon Strader // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Frozen Landcape (Final Fantasy 7) – Voices of the Lifestream – Tweex // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Blue Burrr (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) – Black Ice – MegaBeardo (ft. Stemage and Viking Guitar) // Available on bandcamp

· Hot Machine, Cold Surface (Metroid Prime) – Ben Prunty // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Frozen Hotslug (Missile Master) – Mazedude // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· 10 Minutes of Hypothermia (Mega Man X) – Maverick Rising – Metal Man // Available on homepage

· Aurora Borealis (Seiken Densetsu 3) – Rozovian // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Winter Madness (Secret of Mana) – Ashane, Zoast //  Available on Dwelling of Duels

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 05 – WINTER IS COMING was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Foxhound Favorites - Episode 04 - TANKS GIVING 2014

Thank you so much for tuning in for this week’s episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below, but remember to close the door and turn off the lights when you’re all done.

December is upon us, so next week we’ll be gathering to remind ourselves that WINTER IS COMING! An hour of icy hits and snowy sensations awaits. Tune in on Wednesday, December 3rd, at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST! See you then!

[04] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 11 · 26 : TANKS GIVING 2014

A tasty tribute to terrific tanks and traditions.

Download 

Playlist:

· Hell March to the Apocalypse (Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun) – The Tiberian Sons // Listen on YouTube

· The Jason Frudnick Experience (Blaster Master) - The Nate Horsfall Experience // Available on Dwelling of Duels

· The Dream, The Theater, The Battlefield (Battlefield 3) – Remo Baldi  // Available on homepage

· In Memoriam (Halo 3) – Brandon Strader // Available on OverClocked ReMix

· Kill Everything and Everyone (Ikari Warriors) – Intergalactic Continuum – The OneUps  // Available on bandcamp

· Terran It All Apart (StarCraft) – Stage One – Killed by Koopa // Available on bandcamp

· Watch Your Step, Fox! (Star Fox 64) – Harmony of Heroes – garlagan // Available on homepage

·We Mako Our Own Luck (Mass Effect) – Max Effect – Big Giant Circles // Available on bandcamp

· Takin’ On the Shagohod – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Original Soundtrack - Norihiko Hibino // Available on Amazon

·Once Upon a Time in Mexico (GoldenEye 007) – random splinter, Unknown // Unavailable on VGMix

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 04 – TANKS GIVING 2014 was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Foxhound Favorites - Episode 03 - Dragons

Thanks for joining us for another episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below, right where you left it. I’m not going to remind you to clean up after yourself again.

Next week, join us for TANKS GIVING We’ll be kicking off the holiday weekend on Wednesday night (that’s November the 26, sassy pants) with an explosively good hour of music! Tune in at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST! See you then!

[03] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 11 · 19 : Dragons

A wonderful whirl of weird wyrm-themed wails.

Download 

Playlist:

· Imminent Triumph (Electric Guitar Version) - Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Soundtrack – Tadayoshi Makino // Unavailable

· Flight into the Unknown (Secret of Mana) – Versus Video Games 2 – Daniel Tidwell // Available on bandcamp

· Wrath of Khisanth (Heroes of the Lance) – Viking Guitar – Viking Guitar // Available on bandcamp

· Ridley (Metroid) – Varia Suite – Metroid Metal // Available on bandcamp

· Stockholm (Bahamut Lagoon) – Avaris  // Available on Overclocked Remix

· A Tiny Dragon (Chrono Cross) – Kefka // Available on Dwelling of Duels

· Rime of the Wanderin’ Seafarer (Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker) – zykO // Available on Overclocked Remix

·Dovahkiin (Skyrim) – Brandon Strader // Available on Overclocked Remix

· Assault of the Silver Dragons (Final Fantasy 9) – The Black Mages III Darkness and Starlight – The Black Mages // Available on Amazon

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 03 – Dragons was originally published on Gamefixt

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Foxhound Favorites - Episode 02 - Castles

Thanks for joining us for another great episode of of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist right past the jump-cut! Just, you know. Click it. It’s okay. Go ahead.

Next week on November the 19th we’ve got a delightfully draconian show dedicated to DRAGONS for you! Tune in at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST for an hour of spectacularly scaley songs and serenades (note: there may be a minimum of serenades involved.)

[02] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 11 · 12 : Castles

A classic collection of citadel-centric carols!

