Entries in psn (7)

Tuesday
10Nov2009

The Demoscene & Lingering Afterthoughts: The Argument for Interactive Art (Pt. 1)


It's hard for me to believe, but it's been almost 10 years since the days when I spent nearly every waking, non-school hour on IRC. Now, this isn't some hacker story; it has a purpose. Those many years ago, one of my friends happened upon a very unusual tech demo enclosed within a 64 kilobyte file.

 

Actually, let me correct myself; it was 63.5 kilobytes. Yeah, those extra 500 or so bytes seem negligible, but they were pivotal to the purpose of that particular demo.

 

The demonstration in question was, and remains, .the .product.

 

Boy, has the demoscene come a long way.

 

Having found its way into non-passive media, it's left me mulling over the old question but turned on its head. For better or worse, it stirs up that tumultuous debate once more but, this time, with a twist.

 

For all their bluster, people argue that video games can be, should be.. are art. Today, I ask from the other end of the spectrum: Can art become game?

Click to read more ...

Wednesday
07Oct2009

Select PlayStation Network Games Now Available on Amazon

First-party PlayStation Network games have been added to the roster of Amazon's ever-growing digital distrubution line-up.

65 titles spanning across PS3, PSP, and original Playstation games are now up for grabs through the online retailer. In addition, various game add-ons, such as LittleBigPlanet level packs and PAIN characters, are also available for purchase.

Currently, only United States residents are eligible for the use of codes distributed by the retailer.

Monday
05Oct2009

Sparkster Rockets Back Into Action

Sparkster, the jet propelled, blue armored 'possum, is making his return in the latest retro revival to come out of Konami, Rocket Knight. In development from Climax Studios, Rocket Knight features 3-D graphics on a 2-D plane and promises to carry all of the hectic platforming game play that the original series did so well. Known for their work on Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Climax Studios and Konami are set to push Rocket Night to Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network.

For those who have forgotten, Rocket Knight Adventures was a Genesis platformer with a heavy emphasis on speed and accuracy. Starring an opossum wearing a suit of blue knight's armor and a rocket strapped to his back, the gist of the game really was pretty well conveyed in it's title. It wasn't too long before it's sequel, Sparkster, arrived for the Genesis and Super Nintendo, bringing us more of the same frenetic action, but since then the sword wielding, high-flying 'possum has faded away into memories. Until now.

Friday
02Oct2009

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond

Matt Hazard has been an icon of the video game industry for over twenty years, or at least that's what Matt himself (voiced by Will Arnett) would have you believe. When Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard was released earlier this year, more than a few players were entertained by it's completely self-aware, genre-bending, and cliche-parodying sense of humor, leaving many to wonder about Hazard's earlier video game career. Fortunately, it seems like we're finally going to get a chance to play some of those games for ourselves.

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond involves Matt himself going back in time to his earlier titles in order to fight old foes resurrected by his nemesis Dr. Neutronov. His classic side-scrolling action titles have been reworked into games sporting 3-D graphics on a 2-D plane, similar to Shadow Complex. Players will be able to make their way through Matt's prolific catalog of games in single player or co-op, all the while alternating between blowing away enemies in the most violent ways possible and chuckling at shamelessly irreverent self-referential humor.

Blood Bath and Beyond is scheduled for a Winter release on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network.

Thursday
01Oct2009

PSP Sale Madness

 

It's Go time, and Sony has put some hits and fan favorites on sale for the masses to devour in the maelstrom following the release of the PSP's latest revision. While they're not all winners, some are undeniable steals. Check them out after the break.

Click to read more ...