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Video Games

Hunting for a New MMO

I’ve made no secret that I’m a bit of a diehard LOTRO player. I’m not a hardcore raider, or anything like that, but I certainly enjoy the game because it visually realizes Middle Earth in a way that really appeals to me. Places like Weathertop, the Trollshaws, the place where Durin’s Bane met his end — all these and more make the game addictive and appealing to me. After all, that’s why I’m building a new gaming rig.

But time marches on, and there are other massive multiplayer games that might spark my interest.

Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms

I’m a huge fan of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s spawned a successful HBO TV series, and despite long waits between new installments and ever-lengthening word counts, it still is a fantastically realised world, with relatable, human (if somewhat inhumane) characters.

Unfortunately, the game is browser-based, which is probably not a good thing. I also have reservations about how one would bring a setting steeped in politics and innuendo to a market that is obsessed with DPS and heals. I’ll watch that space, but won’t hold my breath.

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Reviews Video Games

The Force Subdued

I finally got round to picking up Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. When I originally played the demo, I didn’t engage with it. The Force powers available were very fiddly to use, and it didn’t really showcase what was possible given the physics engine and artificial intelligence that had been touted during the leadup to the game’s launch.

Since the game is now in bargain bins everywhere, I figured I should pick it up and give the game another chance (and catch up on Expanded Universe canon).

Read on, but beware of spoilers…

Categories
Reviews Tabletop Games Video Games

Phenomenon 2009

One of the main reasons I haven’t put out many updates in the last week or so was due to being in Canberra for Phenomenon. Overall, I had a good time. As usual, the con was held at Daramalan College, which was close to the amenities of Dickson shops and all the takeaway Asian you can stomach, and the classrooms with ceiling heaters that made some sessions seem as though they were set in ovens.

Click over for a review of the games we played.

Categories
Video Games

Hot and blue!

Even though he’s very late in taking the piss of Mass Effect, Shamus Young has some interesting points regarding the Asari in general, and the consort in particular.

Personally I’m slightly disturbed by xenoeroticism, but Bioware obviously thought there was a market for that sort of thing. Can anybody tell me they weren’t at least somewhat put off by the whole notion of sticking it inside the blue thing with tentacles on her head?

Oh yeah, Lucas did it first with the Twi’lek.

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Movies and TV Tech

Do or do not, this is no toy!

The Official Star Wars Blog is running an article about a toy that translates brainwaves to Force powers.

Apparently, it uses a headset that will interpret some signal from your brain into movement of a ball within a transparent tube. Whatever the underlying science, it sounds like a lot of fun.

I may have to shell out the $90-100 for this toy (I’m assuming that’s in US money).