Download 

Playlist:

· Above the Rising Falls (Kingdom Hearts) – sephfire // Available on Overclocked Remix

· Whiterun – Bad Dudes 2012 MAGFest Sampler – mellogear // Available on bandcamp

· Trilobite – Legend of the Boar Knight – Careless Juja // Coming soon to bandcamp

· Castle Rock – CHRONOTORIOUS – JJT // Unavailable

· The Skies Hold No Angels For Us – FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption – Level 99 & audio fidelity // Available on homepage

· Battle of Doom Island – Immune to Silence – The Returners // Available on bandcamp

· The Dark Prophecy – Advent – Descendants of Erdrick // Coming soon on bandcamp

· Dark Madness Resurrection (Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest) - goat // Available on Overclocked Remix

· Dokuta Wairi, Rival to the Light (Mega Man 2) – Sixto Sounds // Available on Overclocked Remix

· Blood of Ganon (A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) – virt // Available on Dwelling of Duels

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 02 – Castles was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Foxhound Favorites - Episode 01 - Fired Up!

Thanks for joining us for the official season start of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers on Gamefixt Radio. You can find the archived mp3 and a playlist below.

Next week’s show on November 12th will be themed after CASTLES! We just might have a world premiere track – or TWO?? – to share with you. You’ll have to tune in to find out what they are. Check it out at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST!

[01] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 10 · 29 : Fired Up

A fiery flourish of featured festive fanfares!

Download 

Playlist:

· Turrican’t (Turrican II: The Final Fight) – Carnivortex - LONELYROLLINGSTARS // Available on bandcamp

· Man On Fire (Mega Man 2) – MM25: Mega Man Rocks – The Megas // Available on Amazon

· Lower Norfair (Super Metroid) – Varia Suite – Metroid Metal // Available on bandcamp

· Heart of Fire (Castlevania) – LET ME TELL YOU A STORY – Random Encounter // Available on bandcamp

· The Ken Song (Street Fighter 2) – Joe Darwish // Available on Overclocked Remix

· Balto (Xenogears) – Xenogears Creid – Yasunori Mitsuda // Available on Amazon

· I Could Be Banned Soon Trigger (Chrono Trigger) – Snappleman // Available on Dwelling of Duels

· Battle vs Lord Blazer (Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition) – MUSIC THE BEST -rocking heart- – Ryo Yonemitsu // Unavailable 

· Tears (King of Fighters ’99) – King of Fighters Best Arrange Collection – Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan // Unavailable 

Foxhound Favorites – Episode 01 – Fired Up! was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Foxhound Favorites - Halloween (Pilot Episode)

Thanks for tuning in to the pilot episode of Foxhound Favorites, the very best of the best of video game original music, arrangements, remixes and covers, right here on our very own Gamefixt Radio. If you DIDN’T catch the stream (don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me) or you just want to listen to it all over again, then you can find the archive link below, along with a playlist of what’s included, and some information on where to find that music on the Vorld Vide Veb.

Next week’s theme (that’s November 5th, sports fans) will be FIRED UP! Check it out at gamefixt.com/radio at 8 PM CST!

[00] Foxhound Favorites // 2014 · 10 · 29 : Halloween (Pilot Episode!)

A spooky, scary selection of simulation soundscapes on this, the start of a season of stupendous ShoutCast shows.

Download 

Playlist:

· You And Your Friends Are Dead (Friday the 13th – NES) – Danse Macabre 3 – Mega Beardo // Available on bandcamp

· Waltz of the Dolls (Final Fantasy 4) – housethegrate // Unavailable on vgmix

· Sepia-Flavored Sky (Silent Hill 2) – Bad Dudes: Zombies Rocked My Neighbors – Kunal Majmudar // Available on homepage

· Tristram und Isolde (Diablo II) – Songs for the Recently Deceased – The OneUps // Available on Amazon

· Mitochondiatic Phase (Parasite Eve) – Joshua Morse // Unavailable on vgmix

· Professor Layton and the Bay Harbor Butcher (Professor Layton series) – Professor Layton and the Bay Harbor Butcher – Careless Juja // Available on bandcamp

· A Flash of Memory (Earthbound) – Earthbound – Cory Johnson // Available on bandcamp

· Survival (Lone Survivor) – Jasper Byrne // Available on bandcamp

· The Boy That Feared Time (Chrono Trigger) – Time & Space: A Tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda – Ailsean // Unavailable on homepage

· Chocolate Rondo (Castlevania: Rondo of Blood) – Vampire Variations II – The Nate Horsfall Experience // Available on homepage

Foxhound Favorites – Halloween (Pilot Episode) was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Prepare to Dine - Dark Souls Cafe in Tokyo

