Monday, September 27, 2010

grand turismo 5 event

Running off a tip from the PlayStation blog I found out about a surprise event in Times Square, NYC. Honda was throwing this massive event focused around their car and 3D tech. Walking up to the heavily branded event sponsors were on hand. Maxim girls were passing out 3D glasses and the current issue featuring Anna Kournikova in 3D. Honda was showing off their new CR-Z Sport Hybrid coupe which is one of the playable cars in Grand Turismo 5. Of course, there was a Grand Turismo 5 station at the event. With custom "racing sled" set ups where you could try out the new game in 3D. Hardly enough time to do a decent review but the lines were fairly short. The highlight of the event was a free concert by N.E.R.D. which sounded pretty good. The event hosts also showed the first 3D comercial featuring the CR-Z which was impressive but still just a commercial. Also, wearing 3D glasses outside in public is a little weird.

More photos of the event (and models) after the jump:

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

ea active: more workouts


PLATFORM: Wii
RELEASE DATE: 11/2009
DEVELOPER: EA Canada
PUBLISHER: EA
ESRB RATING: E
Progress: Again and again

EA Active: More Workouts is one of the best home workout video games.

It is a step up from the Wii's first work out game, WiiFit. The workouts feel more legit and the Wii motion controls are more engaging and intuitive. This is the second release in the EA Active line. The music is pretty good - just the right amount of motivation, the island paradise setting is nice - they did a decent job with the graphics. Decent, not incredible, and very "Wii looking." The game comes with a small set of peripherals, specifically a leg strap and a resistance band. You can take on a 6 week workout challenge, or just complete preset or custom workouts (basically different combinations of various exercises) and you can even workout with a friend.

I decided to start a 6 week challenge to get fit and shed a few pounds. Before getting started, I realized I needed a base so I could measure my results. I had to weigh myself in Wii Fit; I have to say I find it strange that EA didn't include a scale option in EA Active: More Workouts. Anyway, according to Wii Fit my ideal weight is 157.2 lbs (22 BMI) for my age and height. My actual weight is 180.5 lbs (25.28 BMI) which Wii Fit considers overweight! Obviously no one wants to be overweight (despite Wii Fit being known to be a bit harsh) so I set a goal: lose 5 lbs in 2 weeks (shortest period of time allowed by the software). Let's go.

Monday, September 13, 2010

ps home report 01

PLATFORM: PS Home
RELEASE DATE: 12/2008
DEVELOPER: Sony
ESRB RATING: NA

Is it really a gambling addiction if there isn't real money exchanged? I've spent countless hours exploring Sony's social gaming platform Playstation Home. Home is the gathering place of the PS community where everyone person with a PS3 can join as an avatar and explore the numerous spaces available; all for free. By far the most popular of these spaces is the EA Sports Complex. Surprisingly, the main draw is the poker tables and trying to build your avatar's bankroll up, rather than focusing on the many successful EA Sports franchises.

Never mind the brand new games I have, or the freshly downloaded content, I always find myself back here. Texas Hold'em is what's playing on the the three colored game tables in the space. Green felt for the novice, red for the skilled and black for the expert games. The red and black tables require a buy-in that you can build up to with your bank roll from playing on the green tables. Playing with the PS Home "friends" that I remember or with strangers, it's always the same game, but just like real poker it's always a different experience.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

transformers: war for cybertron

PLATFORM: PS3
RELEASE DATE: 06/2010
DEVELOPER: High Moon Studios

PUBLISHER: Activision
ESRB RATING: T
Progress: 35% of trophies at time of posting

Lets talk about childhood dreams for a minute shall we. I don't know about you but when I was a kid I had some very specific things I wanted from the future. I wanted Jason to fight Freddy, I wanted to see Aliens fight the Predator, I even wanted working hoverboards (still waiting on those I guess) But most of all I wanted to be a Transformer. Now this review may be a little bit tainted like the Dark Energon scorching through Megatron's veins but here we go.

Presenting a new contributor and format for reviews on Gamedae®: The co-op review. Welcome Verdeberg my go-to online companion. Hit the jump to read the new mulitplayer review format.