Author Archives: Chris Morris

Opinion: The Holiday Hit Lists

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[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at trends in recent holiday “hot toy/game” lists that highlight everything from LeapFrog to Call of Duty — but do they really say anything at all?]

If you’re like me, the fact that the holiday push now begins in September is mildly nauseating. Can we all agree, before we dive any deeper, that the display of Christmas decorations in stores starting around Labor Day is categorically wrong?

Still, the relentless march to move the holiday shopping period earlier and earlier continues, so it’s not especially surprising that the prognosticators and seers from all sorts of research firms and corporations are putting out their annual guesses about what will top this year’s “gotta have” lists — which basically amount to corporate tools that don’t mean all that much.

Read more at Gamasutra

James Cameron lobbies for Avatar MMO

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The first video game adaptation of James Cameron’s Avatar wasn’t exactly a hit with players, but the director/3D visionary isn’t ready to give up on the idea.

Cameron noted recently that he believes the franchise is ideally suited for a massively multiplayer online game, much like “World of Warcraft” or the upcoming “Star Wars: The Old Republic”.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Gears of War 3 sells 3 million copies in one week

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Gamers descended on retailers like locusts to grab their copies of Gears of War 3.

Microsoft says the latest installment in the series sold 3 million copies in its first week, making it the biggest game of the year (so far).

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Gaming’s Mona Lisas

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It’s official: video games are art, says the Supreme Court. And this week, two of the greatest examples of games as art — Ico and Shadow of the Colossus — paint their breathtaking strokes on the PS3 in a new collection.

So what other games should join them as gaming’s equivalent to the great works of Picasso, Monet and Michelangelo? Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that’s really up to you. But if we were designing our own wing in a video game art museum, we’d start with these masterpieces.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Futbol face-off: FIFA 12 vs. Pro Evo 12

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Competition is clearly lacking among NFL games, and with the once-mighty NBA Live on hold this year, you won’t find dueling basketball titles on store shelves until 2012.

Soccer fans, however, have a tricky choice when it comes to video game simulations.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Game Review: Asphalt 3D

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The Asphalt series rarely brings something new to driving games, but it’s never patently bad. This installment is a fun, but flawed, arcade racing game that leans a bit more to the action side of the scale with ridiculously high speeds and overdramatized wrecks. If you’re looking for a Burnout-style game for the 3DS, this isn’t a bad choice. There’s a good variety of tracks, and gearheads will enjoy the collection of licensed real world cars. Just don’t expect any sort of realism when you fire the game up.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Gamers discover two new planets

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After exploring hundreds of fictional alien planets, gamers have helped scientists locate two real ones.

Players of the browser-based game Planet Hunters have identified a pair of planets outside of our solar system that appear to have Earth-like characteristics. Now we just need to invent a faster-than-light spaceship so we can go explore them.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

AOL’s Cambio budgets big for original content

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Cambio isn’t a household name amongst most adults, but your tween may be familiar with it. Now AOL’s interactive entertainment site is hoping to boost its Q factor with some high profile partnerships and a warchest earmarked for original programming.

The site re-launched today, announcing partnerships with several industry heavyweights including Mark Burnett, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Dolphin Digital Media. And while the Burnett relationship might turn the most heads, it’s the Dolphin Digital one that could have the biggest impact.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Amazon unveils iPad competitor

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Amazon has declared war against Apple — and a few other companies — announcing a slew of new products at a New York press event Wednesday morning.

As expected, the online retail giant has unveiled plans to release a tablet computer, called Amazon Kindle Fire. The 7-inch device will cost just $199, a price point that’s likely to make it a hot holiday gift item. Shipments are scheduled to begin Nov. 15.

Read more at Daily Variety

App Review: DrawRace 2 HD

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DrawRace 2 HD isn’t your typical racing game — and that’s what makes it so refreshing. Rather than tiling your iPad back and forth to clumsily control an onscreen car, you lay out the path for the driver to take with your finger before the race, then see if your plan worked (aiding drivers along occasionally with a turbo boost). It’s unique, addicting and is a game that will last you a long, long time. The in-app purchases are front and center, but not shoved down your throat (and are mainly shortcuts for players who don’t have the patience to unlock tracks and cars themselves). And the game is simply fun. It’s a great choice for race fans who are tired of the hundreds of “me-too” apps currently available.

Read more at Common Sense Media