For those of you not well versed in Japan’s enthusiastic pursuit of emulating every piece of pop culture commemoration , you might be pleasantly surprised to find that there are number of video game-themed restaurants and cafes and restaurants that can be found throughout. As your resident Sun Bro, the one that caught my eye immediately, however, was the very cool Dark Souls cafe that can be found in Tokyo. In a fantastic undertaking by From Software and Australian-themed restaurant Oz Cafe, diners can expect to be treated to the quintessential Dark Souls experience while enjoying various Dark Souls-themed dishes. Whether or not one would have their dinner interrupted by an overgeared invader while they eat is left to be seen, but the opportunity to feast alongside Artorias The Abyss walker is something too tempting to pass up. Below you can get a look at the eerily authentic atmosphere the eatery and be jealous that you aren’t having your lunch there tomorrow afternoon.

Prepare to Dine – Dark Souls Cafe in Tokyo was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

The DLC Underground

Nowadays we consider downloadable content, or DLC, to be a mainstream commodity. When I talk about DLC I don’t just mean the expansion packs or the rare one-of-a-kind promo weapons, I mean anything from a new level to that 99 cent hat you bought on Team Fortress 2. Anything released after the game itself as…

The DLC Underground was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

We don't deserve FEZ 2

Indie game developer and sideburn life-support system Phil Fish took to twitter last week to remind us all that there will be no FEZ 2, and that we don’t deserve it.

Fish, who in July of last year announced the cancellation of FEZ 2 a month after it was announced during the Horizon Conference, explained in no uncertain terms that there would be no follow-up.

seriously, shut the f**k up about FEZ 2. never going to happen. you don’t deserve it.

This comes a little over a year after the original cancellation announcement, in which he said

Fez II is cancelled. i am done. i take the money and i run. this is as much as i can stomach. this isn’t the result of any one thing, but the end of a long, bloody campaign. you win.

We don’t deserve FEZ 2 was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Next Gen Warfare: All About the New Call of Duty

Releasing on November 4th of this year, Sledgehammer Games has already made several announcements about the next Call of Duty, titled Advanced Warfare. Straight from the conference in Germany, here’s all the facts and inside info you want to know.

A New & Improved Exoskeleton

The new exoskeleton is usable across all game modes: story, multiplayer and co-op

The exoskeleton introduces new equipment, gameplay abilities and mechanics that fundamentally change how you play Call of Duty (boost jump, boost slam, boost dodge, boost slide, boost dash, grapple, cloak and more).

This new exoskeleton is really put to work in Multiplayer Mode. The exo is augmentable with abilities through Pick 13. A slate of new perks impact exo abilities like a perk that suppresses boost so that it’s quieter and as a result a player’s thrusters don’t give away your location on the mini map. Some of the new abilities are:

Exo Shield – A quick-deploy shield attached to your exo’s arm

Exo Overclock – Increased footspeed

Exo Stim – Temporary health regeneration beyond normal levels

Exo Cloak – Short duration visual concealment

Exo Hover – Short duration hovering in place

Exo Ping – Shows enemy movement and weapon fire in the HUD

Exo Trophy System – Destroys incoming grenades and rockets for a limited period of time

More Fun in Multiplayer Mode

In addition to all of the new exoskeleton perks, multiplayer mode is boasting several new maps, weapons and even a new weapons class. It will feature Supply Drops, providing players with bonuses such as custom weapons, gear and reinforcements. The new Heavy Weapons class includes directed energy weapons like the EM1 and EMPm2. This class of weapon doesn’t rely on reloads, but instead they are known to overheat after too much activity.

Oh, and remember before when I said Pick 13? That’s not a typo. The Pick 10 create-a-class format is back with more customizable options than before. You can now choose which scorestreaks will be included with your class. The goal is to provide a more in depth experience for player strategies and play styles.

The maps that have been announced to date are as follows:

Biolab – A secret snowy base featuring close quarters indoor combat and long range outdoor combat.

Riot – A bombed out prison featuring a 3-lane approach.

Ascend – A futuristic Space Elevator with turrets, map-based scorestreaks and a 3-lane approach.

Defender – An abandon bunker near the Golden Gate Bridge, featuring a regularly arriving tsunami. Supposedly the perfect spot to test your new exo skills.

Let’s not forget the Virtual Firing Range, Virtual Lobby, Character Customization, eSports or new Game Modes. The firing range is exactly what it sounds like: a new area to try out your new weapons without the hassle of a map load or blindly entering a match with your new toys. The customization of your character has also increased by allowing you to finagle with heads, eyewear, helmets, shirts, vest kits, gloves, pants, knee guards, boots and even the exoskeleton itself.

The Virtual Lobby is a little less straightforward but it basically amounts to a large public online scoreboard where all your prizes and accomplishments will be on display. According to the rep: “This is where all of a player’s hard work, both XP Progression and Supply Drop rewards are paid-off for all to see. In the Virtual Lobby you can quickly and easily see everyone’s character in all its glory.”

The new game modes are Uplink and Momentum. Uplink is supposed to foster teamwork where you fight to control the enemies satellite drone. Momentum is the new tug-of-war and was found originally in Call of Duty: World at War.

And finally, the new eSports options are as follows (with more details to come closer to release):

Hardpoint and Capture the Flag

Round-based Domination

Broadcaster Mode now features an expanded Oracle mode

Ranked playlists

LAN lobbies

Private match rule-set value slider

We have also been informed of what they are calling the Day Zero Edition. Those that preorder or purchase one of the various collectors’ editions, will be able to buy and play the game on November 3, get Double XP for November 3, two special bonus weapons, and the Advanced Arsenal – that features a custom bullet brass exoskeleton and bonus directed energy weapon, the Quantum EM1.

As a disclaimer, we’ve received no compensation from Sledgehammer or Activision for this promotion and bring it purely for your viewing pleasure. Are there any other games you all are looking forward to playing in the next few months?

Next Gen Warfare: All About the New Call of Duty was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Silicon Knights Scandal

Former Canadian video game developer, Silicon Knights, just cannot seem to catch a break lately. After losing their lawsuit and being counter-sued by Epic Games back in 2012, the now bankrupt companies name continues to be tarnished with news of their former Director’s arrest.

Kenneth McCulloch (pictured above), a 42 year old man from Ontario, was arrested late last month on multiple charges relating to child pornography. Although this man was a Silicon Knights employee for over 20 years, and a founding member of Precursor Games, the latter company has since denied him all titles and removed his profile listing from their official website.

McCulloch has been charged with “one count each of possession of child pornography, making child pornography available and accessing child pornography.” (Polygon)

More to follow as the situation unfolds.

Silicon Knights Scandal was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefanatics]

Continuously surprised gamer

[gamefixtonline]

Incoming: GameStop to introduce its own credit card

GameStop is often at the end of some form of criticism: the trade-in values, the incessant upselling, the most recent controversy regarding their desire for more exclusive content (by imparting themselves into the development stage of games) – whichever’s your argument of choice there’s often sufficient fuel behind your fire. Lucky for you, if you’re one of those GameStop hating fans, there’s a new reason to add to your distate!

It’s been leaked that GameStop will be releasing, in the near future if the rumors are true, its very own credit card. You may not think anything of this just yet, but just wait for the details.

It doesn’t come as a suprise that the card will tie directly to GameStop’s PowerUp Rewards program. In fact, the intial, and seemingly primary, incentive for signing up for is 5,000 bonus points for PowerUp Basic members and 15,000 for PowerUp Pro members (which is worth roughly $5 and $15). Sources have noted that all PowerUp Rewards Members will be pre-approved for the card; plus, they’ll have other exclusive offers to follow.

Still it all appears to be harmless, then you get hit with this – the financial terms of the GameStop credit card include a staggering interest rate of 26.99%! That’s more than double the current market average of 13%. There’s speculation that an introductory period will have reduced rates, but a normal APR of 26.99% is far from ideal.

GameStop shoppers, especially those that are not 100% financially comfortable (and really, who is?), should approach this card with a great deal of thoughtfulness. There are much better options on the credit card front at this time, countless options. It’s true that others won’t include PowerUp Rewards points, but you can easily find equally desirable perks (and much better perks) accompanied with a far more forgiving interest rate.

Source: Destructoid

Incoming: GameStop to introduce its own credit card was originally published on Gamefixt

[gamefixtonline]

Indie Gaming Crash of 20??

It hasn’t happened yet, but maybe it’s coming. Maybe it’s this year… maybe it’s the next. I think it’s soon. “There were several reasons for the crash, but the main cause was saturation of the market with hundreds of mostly low-quality games which resulted in the loss of consumer confidence.” (Wikipedia.org)

I make no attempts to hide my feelings on the current status of the gaming industry, which is mostly that it is run by bratty entitled 14 year olds and publishers ignorant of quality and eager for cash. So you can imagine that I was absolutely overjoyed to learn of indie gaming. The idea that a community could come together and create something we all wanted… that was heaven. In an era where we’re being spoon fed things like reused game engines (Assassin’s Creed 3) and wasted promises (Mass Effect 3), the chance to speak up and say we won’t tolerate it any more was really refreshing.

I’ll admit, of course, that I didn’t really believe indie gaming was possible until Broken Age. I thought it was a boring fad for people creating mobile games or some such. I followed the Broken Age kickstarter with an almost fervent attitude. The fact that it made its goal long before the end date was inspiring. It proved that there was still a community of people who didn’t want to take their games lying down!

I’d really like to stress how much I believe in the word “community” in this instance. You can play any different kind of genre you like, but we are still one community and we have the power to mold it the way we’d like to. As a consumer, if you stop buying the product, they stop making it or come up with a better strategy. When fans were disappointed with Bioware for Mass Effect 3’s ending, they gave us DLC to placate us. It wasn’t exactly what we were looking for, but they tried. And again with Dragon Age 2; we said we hated the lack of new maps, and now Inquisition is supposedly gigantic with no reused maps at all! Even in the Triple A industry, we have a voice if we shout loud enough.

That is why I’m sincerely disappointed about the turns indie gaming has taken. Yes, indie gaming has given us things like Minecraft, Braid, Skullgirls, Mighty No. 9, etc. Just today, I went to Steam Greenlight to check their recent submission category. They have 1,751 entries. It’s entirely possible a handful of them could be the next [Popular Indie Game], but it is more likely that they are just superficial things, games with no depth.

We are becoming oversaturated with a lack of quality games from the industry most likely to hear our pleas. The indie gaming community is large and hopeful, growing larger every day. But their goal is all wrong. They aim to produce One Shot Wonders with 15 seconds of fame, long enough for them to bank some cash and call it a day. I believe it’s called “riding the hype train.”

My mindset has now turned from wanting to give indie gaming a chance to being wary of it. Although the quality is poor, at least I can trust a Triple A game to give me 80 hours of content. And as long as I keep my expectations low, I can enjoy it. For example, I knew that Assassin’s Creed 3 wasn’t really a well-received game, so because I expected it to be bad, I am now pleasantly surprised by the Sims-like aspect of caring for my Homestead, which I really throw some hours into.

The idea of paying even just $15 for an indie gaming is alarming to me. I don’t trust the games to keep me entertained for more than two or three hours, but you want me to pay the same price as a used copy of Final Fantasy 13 or some such? I’m not proud that that is my mentality. As such, I have only ever supported indie games produced by trusted former members of the Triple A industry, such as Inafune’s Mighty No. 9. I paid $75 into that. That’s right, I paid more for that indie game than a limited edition copy of a Triple A game.

If the quality can be trusted, it is worth the money to me. I will also be putting out the $170 for Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Limited Edition. Granted, their limited edition comes with a real lock picking set, but that is beside the point. The point here is that although we are a community, we are becoming divided. Not everyone has a million dollars to spend supporting every single indie game. I’ve got to scrounge and scrape for months just to afford my limited editions sets.

The oversaturation of low quality products in the industry is turning me off. I’m less inclined to hand out my hard earned cash for depthless games when I can use it to buy something I trust. I think that’s the key to all of this. The consumers don’t trust you, indie developers. If you produce a million haphazard things, they are still haphazard lifeless corpses of what they could be. Do not think I do not understand your plight.

I’d like to point out that I am not indifferent to the struggle of the developers themselves. I have a few friends in the industry and I still do not think I am calling out the developers unfairly. I know that cash is tight, that you can’t get stipends or pay everyone for weeks and weeks. I know that some of these things are pet projects for you. But again, as shamed as crowdsourcing seems to be lately (see Potato Salad), it is still a functional method.

I think Midora is the most recent success story I can think of. I also think it’s the perfect one to make my point. Unlike Mighty No. 9 or Broken Age, nobody on the Midora team is a tenured developer. It got a lot of reviews, but people were still skeptical. The game barely made $13k over their actual goal and did so with only hours to go; the last minute plight of desperation. Still, it got funded, and now we are happily looking forward to a very fun Zelda-inspired female MC 2D adventure game.

If an idea exists that the community likes, we will rally behind it. It might not make the millions of Broken Age, but you get to follow through on your passion. That is what is missing, that is what we desire. Show us your passion! Let us help you. I don’t want to go back to relying on EA for my fix. I want to pay the hard working team directly. I want to see the next Skyrim/Final Fantasy/Persona/Halo whatever!

There are some seriously talented people in our community. Don’t let the dream die.

Indie Gaming Crash of 20?? was originally published on Gamefixt